Survey of International Organizations ReportPrepared by the CFUW International Relations Committee for the MRI Committee and CFUW Board

Submitted by Joy Hurst, VP International Relations, on behalf of IR Committee

Members: Lynn Braun, Lynda Moore, Amy Linthorne, Brenda Robertson, Shelagh Stevens, Kathryn Wilkinson, Grace Hollett (consultant), Joy Hurst, Chair

February 15, 2021

ContentsIntroduction................................................................................................................................2

Three Goals Key to the International Relations Framework and their respective strategies, A.I.M:.........................................................................................................................................3

Four Domains of Action for long term CFUW investment.........................................................3

Recommendations....................................................................................................................4

Recommendation one:..........................................................................................................4

Recommendation two:...........................................................................................................4

Recommendation three:........................................................................................................4

Recommendation four:..........................................................................................................5

Recommendation five:...........................................................................................................6

Next steps:................................................................................................................................6

Selecting and working with other organizations........................................................................7

Landscape of NGOs and CSOs (Civil Society Organizations)..............................................7

Evaluation of Organizations...................................................................................................8

APPENDIX A:..........................................................................................................................13

Canada Official Development Aid (ODA)................................................................................13

APPENDIX B:..........................................................................................................................15

Code of Ethics and Conduct for NGOs...................................................................................15

IntroductionOn the first day of International Development Week (Feb 7-13, 2021). The Minister of

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International Development had this to say:

"During International Development Week—Global Affairs Canada’s flagship public engagement initiative—I encourage Canadians from coast to coast to coast to engage more deeply in exploring development issues. I also encourage Canadians to learn about how global challenges and local Canadian issues are linked and how Canada’s international efforts contribute to directly addressing these global challenges.

“The way forward is lit by our clear intent to rethink our steps to build a better, more resilient, and more peaceful world by pulling together and by using the roadmap laid out by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. That is why our theme this year is Go for the Goals."

Scope of IR Committee Organization Survey

The IR committee was tasked with actioning the Mediation Working Group recommendation that CFUW should strike an ad-hoc committee to investigate international organizations, including GWI, whose work aligns with CFUW’s objective of supporting women and girls globally in their rights, freedoms, and access to education, with the objective of making a recommendation to CFUW regarding future alliances for furthering these objectives.

The pandemic has created an unprecedented global crisis in modern times and also presents the first real opportunities for systemic change in decades. COVID-19 has changed established civil society organizations such as CFUW and has given birth to new organizations and strategies for change. There are literally thousands of international organizations, so embarking on analysis without clear fit for current purpose would not be helpful. In order to evaluate possible alliances, it was necessary to clearly articulate the framework which structures CFUW’s goals, objectives, and intended outcomes of international relations and activity. Also, informing potential alliances is the way in which CFUW International activity is managed. The committee determined that deliberation on “How”, was a critical preliminary step to “With whom.” To this end, the IR committee has developed a CFUW International Relations and Action Framework. This roadmap aligns with the national mission, strategic plan, and national advocacy strategies. It is intended to provide long term guidance and structure for organizing international relations and action within CFUW. LINK:

In addition to organizational goals and objectives, a critical factor in alliances with other organizations is the resources that CFUW has available for International work. International activity must be carefully selected for effective use of available resources.

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An important element of determining which organizations are most advantageous for CFUW to work with requires research to identify and understand the practices and trends in international action most in alignment with CFUW’s comparative advantage. This research was outside the scope of the activity undertaken by the IR committee at this time and may be best timed for 2022 and 2023 when the impact of COVID-19 on CFUW and other organizations is better known and decisions regarding implementation of CFUW’s strategic plan have been solidified. This report includes broad considerations and information related to selecting and working with other organizations which will assist in future research. Engaging a new formal international partnership is not recommended by the IR committee at this time.

