Interaction Member Brochure - 2009

Joining

Why Join InterAction?

Y

our organization is a part of the US NGO community, a community that is represented by InterAction with a reach and impact much larger than any one organization. Through InterAction, members gather to shape the direction of the US NGO community as it leverages resources, creates and develops new partnerships, determines norms of aid effectiveness, and protects the space and environment in which we operate. As the leadership hub of the U.S. based non-profit community that works around the world, InterAction helps shape and respond to your external environment in ways that directly contribute to your organization.

Could your organization benefit from: ll Effective Advocacy and Representation InterAction works to coordinate the efforts of member organizations to maximize effectiveness of advocacy and outreach to Congress and the Administration on humanitarian and development issues. InterAction helps open doors and provides access to top-level government officials and policymakers. InterAction members also receive timely information and analyses of legislative, policy, and budgetary issues as they impact the humanitarian and development community.

ll Effective Communications and Increased Exposure InterAction is a hub for information on overseas humanitarian and development programs and related policy work in Washington. Our communications specialists multiply and complement member efforts with media strategies, press referrals, message training, online tactics, and video production. Averaging over 2 million hits per month, InterAction’s website features the work of our member agencies and encourages the public to get involved. Members also can post press releases to our site. During international disasters, as many as 525,000 hits per week have been recorded at www.interaction.orq.

ll Publications Members receive a number of free InterAction publications, including Monday Developments (univer­sally recognized as the leading source of information on overseas humanitarian affairs) and Member Profiles (our biannual directory of InterAction members). With a commitment to accurate, incisive commentary, InterAction publications present members with an unparalleled opportunity to highlight their work and values.

ll Strong Networking Among Peer Organizations and Information Sharing InterAction’s working groups promote collaboration with peers on cutting-edge issues through policy- and practice-focused meetings. Also relevant, InterAction email distribution lists provide member organizations with timely updates on current issues and events. Our annual Forum, CEO Retreat, and over 400 meetings each year bring together our members, outside experts, government officials, and other stakeholders. InterAction also maintains close ties with NGOs and NGO networks around the world.

ll Capacity Building and Technical Assistance InterAction has been the leading source for technical assistance and support for gender integra­tion and implementation of standards for gender equity. More recently, InterAction has begun a related effort to promote ethnic and racial diversity. InterAction also facilitates NGO security training and civil-military relations on disaster response, along with orga­nizing quarterly media forums and roundtable discussions on trends in communications.

ll Increased Credibility with Donors and Funders InterAction’s PVO Standards continue to set member organizations apart from all others. Adher­ing to these standards gives member agencies widely recognized legitimacy in the vital areas of governance, financial management, program performance, and fundraising.

Join the largest coalition of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) focused on the world’s poor and most vulnerable people. Collectively, InterAction’s more than 165 members work in every developing country. In poor communities throughout the developing world, InterAction members meet people halfway in expanding opportunities and supporting gender equality in education, health care, agriculture, small businesses, and other areas. 2 InterAction

Becoming a Member In order to be eligible for membership, an agency must pay established dues and meet specific criteria. Eligibility Criteria ll Embody a philosophy which reflects InterAction’s values of partnership, humanitarianism, sustain­able development, justice, diversity, ethical practice, and gender equity. ll Have an active, voluntary governing board that exercises independent oversight of the profes­sional staff and finances. ll Have clearly defined functions and programs with a primary focus on international development assistance, relief, migration, refugee assistance, and/or public education on such programs. ll Demonstrate a high level of professional exper­tise and experience in implementing programs to accomplish organizational objectives. ll Have tax-exempt status under section 501 (a) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and have re­ceived such status at least two years prior to membership application. ll Operate on the basis of a detailed annual budget approved by the organization’s governing board and publish an annual statement of the organization’s finances, income, and expenditures audited and certified by an independent certified public accountant. ll Certify compliance with InterAction’s PVO Stan­dards through SelfCertification Plus, or provide compelling reasons for non­compliance, in which case the organization must (1) indicate duration of noncompliance and (2) take steps to come into compliance.

Responsibilities and Privileges of Membership ll Participate to the fullest extent possible in InterAction activities and relate to fellow InterAction members in a spirit of collaboration and partnership. ll Pay annual dues based on .0015 of direct inter­nationally related expenses, not counting pass-throughs or gifts in-kind, subject to a mini­mum dues of $2,000 per year. ll Biannually certify compliance with InterAction’s PVO Standards.

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Required application materials: nn Completed Application nn By-Laws nn Articles of Incorporation nn IRS Letter of Tax Exempt Status nn Most Recent Annual Report nn Most Current Audited Financial Statement nn Current Year’s Budget as Approved by the Board of Directors nn PV0 Standards Review Form nn Three Letters of Recommendation from Three InterAction Members

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Applications can also be completed online at www.interaction.org/membership

Membership Application

(supporting documents must still be emailed or sent by post)

1. Organization name 2. Contact Person 3. Title 4. Address 5. Telephone 6. Fax 7. Email address 8. Website 9. Year Founded 10. Incorporated in the State of 11. Statement of organizational purpose 12. Briefly describe the organization’s programs. Include a listing of the location of field offices or regional offices worldwide. (Attach materials, in addition to your annual report, as appropriate).

Please answer questions on a separate piece of paper

19. Please note at least three PVOs with which your organization has worked in the past two years, and describe the collaboration/affiliation. 20. Do you work with partner organizations overseas? Please describe the manner in which you implement programs together. 21. Please indicate the approximate amount of the following funding sources as a percentage of your total annual income.

