The World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations

What The World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations does

The World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO) is a 501(c)(3) international membership nonprofit founded in 2000 and headquartered at 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 529, New York, with a regional secretariat in Abuja, Nigeria. It exists to unite NGOs across 120+ nations and territories in support of its mission to advance peace and global well-being; the membership base is 44% local/national NGOs and 55% international NGOs. The organization employs 51–100 staff and serves a horizontal segment of NGOs of all sizes and focus areas.

WANGO's product surface is content and community-driven rather than technology-driven — the technology descriptor in the underlying data is 'Not applicable.' Core offerings include a Worldwide NGO Directory indexing 54,000+ NGOs across 190+ countries; the Code of Ethics and Conduct for NGOs (delivered in English, Spanish, and Arabic with a Compliance Manual); the Code of Ethics of the Family (unveiled May 2010 at UN Headquarters); an annual Awards program ('Circle of Excellence') running since 2002; recurring conferences (including World Congress events); a wiki-based NGO Handbook; grant-writing resources; and a member portal. Distribution is augmented by formal national chapters in Ghana, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka, regional coordinators across Asia, Europe, Africa, Western Asia, North America, and Latin America, and an Office of UN Affairs.

The revenue model relies on membership dues (recurring) and donations (including monthly giving), with pricing not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market motion is community-led: membership applications, regional chapter onboarding, conference presence, and digital channels (website, email newsletters), with the Awards program serving both as recognition and as a brand-building instrument. Strategic partners include the United Nations (formal consultative relations and SDG 16 alignment), USAID, WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, Global Forum on Human Settlements, the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030), and the Federal Government of Nigeria. Governance is led by Secretary General/Chairman Dr. Taj Hamad, with Dr. Chung Hwan Kwak chairing the International Council in earlier periods.

Name

The World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations

Legal name

World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations

Website

https://wango.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WANGO is a 501(c)(3) international membership nonprofit founded in 2000 that unites NGOs across 120+ nations, offering a directory of 54,000+ NGOs, ethical conduct frameworks, conferences, and an annual awards program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

NGO Membership Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Business Associations (81391)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• NGO membership organization
• Global nonprofit association
• Civil society network
• NGO ethical standards
• NGO directory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tarrytown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: WANGO operates as a worldwide membership organization with members in over 120 nations, generating revenue through membership fees.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations and provides options for monthly giving to support its operations and mission of advancing peace and global well-being.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WANGO is a global membership association that unites NGOs across 120+ countries. Its core offerings are WANGO Membership (annual dues-based membership), the Worldwide NGO Directory (listing 54,000+ NGOs in 190+ countries), the Code of Ethics and Conduct for NGOs (compliance framework in English, Spanish, and Arabic), annual WANGO Awards recognizing NGO excellence, and WANGO Conferences and Events bringing together NGO leaders worldwide.

Product overview

WANGO is a global membership organization offering a platform of interconnected products and services for NGOs worldwide. Its core offerings include the Worldwide NGO Directory (54,000+ NGOs in 190+ countries), the Code of Ethics and Conduct for NGOs (available in English, Spanish, and Arabic with a Compliance Manual), and the Code of Ethics of the Family. Additional products include the NGO Handbook (wiki-based resource), WANGO Publications (conference proceedings and reports), WANGO Awards (Circle of Excellence recognizing excellence in categories like Peace & Security, Education, Environment, Human Rights), annual Conferences and Events, Grant Writing Advice resources, and a Members-only Portal. These offerings work together to help NGOs connect, operate ethically, share resources, and advance peace and global well-being.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WANGO Membership Annual membership program for NGOs worldwide providing access to the global WANGO network, member portal, Code of Ethics framework, conferences, and networking opportunities across 120+ countries.
• Worldwide NGO Directory Online directory providing access to information on more than 54,000 NGOs in over 190 countries, enabling NGOs to showcase their impact and increase online presence.
• Code of Ethics and Conduct for NGOs Comprehensive ethical framework and compliance manual for NGOs to operate ethically and transparently, available in English, Spanish, and Arabic versions.
• WANGO Awards Program (Circle of Excellence) Annual awards program recognizing outstanding NGOs and individuals in categories including Peace & Security, Education, Environment, Human Rights, Humanitarian, and Universal Peace Award.
• WANGO Conferences and Events Annual conferences bringing together NGO leaders, including the World Congress on Early Childhood Education for Peace and regional conferences in Africa, Asia, and other regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Connected NGOs across 120+ nations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• UN Decade of Healthy AgeingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021WANGO supports the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing's (2021-2030) Civil Society Mapping and Engagement Initiative.
• United States Agency for International Development (USAID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWANGO works collaboratively with USAID to support NGOs worldwide in improving local and global outcomes and strengthening the non-governmental sector.
• Federal Government of NigeriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Federal Government of Nigeria collaborates with WANGO on initiatives supporting the NGO sector in Nigeria, including hosting the WANGO Africa Regional Secretariat.
• WIPO Arbitration and Mediation CentersupportingTechnology or IntegrationWIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center works with WANGO to provide dispute resolution services for NGOs.
• Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWANGO co-sponsored the 12th Global Forum on Human Settlements in 2017 and collaborates on events promoting sustainable urban development.
• United NationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWANGO has official relations with the United Nations and maintains an Office of United Nations Affairs at its headquarters. The organization supports SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and collaborates on various UN initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Religions for Peace: Global multi-religious coalition with consultative status at the UN, convening interreligious councils in 90+ countries. Comparable to WANGO as a UN-engaged global NGO membership network with regional infrastructure and peace-oriented mission.
• United Way Worldwide: Largest privately funded nonprofit network in the world, mobilizing communities across 40+ countries through a federated membership model. Comparable to WANGO as a membership-based global nonprofit network, though operating in a different sector (community philanthropy).
• Transparency International: Global coalition against corruption with national chapters in 100+ countries and consultative status with international bodies. Comparable to WANGO as an internationally organized NGO network with chapter infrastructure, awards, and standards-related mission.

Direct peers

• World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (CIVICUS Alliance): See CIVICUS; CIVICUS Alliance is the same network-level entity and represents the closest direct peer in global civil society convening.
• FORUS International: International network of national NGO platforms coordinating development cooperation and civil society advocacy across roughly 70 countries. Directly comparable to WANGO as a peer international NGO-coordinating membership network.
• CIVICUS: Global civil society alliance representing a worldwide network of civil society organizations and activists across more than 180 countries. Directly comparable to WANGO as a membership-based international NGO membership association operating in the same convening, advocacy, and standards-setting space.

Emerging players

• Restless Development: Global youth-led development agency operating as a hub connecting young people and civil society organizations across multiple continents. Partially comparable to WANGO for its NGO networking and convening function, though with a more youth-focused and direct-service orientation.
• International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL): International organization supporting the legal and regulatory environment for civil society worldwide, working with partners in 100+ countries. Comparable to WANGO as a civil-society-facing international NGO operating in the standards, policy, and capacity-building space.
• Restless Development (previously Students Partnership Worldwide): As above; included to recognize overlap with WANGO's NGO networking and convening profile among civil society actors.

Regional players

• CONCORD: European confederation of relief and development NGOs representing 2,500+ organizations in Europe. Regionally comparable peer to WANGO as a membership association convening NGOs in a defined geography and coordinating advocacy, though with a European scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-association-of-non-governmental-organizations

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations