Membership Orientation

Interaction

What is InterAction? What is InterAction? InterAction is the largest alliance of U.S.-based international development and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations.

InterAction is the largest coalition of U.S.-based international NGOs focused on the world's poor and most vulnerable people. Collectively, InterAction’s more than 165 members work in every developing country. InterAction’s membership comprises faith-based and secular organizations headquartered in twenty-five states. In poor communities throughout the developing world, InterAction members meet people half way 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.

The U.S. public shows its support for advancing human dignity and peace in the world through contributions to InterAction members totaling around $5 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 practitionerbased 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 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.

Our Members InterAction members are headquartered in 27 states. These organizations:  Foster economic and social development  Provide relief to those affected by disaster and war  Assist refugees and internally displaced persons  Advance human rights  Support gender equity  Protect the environment  Address population concerns  Press for more equitable, just, and effective public policies

Brief History A Brief History Formed in 1984 by a merger of : The American Council of Voluntary Service Private Agencies in International Development Adopted PVO Standards in 1992 Conducted full governance review in 2002 New bylaws approved New Board of Directors

Member Benefits Effective Advocacy and Representation  Influencing Policy, Outreach, and Meetings with Congress, the Administration, and Top-Level Policy-Makers  Public Policy Alerts  Harnessing our collective voice

Participation in the largest community of US-based NGOs  Networking among Peer Organizations and Information Sharing  Meetings: Forum, Regional Meetings, CEO Retreat, Affinity Groups  Email Distribution Lists  Outreach to NGO Networks Internationally  Over 300 Issue-Oriented meetings a year

Effective Communications and Increased Exposure  Strategic Media and Press Relations  Over 1.5 million hits a month at www.interaction.org  Media and Message Trainings

Capacity Building and Technical Assistance  Gender and Diversity Integration Support  Humanitarian Dialogue and Capacity Building  Media and Outreach Training  NGO Security Training  Meeting Standards and Organizational Strengthening

Increased Credibility with Individual Donors, Private Foundations, and Government Agencies  PVO Standards  Self-Certification Plus  Child Sponsorship Accreditation

Publications  Monday Developments  Member Profiles  Global Work  Plus many others

InterAction Member Organizations P

C

Program Advisory Groups

O N V E N E

D I A

Commission on Advancement of Women Strategic Advisory Group

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InterAction Board

CEO InterAction Staff

Special senior-level Steering Committees

G U E

Working Groups

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Affinity Groups

Humanitarian Strategic Advisory Group

C Y

A L T E

L O

L

Public Policy & Foreign Assistance Strategic Advisory Group

Membership & Standards Board Committee

Public Communications Strategic Advisory Group

Strategic Impact Advisory Group

Field reality gender perspective, partnerships, etc.

Working Groups

R N A T I V E S

Leveraging the Impact of U.S. NGOs Public Outreach & Advocacy InterAction’s convening space A C C O U N T A B I L I T Y

PVO Standards •Self Certification + •Enhanced Accountability •Expanding Compliance

Member Evaluation Capacity •Adherence to new Standards •Strengthening Evaluation Systems

Strategic Partnerships Foundations Northern & Southern NGO alliances etc.

Documenting Best Practices

I Communities M of Practice P •Best practice A publications •Interest groups •Thematic Studies (Working Groups) C T •Affinity groups Aggregating/ Documenting Member Impact

•MDG framework •Field based and stocktaking technical •Working groups Materials

Field reality gender perspective, partnerships, etc.

InterAction’s Strategic Goals 2007-2009 Goal 1 Promote a bold agenda to focus U.S. development and humanitarian assistance on improving the conditions of the world’s poor and most vulnerable. Engage with the USG to advance poverty alleviation and humanitarian relief as major independent US foreign assistance priorities. Advocate for the creation of a Cabinet-level US Department of Development and Humanitarian Assistance.

Goal 2 Demonstrate and enhance NGO accountability and impact in development and humanitarian action. Focus on aggregating the contributions of the NGO community towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, on broadening compliance with the Sphere Project’s Minimum Standards in Disaster Response, and on aligning with other key global frameworks that advance development efforts and enable humanitarian action.

Goal 3 Be the voice and prime representative of US international NGOs in building alliances and common agendas with NGO networks around the world and with other strategic partners.

InterAction Structure Leadership Team Public Policy and Outreach Team

Executive Office Team

Membership & Standards Team

Strategic Impact Team

Humanitarian Policy & Practice Team

Finance & Administration Team

How to Participate: Members collaborate through interfaces with staff teams How to Participate Members collaborate and participate through various interfaces with InterAction Staff Teams: InterAction Teams: Executive Strategic Impact Humanitarian Policy and Practice Public Policy & Outreach Membership & Standards Finance & Administration

Executive Office Team

 To engage with Member CEOs in setting and implementing our community’s overall strategy and goals.  To represent the InterAction community and attend meetings with Members CEOs and senior staff.  To assist CEOs in their liaison with the InterAction Board.  To launch new ways for members to engage with each other and InterAction staff around a specific theme.  To build consensus across CEOs and senior staff on select advocacy positions, to sign for InterAction, and to advocate for our interests.  To assist Members in their interface with InterAction staff and work that cuts across different InterAction teams.  To help build an InterAction community that is active, inclusive, and supportive.  To provide support and guidance to member CEOs and Board as appropriate.

