Thomson Reuters Foundation

The number of NGOs and social enterprises who are members of TrustLaw grows by the day. With a presence in over 170 countries globally, we support more than 2,000 organisations with free legal assistance.

What is an NGO?

An NGO is a non-government organisation that works to support social change. NGOs usually rely on donations to alleviate poverty, empower communities, support disadvantaged groups, advocate for rights, promote the arts or protect the environment. They can be small, working within their own community or can operate globally, they are autonomous from the government and are not-for-profit. Meet some of TrustLaw’s NGO members.

What is a social enterprise?

A social enterprise is a business that works towards tackling social problems. They are often commercial, which means they make a profit and sell goods to the public, however their ultimate goal is to reach their social or environmental mission. For example Thankyou is a TrustLaw social enterprise member in Australia, they sell bottled water and delicious muesli and donate all their profits to alleviate poverty. Another TrustLaw member is Nuru Energy who has introduced rechargeable lamps to villages in Rwanda, Kenya and India to prevent use of non-renewable energy sources.