During 2021, we will have continued dialogue within CFUW’s membership to identify the ways in which members want to contribute to international relations and action and how that work can be coordinated within CFUW. We will also be monitoring and observing closely the activity of other NGOs and enhancing our relationship with government of Canada departments and agencies such as Women and Gender Equality Canada, Global Affairs Canada and International Development Research Centre. This information will inform targeted research about the ways in which we can collaborate and partner with other organizations and the most appropriate types of membership of alliances to fulfil those goals.

It is not anticipated that a single alliance, partnership, membership or collaboration will fulfil all of the goals within CFUW’s International Relations and Action Framework. As a self funded, nonpartisan organization, CFUW has an important role to play in influencing the Canadian government and as an independent voice in the landscape of Canadian civil society organizations.

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Three Goals Key to the International Relations and Action Framework and their respective strategies, A.I.M:

● Amplify collective action for the improvement of the status of women and girls outside of Canada

○ Engage allies through partnership and collaboration to advance CFUW goals relative to strategic and specific issues (optimize existing relationships & resources)

● Influence public policy and international instruments to support and empower women and girls outside of Canada

○ Participate in consultation and dialogue about global issues affecting girls and women to inform Canadian international policy and to ensure Canada’s domestic and foreign policy is aligned with previous international commitments (what ‘tables’ are we/could/should we be at?)

● Mobilize and engage CFUW Clubs in activities which enhance understanding of global issues and directly contribute to positively impacting the lives of women and girls outside of Canada.

○ Educate and engage CFUW members in dialogue about global issues affecting girls and women through the development and/or dissemination of advocacy tools, and encourage/support clubs taking direct action through international service projects.

Four Domains of Action for long term CFUW investmentSocial change is achieved through multidimensional action. However, to enhance effectiveness and capacity for planning and focus, the IR committee recommends 4 domains of action for long term CFUW investment. H.E.A.L. They are the cross-cutting issues of

● Health and Wellness, ● Education and Economic Empowerment, ● Action toward Women, Peace and Security and● Leadership by Women

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Survey of International Organizations ReportThis focus will inform intentional and fit-for-purpose collaboration, alliances, and evaluation of action.

Recommendations

Recommendation one: Strengthen CFUW’s relationship with Global Affairs Canada and the department of Women and Gender Equality.

One of the most impactful points of leverage for non-governmental (NGO) and civil society (CSO) organizations such as CFUW is holding one’s government accountable for international commitments. Canada has made substantial commitments including related funding to issues of the global empowerment of women. According to Donor Tracker, in 2019 Canada spent US4.7 Billion on Official Development Assistance (ODA). The Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) stipulates that 95% of Canada’s bilateral ODA will target or integrate gender equality and empowerment of women and girls by fiscal year (FY 2021/22 and 50 % of bilateral assistance will be spent in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In 2018 gender-related assistance accounted for 87%of bilateral ODA, and 24% of that went to SSA. The 4 top recipient countries of Canada’s ODA in 2018 were Afghanistan, Syrian Arab Republic, Ethiopia and Bangladesh. CFUW can be active in monitoring the organizations in which Canada is a major donor and influencing initiative strategies and the amount of funds expended. See Donor tracking graph for ODA funding in Appendix A.

Recommendation two: a) Optimize relationships with organizations with which CFUW currently has formal

relationships and membership, and b) evaluate these relationships prior to embarking on new formal relationships.

Current International Umbrella Organizations● Graduate Women International● International Alliance of Women● National Council of Women (International Council of Women)● NGO CSW/New York (The NGO Committee on the Status of Women NY)● UN Women

Recommendation three: Optimize informal relationships CFUW currently has with Canadian NGOs that have an international focus or international areas of action.

● Amnesty International Canada● Canadian Commission for UNESCO

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Survey of International Organizations Report● Canadian Labour Congress● Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA)● Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan● Oxfam Canada● Women, Peace and Security Network-Canada● YWCA Canada

Recommendation four: Build CFUW’s capacity by monitoring and watching national and international umbrella organizations which contribute to general knowledge and capacity in the H.E.A.L action priority areas.

For example, the following organizations:

● AidWatch Canada● CAMFED Canada● Canadian Taxpayers● CONCORD (European NGO Confederation for Relief and Development)● Cooperation Canada (formerly Canadian Council for International Cooperation)● Education International ● Federated Women’s Institutes, Canada● Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security● Global Campaign for Education● Global Citizen ● Global Health 50 50 ● Global Partnership for Education● Girls20● Institute of International Women’s Rights- Manitoba● Inter Pares● She’s the First● Women Deliver● Women First Fund● Women’s Global Education Project● Women in Global Health● WomenLift Health

University based Global or International Programs such as the following:● School for International Studies, Simon Fraser University ● Centre for Global Citizenship, Education and Research, University of Alberta● Centre for Globalization and Cultural Studies, University of Manitoba● Institute for International Women’s Rights Global College, University of Winnipeg● International Human Rights Program, University of Toronto, Faculty of Law● School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa

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Recommendation five: Evaluate any potential future formal partnerships to ensure they meet the following criteria:

1. Demonstrated impact within the areas of CFUW action priorities2. Opportunities for CFUW to engage directly in advocacy planning and implementation 3. Range of opportunities for CFUW to engage with other stakeholders.4. Inclusion of diverse stakeholders including partnership with grassroots organizations

and local leaders in planning and implementation of organization initiatives5. High ratio of program expenditure to administration costs for organizations which are

primarily service delivery organizations6. Clearly articulated strategies and evaluation metrics7. Demonstrated history of ethical corporate behaviour8. Transparent fiscal accountability

Projects can also be evaluated using these factors.

Next steps:● The pandemic with the resulting decrease in CFUW’s membership has accelerated

the Board’s focus on strategic planning and determination of specific goals. When this work has been concluded, the resources which can be dedicated for these endeavors including international activities will be determined. Engaging in a new formal international partnership is not recommended by the IR committee at this time.

● The IR committee will continue to formulate specific strategies including S.M.A.R.T. goals to enhance existing relationships and opportunities for collaboration.

● Also under consideration, is exploring how we can better use events such as the annual United Nations Commission for the Status of Women to engage our members in dialogue about global issues and to influence the Government of Canada.

● The committee in collaboration with the National office will develop FACT sheets in 2021 about the global dimensions of domestic issues adopted by national CFUW 2021 resolutions.

● The IR committee will develop a plan to track and evaluate CFUW international relations and advocacy activity.

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Survey of International Organizations Report● Strategies will be undertaken to improve communication to members about CFUW

International Relations and Action.

● The IR committee will continue annual engagement of members to provide a platform for discussion of international activity undertaken by clubs and individuals within CFUW.

Selecting and working with other organizations

Landscape of NGOs and CSOs (Civil Society Organizations)NGO Definition:“Operational or advocacy-focused entities and groups, non-profit oriented, public-interest oriented, active at the local, national, or international level.” NGO Advisor

It is very important to have some understanding of how NGOs are organized as that helps one focus on organizations which may be potential partners and how CFUW can contribute to a collaborative effort. There are basically two kinds of NGOs, organizations whose primary activity is Advocacy, and other organizations whose primary activity is Operational, namely delivering services. Many organizations are a hybrid, in that an organization which is focused on Advocacy may also be involved to a limited degree in project work and likewise, service delivery organizations may also be engaged in Advocacy.

NGOs can act at a local, national or international level. Local and national NGOs can be members of an umbrella international organization. An example of this would be YWCA, which has local, national and an international structure. Cooperation Canada (formerly known as the Canadian Council for International Cooperation) has provincial Councils that are active at a provincial level working as global citizens. https://cooperation.ca/

NGOs can be active in many countries, in specific regions or specific countries. They can address a wide range of issues or be focused on a single issue. As outlined by Wikipedia, there are many women’s organizations. A list of international and regional or national NGOs may be reviewed at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women%27s_organizations

NGOs can be funded by private donation including crowdfunding, private foundation donation, corporate funding (Corporate Social Responsibility-CSR), membership fees and government funding or some combination of these revenue streams.

