I have also been asked recently whether foreign NGOs work in the U.S. and whether American NGOs receive funding from abroad. The answer to both questions is yes. Foreign civil society organizations working in the United States range from the German Goethe Institute, which promotes German and German studies abroad and encourages international cultural exchanges, to the network of Confucius Institutes, which provides information on Chinese education, culture, economy and society. Another example is the Hitachi Foundation, based in Japan, which focuses on strengthening communities in the U.S. through programs such as the Business and Jobs program aimed at improving the lives of underserved Americans.

Since 2007, the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) has supported key lobbying actions in favor of abolishing the death penalty in Illinois and Maryland. The European Commission acts as one of the largest donors of development projects in the world, and dozens of American civil society organizations submit project proposals to the European Commission for funding. All of Germany’s party institutes also work in the U.S. International human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch, which has five offices in the US, and Amnesty International, which has six offices in the US, publish reports on the human rights situation in the US.

An individual does not need to be a U.S. citizen to register an NGO in the United States. Registration requirements vary from state to state, but no government permission is required to register an NGO. Foreign-funded organizations have no special restrictions on their activities. They can hold meetings and publish materials in free form. They do not have to report to the federal authorities, if they pay taxes. NCOs have the right to receive funding from abroad and work with foreign governments to achieve their goals. NCOs are not required to report on outreach work, recruitment and staffing to the authorities, and the authorities do not seek to influence foreign-funded NCO offices.

However, foreign nationals cannot fund political campaigns or parties unless those nationals are “lawful permanent residents.
Some citizens and organizations, if they are representatives of a foreign entity, must register with the Department of Justice and submit program information and financial records under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA for short). The term “agent” is the key term in this law-it means that the organization or citizen is conducting its activities under the instruction of and on behalf of a foreign entity.

Simply receiving funds does not qualify a party as a foreign agent. Foreign entities can be foreign governments, foreign political parties, individual citizens or foreign organizations (excluding U.S. citizens), or organizations operating under the laws of a foreign country or conducting their principal activities in a foreign country. Many of the organizations registered in the United States as “foreign agents” are companies that directly and openly represent foreign governments (usually lobbyists).

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Recently there has been a lot of talk – in the press, on social networks, and at rallies – about civil society and non-governmental organizations. They often refer to the situation of NGOs in the United States. In the spirit of strengthening mutual understanding between our two countries, I would like to provide information about the role of civil society organizations in the United States.
American civil society organizations have been around for a long time, in fact they predate the United States government. Settlers who came to America were self-organizing and forming nongovernmental organizations long before the United States gained its independence.

• In his distinguished two-volume treatise on American life, published in 1835-1840 and entitled Democracy in America, the famous French politician Alexis de Tocqueville noted the following: “As soon as a few people in the United States come up with some idea which they wish to promote, they begin to seek each other, and as soon as they succeed in making contact with each other, they unite. From that point on they are no longer loners, but a visible force whose work is an example to others and whose words will be heard.
• There are about 1.5 million community organizations in the United States today. These independent voluntary unions of people help assert individual freedom while maintaining a sustainable social order. We call it “civil society,” but that term does not capture the diversity of organizations, the momentum and energy of citizens who come together to solve a social problem or meet a pressing need. Though strangers start a movement toward a common goal, they often come from the same neighborhood, church, union, business partnership, or youth group. They interact with each other, negotiate, resolve disagreements, fight for a common cause, and try to convince society and government of their rightness – all without any control from the state. In this way, civil society cultivates unity and solidarity through the activism of citizens.
• Through non-governmental organizations Americans unite to solve local problems, such as road safety for children, reducing crime, improving schools (in the U.S. local governments are responsible for education), increasing transparency in local government, etc. CBOs also work on national issues such as health care reform and immigration law reform. Some U.S. civic organizations attempt to address global issues, such as the Association for Arms Control and the Global Women’s Fund.

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