In many countries non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or Civil Society are quite a new phenomenon. They need to develop vital skills. As they need healthy relationships with the public and the authorities to meet their goals their staff have to be trained in communication in order to be able to carry out public relations campaigns to raise funds or to employ standard lobbying techniques with governments.

NGOs are non-profit groups or associations that act outside of institutionalized political structures and
pursue matters of interest to its members by lobbying, persuading or directing action. Interest groups may be of political importance because of their ability to influence social and political outcome. At times NGOs seek to mobilize public support.

Examples of Civil Society institutions are private voluntary organizations, community-based organizations, intermediary organizations for the voluntary and non-profit sector, trade unions, gender, cultural and religious groups, charities, environmental groups, professional associations, consumer organizations and the media.

Our experience in Slovakia (social dialogue: trade unions, employers associations and central government), Ukraine (charities and other social NGOs), Russia (community groups) and Moldova (social NGOs) shows that training in communication for a civil society pays off in the end.