Human resources within NGOs can be paid staff or volunteers and again, by some combination of same. When comparing organizations, one must compare organizations of similar purpose, structure and revenue base. Compare apples with apples, small membership funded organization with another similar size membership funded organization in the same domain of activity. Compare educational organization with educational organization, not educational organization with environmental organization although there is

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Survey of International Organizations Reportmuch to be learned by reviewing strategies and impact of action outside of your domain of action. For example, it is difficult to compare GWI (Graduate Women International) with IAW (International Alliance of Women). Although they are actors in overlapping domains, IAW is primarily active in Human Rights advocacy and GWI in Education advocacy. They have distinctly different governance structures, GWI has paid staff and an office which can facilitate a robust intern program. IAW human resources are all voluntary and they are not office based. Revenue base differs significantly. GWI dues are per capita based, IAW dues are not. Both organizations are active in advocacy at United Nations agencies, including European located UN branches. Both organizations are active on CSW NGO committees. Both organizations have a long-established history of action to empower women and girls.

All NGOs have strengths and limitations and no single organization is likely to meet all of the needs identified in CFUW International Relations and Advocacy Framework.

Associated Country Women of the World

Evaluation of OrganizationsEvaluation can be informal, word of mouth or by very structured analytics conducted by organizations whose primary purpose is evaluation. Positive ratings contribute to funding opportunities so many organizations are willing to submit to formal evaluations or accreditation which improves credibility with donors. Evaluation methodology varies in rigor, so research is needed to identify the evaluation methodology which is best suited to the level

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Survey of International Organizations Reportof involvement being considered. Some of these organizations who evaluate NGOs, such as Give Well and Global Funding are also funding organizations or provide funding platforms. Imagine Canada provides a wealth of information about Canadian charities and non-profits. The latter function aligns better with CFUW in its sphere of non-profit action. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) gives all registered charities a designation based on the structure, source of funding, and mode of operation of each: a. Public foundations; b. Private foundations and c. Charitable organizations Additionally, the CRA assigns all registered charities a category code that reflects their purposes and activities. Charities registered under the Income Tax Act (Canada) are listed, http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/chrts-gvng/lstngs/menu-eng.html. The website www.CharityData.ca the largest portal of information on Canadian registered charities, includes information on various CFUW Scholarship Funds.

The IR committee identified the following organizations which evaluate NGOs and charitable organizations.

● Charity Intelligence Canada https://www.charityintelligence.ca/

● NGO Advisor https://www.ngoadvisor.net/

● Givewell https://www.givewell.org/

● Smart Giving

https://www.smartgiving.ca/finding-good-charities/how-to-find-a-good-charity/

These are helpful in identifying organizations that are innovative and trend setters and are rated by credible sources in top-ranking lists. For example, the following top-ranking lists are informative for CFUW.

❖ NGO Advisor Top 20: https://www.ngoadvisor.net/top-20

❖ Human Rights Careers: Top 10 Feminist Organizations Around the World Focused on

Women and Girls https://www.humanrightscareers.com/magazine/feminist-organizations/

❖ Human Rights Careers: 25 Organizations Fighting for Gender Equality

https://www.humanrightscareers.com/magazine/organizations-gender-equality/

❖ Charity Intelligence Canada: 2020 Top 100 Rated Charities (see international listing)

https://charityintelligence.ca/charity-profiles/top-100-rated-charities-2

Examples of organizations highlighting the criteria outlined by the IR Committee (for purposes of information, learning and discussion)

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Survey of International Organizations ReportThe Citizens Foundation, Canada: Canadian branch of one of Pakistan’s leading organizations advancing quality education for the underprivileged. https://tcfcanada.org/ -- Top ten impact rating by Charity Intelligence Canada

CODE (Canadian Organization for Development through Education): note Better Education Through Teacher Training Project, cultural respect—distributes books by authors in countries where literacy programs are delivered. https://code.ngo/ --Top 10 International Aid Impact rating by Charity Intelligence Canada)