How to Participate Strategic Impact Team Strategic Impact Goals Goals To address critical issues related to global development To document NGO contributions to development globally To document NGO contributions to to innovative practices To partner with NGO platforms in developing and developed countries on initiatives of mutual concern To become a “thought center” for U.S. NGO development practices in collaboration with partners in the field

Strategic Impact Team

How Poverty Alleviation

to Participate

Strategic Impact Poverty Alleviation

Areas of interest include:

The Millennium Development Goals Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality HIV/AIDS Aid Effectiveness (coordination, coherence) Climate Change Monitoring and Evaluation The Millennium Challenge Account Best Practices and Lessons Learned The Strategic Impact Team was formed in InterAction’s recent restructuring in February 2007. The new Team advisory group, working groups, and other forms of member engagement are in the process of being established.

How to Participate Humanitarian Policy and Practice Committee (HPPC) Humanitarian Policy and Practice About 45 InterAction member NGOs work on disaster response and related refugee and displaced persons issues.

Goals of the Humanitarian Policy and Practice Team: To provide a framework for consultation, coordination and advocacy on behalf of people forcibly displaced or otherwise affected by conflict, natural disasters and oppression To address issues relating to the protection and assistance needs of refugees and IDPs as well as operations, security, and coordination in disaster response

How to and Participate Humanitarian Policy Practice Humanitarian Policy and Practice Crosscutting Thematic Engagement UN Humanitarian Reform and InterAgency Steering Committee Committee Sphere Project

Natural Disaster Response US Foreign Assistance Reform

Thematic Working Groups: Humanitarian Accountability

Crisis-Specific Working Groups:

Civil-Military Relations

Afghanistan Reconstruction

Shelter

Avian & Human Influenza

Protection

DRC

Risk Reduction

Cuba

Security Advisory Group

Iraq

Sexual Exploitation & Abuse

Haiti

Transition, Conflict, and Peace

Sri Lanka

UNHCR Partnerships

Lebanon & West Bank/Gaza Sudan

Public Policy and Outreach Public Policy Goals:  To educate policymakers, the media, and the public on international relief and development programs and policies to advance poverty alleviation and humanitarian relief as major U.S. foreign assistance priorities.  To coordinate the efforts of member organizations to influence policy and budget priorities in order to maximize effectiveness of advocacy and outreach.  To advocate on other humanitarian and development issues identified by InterAction members and working groups  To assist members with developing tools needed for their own advocacy priorities; analyze and disseminate legislative information of interest to the humanitarian and development community  To advocate for the creation of an independent cabinet-level Department of Development and Humanitarian Assistance

Public Policy and Outreach Team Outreach and Communications Goals:  To enhance InterAction advocacy and outreach impact through integrated and targeted communication efforts  To position InterAction as the expert source on relief and development issues  To enhance member communications capacity and reach  To improve public perception of poverty alleviation programs by proactively promoting InterAction and member activities

Membership & Standards Team

Goal To establish and implement a membership strategy that expands InterAction’s capacity to advance sector-wide goals and interests, serves the needs of member organizations, and ensures that InterAction members meet or exceed standards of excellence in their organizations

Membership & Standards Team Membership Services  Serve as the central point of contact for all prospective and active member agencies in navigating their membership with InterAction, and in supporting member engagement with InterAction activities  Manage InterAction’s annual Forum, annual CEO Retreat and regional membership meetings Develop and maintain membership records, data and communication systems  Work internally with all other teams and externally with member organizations to ensure that member participation is maximized, supports member interests and needs and leverages InterActions strategic goals  Manage dues collection

Membership & Standards Team Standards and Accountability  Keep the membership informed of evolving trends, laws and regulations pertaining to the accountability of charitable organizations generally and NGOs specifically  Develop standards for InterAction members that ensure excellence and manage member compliance with these standards using the biannual Self Certification Plus process  Provide technical assistance and policy guidance in meeting the standards  Propose and pilot accessible and affordable externally verified compliance certification models for meeting standards [e.g., child sponsorship certification, peer review]

Finance and Administration Team 

Support members understanding of membership dues policy and assist with membership dues calculations

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Work with members to resolve outstanding InterAction related financial matters

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Advise members on their audit, internal controls and financial matters

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Help members with H.R. and office administration issues

Responsibilities of Membership Responsibilities of Membership  Participation in Standing Committees, Working Groups and special initiatives  Participation in committees, working groups other  Bi-annually Certify Compliance with theand PVO Standards participation initiatives  Pay annual dues based on a percentage (.15%) of internationally related expenses  Bi-annually Certify Compliance with the PVO Standards  annual Attenddues meetings, CEO Retreat, Annual Forum  Pay basedparticularly on a percentage (.15%) of and Regional Meetings internationally related expenses  Attend meetings, particularly CEO Retreat, Annual Forum and Regional Meetings

Eligibility Requirements Organizations must:

Eligibility Requirements Organizations must:

 Be a U.S.-based organization

 Be established for at least two years  Be a U.S.-based organization Beestablished registered as taxtwo exempt Be for aat501 least yearsorganization Be registered 501 (a) organization Comply with as theaPVO Standards  Comply with the PVO Standards  Have an international focus that advances human prosperity  Have international programs