Federal Grants: ­_____ %



Federal Contracts:

_____ %



Foundation Grants:

_____ %



Membership Dues:

_____ %



Contributions:­

_____ %



Others: ­_____ %



Explain: _____________________

13. Why does your organization wish to join InterAction and how would you and your associates expect to participate? 14. Describe your governance structure, including: size of board and executive committee; frequency of meet­ings; establish the voluntary nature of your board -does any board member receive compensation for his/ her work for the board? 15. Number of full-time, salaried staff in the U.S.; outside the U.S. 16. Does your organization have an employment policy regarding staff gender and minority representation? • Number of senior staff positions held by women • Titles • Number of senior staff positions held by minorities • Titles 17. List the names and titles of your chairperson of the board of directors and executive committee members. 18. Does your board have a policy regarding board gender and minority representation? • Number of board positions held by women

If not submitting online, please send the completed application (paper or electronic copies) to: Taina Alexander Program Manager InterAction 1400 16th Street, NW, Suite 210 Washington, DC 20036 [email protected] Remember to include: • By-Laws • Articles of Incorporation • IRS Letter of Tax-Exempt Status • Most Recent Annual Report • Most Recent Audited Financial Report • Current Year’s Budget, as Approved by the Board • PVO Standards Review Form • 3 Letters of Recommendation from Current InterAction Members Note: The InterAction Membership Committee meets quarterly. Applications are accepted year-round and require the recommendation of the membership commit­tee, prior to a vote by the InterAction Board of Directors.

• Number of board positions held by minorities

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InterAction Dues Policy InterAction’s membership dues are calculated at .15% of internationally related expenses*, with a mini­mum of $2,000 and a maximum of $40,000. Excluded from the dues base are: ll Commodities in-kind and ocean freight. ll Domestic programs that have no relationship to inter­national activities, programs, or issues. ll Pass-through expenditures, defined as: “an amount of money that is either granted or sub-granted, over which the member has little control with respect to the beneficiaries to whom it is given, the amount, and when it will be spent; and for which the agency receives no administrative fee or indirect cost rate.” (Management and general expenses allocable to such grants are not exclud­able). ll Sub-grants made to an InterAction member. To avoid double counting grants for dues assessment purposes, only the sub-grant recipient includes these funds in the dues base. ll Activities ordinarily conducted by an accredited degree-granting educational institution.

An example of calculated dues: For example, the organization HelpUS has annual expenses of $10 million, but has in-kind expenses of $450,000 and a domestic program with expenses of $975,000. The InterAction dues fee would be calculated as follows: $10,000,000 Annual Expenses

- 975,000 Domestic Program Expenses



- 450,000 In-Kind Expenses



$8,575,000 Assessable Expenses x .0015 $12,863 Annual Dues

Therefore, HelpUS would pay annual dues of $12,863 for membership in InterAction.

*The definition of internationally related expense is: “any expense incurred either inside or outside the United States which relates to or supports activities, programs, or issues outside the United States.”

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Graduated Dues Structure Those members that are near or at InterAction’s ceiling of $40,000 have international expense budgets ranging from $20 million to $852 million. Because this is a wide range of financial position, in order to provide equity for our members with larger expenses, a stepped schedule for dues near our maximum levels has been adopted as follows:

International Expense Budget Range

Approved Dues Amount

$20-$27.9 million

$30,000

$28-$49.9 million

$33,000

$50-$99.9 million

$35,000

Over$100 million

$40,000

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About InterAction InterAction is the largest coalition of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) focused on the world’s poor and most vulnerable people. Collectively, InterAction’s more than 165 members work in every developing country. Formed in 1984 with 22 members and now based in Washington, DC with a staff of 40, InterAction’s member agencies are large and small, faith-based and secular and are headquartered across 25 states. In poor communities throughout the developing world, InterAction members meet people halfway in expanding opportunities and supporting gender equality in education, health care, agriculture, small business, and other areas. To forestall or recover from the violence that impacts millions of innocent civilians, InterAction exercises leadership in conflict prevention, the peaceful resolution of disputes, and peace-building initiatives in post-conflict situations. InterAction members respond to natural disasters all around the world. The U.S. public shows its support for advancing human dignity and peace in the world through contributions to InterAction members totaling around $6 billion annually. InterAction leverages the impact of this private support by advocating for the expansion of U.S. government investments and by insisting that policies and programs are responsive to the realities of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations. InterAction’s comparative advantage rests on the uniquely field and practitioner-based expertise of its members. InterAction works with its members to compile data on the impact of NGO programs, as a basis for promoting best practices and for evidence-based public policy formulation. InterAction brings the values and experience of the NGO community into the broader development and humanitarian assistance community through the strategic alliances with key partners around particular issues and objectives. These partnerships further leverage InterAction’s political, intellectual, and financial capital. InterAction believes its future is one of strategic alliances.

Photo Credits: Darcy Kiefel Damiana Astudillo Diana Rodriguez Brett Eloff Bruce Hood Daniel Cima Richard Walden Janet Heisey Jon Warren Stephen Katz Cole Wolfson Tanya Habjouqa Jeffrey Austin

1400 16th Street, NW, Suite 210 Washington, DC 20036 USA Tel 1.202.667.8227 Fax 1.202.667.8236 [email protected] www.InterAction.org

Neither InterAction nor its members bear lightly the responsibility of the trust the American people place in us. As such, members adhere to InterAction’s standards that help assure accountability in the critical areas of financial management, fundraising, governance, and program performance.