✔ Transparent fiscal accountability

✔ Demonstrated impact within H.E.A.L. action priorities

✔ High level of program delivery to administration costs

Women’s Global Education Project: Holistic 360 model, local grassroots partners and leadership https://womensglobal.org/

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Commonwealth Education Trust: Empowerment and upskilling of teachers so that children will learn better. Evidence based, strategies and initiatives informed by educational research. Digital EdTech Platform (TEACH2030) for teachers. https://commonwealtheducationtrust.org/

"If we teach today's students as we taught yesterday's, we rob them of tomorrow" John Dewey

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Survey of International Organizations ReportCAMFED (Campaign for Female Education): Pan-African movement revolutionizing how girls education is delivered—evidence-based program, partnership with Research for Equitable Access to Learning (REAL) Centre, University of Cambridge https://camfed.org/our-impact/CAMFED-model/

✔Clearly articulated models of change, strategies and evaluation metrics

✔Inclusion of diverse stakeholders, including partnership with grassroots

organizations and leaders in planning and implementation of organization’s initiatives

Institute of International Women’s Rights- Manitoba: Advocacy organization based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Institute for International Women’s Rights – Manitoba (IIWR-MB) is founded to generate education, awareness, and action to promote women’s human rights, locally and globally. This organization is separate and distinct from the Institute for International Women’s Rights Global College, (University of Winnipeg) although they work closely together, and IIWR Global College is an Organization Member of IIWR-MB. https://iiwrmb.ca/

Empower Women: In October 2011, Canada and UN Women co-hosted an international conference on women's economic empowerment in Ottawa. Participants called for a dynamic platform to improve the sharing of evidence, experiences and good

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Survey of International Organizations Reportpractices on women’s economic empowerment. In response, UN Women and Canada committed to jointly develop an online platform on women’s economic empowerment. Since this beginning, a global movement has developed. Connect.Contribute.Collaborate.Explore.Engage.Empower.www.EmpowerWomen.org).https://www.empowerwomen.org/en

Cooperation Canada: Canadian umbrella advocacy organization; Since 1968, Cooperation Canada (formerly known as the Canadian Council for International Cooperation) has brought together more than 90 organizations working in the international development and humanitarian sector. The organization advocates for these groups by convening sector leaders, influencing policy and building capacity. Together, they work with partners both inside and outside Canada to build a world that’s fair, safe, and sustainable for all.

Opportunities exist to participate in working groups and dialogue sessions, including dialogue on the Triple Nexus, relief, development and peace building. Provincial Councils for Global Cooperation contribute to Cooperation Canada. https://cooperation.ca/

✔Range of opportunities for CFUW to engage with other stakeholders

✔Opportunities for CFUW to engage directly in advocacy planning and implementation

APPENDIX A:

Canada Official Development Aid (ODA)

DONOR TRACKERhttps://donortracker.org/country/canada CANADA AT A GLANCE

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Funding trends

● Canada is the ninth-largest donor country on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC). In 2019, Canada spent US$4.7 billion (current prices, according to OECD preliminary data) on official development assistance (ODA)

● Canada’s ODA represented 0.27% of the country’s gross national income (GNI) in 2019, a slight decrease compared to 2018. Projections regarding the future of Canada’s ODA to GNI ratio remain uncertain due to COVID-19.

● As a result of COVID-19, in 2020, Canada made some of the largest single additions ever made to its International Assistance Envelope (IAE; the main budgetary tool that funds Canadian development assistance). It is unclear whether this level of funding will be sustained in the coming years.

● As of October 2020, new and additional resources committed by the Canadian government for its international COVID-19 response were estimated by the Canadian International Development Platform to be around CAD740 million

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Survey of International Organizations Report(US$571 million). This is equivalent to around 0.30% of its funding for the domestic response.

Strategic priorities

● Canada is an active player in the global response to COVID-19. The government has adapted existing programming to meet needs created by the crisis, actively launched new projects to tackle global challenges related to COVID-19, and contributed to all the major pandemic-related multilateral funding initiatives.

● Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) outlines six ‘Action areas’, with 1) ‘gender equality’ at its core. Canada applies a feminist lens to its five other priority areas, which include 2) ‘human dignity’, 3) ‘growth that works for everyone’, 4) ‘environment and climate action’, 5) ‘inclusive governance’, and 6) ‘peace and security’.

● The FIAP stipulates that 95% of Canada’s bilateral ODA will target or integrate gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls by FY2021/22 and 50% of bilateral assistance will be spent in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In 2018 gender-related assistance accounted for 87% of bilateral ODA, and 25% went to SSA.

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APPENDIX B:

Code of Ethics and Conduct for NGOs(1X. Partnership, Collaboration and Networking. Extracted from World Association of Non Governmental Organizations, WANGO) https://www.wango.o or if rg/codeofethics.aspx?page=10

A. General Principles of Partnerships and Collaboration

1. MISSION CONSISTENCY The organization shall collaborate with other entities only if the relationship is consistent with the mission of the NGO.

2. SHARED VALUES The organization shall collaborate on the basis of shared values, common ground, and for the good of society.

3. MUTUAL BENEFIT: The NGO shall collaborate on the basis. of equitable and genuine mutual benefit to each organization.

4. TRANSPARENCY NGO collaboration shall allow financial transparency and a two-way flow of information, ideas, and experiences.

5. ADAPTIVE TO CHANGE Collaborations are to be adaptive to change. Changes in the relationship are to be developed through cooperation, and not forced by one or the other organization.

B. Relations with Other NGOs and Civil Society Organizations

1. COMMON OBJECTIVES: When appropriate, NGOs with overlapping missions, values, and target groups should partner with each other and civil society organizations, when it would be beneficial for the common target groups and for the achievement of common objectives.

2. COMPETITION AND SERVICE DUPLICATION NGOs with overlapping missions, values, and target groups should refrain from competing with each other and with other civil society organizations, and should refrain from unnecessary duplication of services and disruption of each other’s projects.

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Survey of International Organizations Report3. INFORMATION SHARING NGOs with overlapping missions, values and target groups should share relevant project information with other NGOs and civil society organizations, and mutually support each other.

4. SUPPORT FOR OTHER NGOS: The NGO shall express solidarity with campaigns and actions of other NGOs, and promote the effectiveness and success of other NGOs, when it does not compromise the integrity or values of the NGO.

5. NETWORKING: The organization shall network with other ethical NGOs as a means for promoting the growth, effectiveness and efficiency of the NGO sector and the ability to advance the public good.

CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT FOR NGOS

C. Relations with Government Agencies and Intergovernmental Bodies

1. NGO OBJECTIVES AND INDEPENDENCE: The organization shall enter into a partnership agreement with a government or intergovernmental body only when it is beneficial to achievement of the NGO’s objectives and does not compromise the independence or self-control of the organization.

2. APPROPRIATE AND MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL: The organization shall seek to dialogue and cooperate with government and intergovernmental agencies when such cooperation would be both appropriate and mutually beneficial and could increase the NGO’s effectiveness in dealing with issues and priorities in its agenda.

3. MISSION-LED: The organization shall not enter into a partnership with a governmental or intergovernmental body solely to promote the sustainability or competitive advantage of the NGO independent of achieving its mission objectives.

4. POLITICAL FAVOR: The organization shall not change its policies or non-partisan nature in order to curry political favor.

D. Relations with For-Profit Corporations

1. NGO OBJECTIVES AND INDEPENDENCE: The organization shall enter into collaboration with a for-profit corporation only when it is beneficial to achievement of the NGO’s objectives and does not compromise the independence or self-control of the organization.

2. MISSION-LED: The organization shall not enter into collaboration with a for-profit corporation if motivated by financial reasons that are independent of achieving its mission objectives.

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Survey of International Organizations Report3. MARKET ADVANTAGE: The organization shall not enter into collaboration with a for-profit corporation if the main motivation of the corporation is to gain a market advantage over competitors.

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