Introduction to NGO Support toolkit

What is NGO support?

NGO and CBO support programmes can be co-ordinated support functions provided by different organisations, as with many Government-led NGO support programmes, or a programme implemented by one organisation providing a range of functions, as with many NGO-led programmes. The toolkit is primarily designed for those working on programmes that try to deliver both funding and technical support, but many of its resources will be of interest to organisations that provide only funding or only training.

What is the International HIV/AIDS Alliance?

The International HIV/AIDS Alliance (Alliance) is an international non-governmental organisation that supports communities in developing countries to make a significant contribution to HIV prevention, AIDS care and to the provision of support to children affected by the epidemic. Since its establishment in 1993, the Alliance has provided financial and technical support to NGOs and CBOs from more than 40 countries.

How do I use the toolkit?

The toolkit addresses a series of themes about establishing and running an NGO/CBO support programme. There are critical components for setting up a programme, such as strategic planning with situation assessments, selecting partners and designing projects. Processes that add further value such as providing technical support and working for institutional change through advocacy, policy and partnership are also explored. Finally, the on-going work of managing, monitoring and evaluating an NGO support programme is also covered. The themes are divided further into detailed sub-themes, all with explanatory introductions and guidance based on the Alliance’s experiences. Electronic resources provided include reports, tools, templates and links to other information.

Relevant information and resources can be found by:

  • reading through themed sections and navigating the contents on the top and left menu bar
  • following links between different sections within the toolkit
  • searching for keywords using the search function
  • or going back to the front-page, by clicking on the Go to start button.

The toolkit is constantly updated on the website, with a new CD-Rom produced periodically. If you have any feedback or suggestions for resources that we could add to the toolkit, please click on the Contribute and comment button.

What do the icons used in the toolkit mean?

The resources provided fall into four categories identified by their icons:

Information: reports and articles such as documents outlining the issues faced by children

Template: documents such as forms that can be adapted and used to gather information

Tools: whole training manuals or individual activities

Websites: websites identified as useful and relevant resources in themselves

What copyright restrictions exist?

Please note that copyright restrictions apply to all resources in the toolkit unless otherwise stated on the documents. If you use Alliance resources for your work, please acknowledge the Alliance as the source.

Alliance resources can be recognised by the following icon:

How can I order Alliance publications?

Alliance resources can be ordered via the publications section of the Alliance website.

How can I contribute or comment on the toolkit?

The NGO support toolkit is updated on a regular basis. If you have any feedback or suggestions for resources that we could add to help improve the toolkit, please click on the contribute and comment button.

What software do I need for reading the resources on the toolkit?

Many of the documents are “.pdf” (Portable Document Format) files, which means you will need Adobe Acrobat to read them. This can be downloaded for free from here. Other documents are in Microsoft Word or Powerpoint.


Acknowledgement

The Alliance would like to thank the many organisations that kindly provided resources for inclusion in this resource. This resource is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The information provided in this resource is the responsibility of the authors and is not official U.S. Government information and does not represent the views or positions of USAID or the U.S. Government.