GRI to launch NGO Performance Measure

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) - the provider of the world’s most widely-used sustainability reporting guidance - is to launch what it describes as an NGO Sector Supplement during the Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency, 26 - 28 May 2010.

The new Sector Supplement for Not for Profit organisations is set to measure and publicly disclose their performance on a range of economic, environmental and social indicators in a comparable way across the globe.

The Conference organisers say that the rise of the ‘Third sector’ has led to an increasing demand for greater accountability and transparency from Not for Profit organisations.

The NGO Sector Supplement has been initiated by the INGO Accountability Charter as a response to further enhance sustainability reporting practice in the NFP sector. Sector disclosures cover program effectiveness, resource allocation, ethical fundraising, and volunteers.

The Supplement was created by a multi-stakeholder working group, incorporating feedback from 160 experts.
Beris Gwynne, Director for Global Accountability at World Vision International says the partnership with GRI has allowed NGOs to compare their accountability initiatives with best practice in other sectors.

Gwynne says in demonstrating their own accountability, NGOs need to show that they use at least the same standards that they ask of others.

The NGO Sector Supplement will be launched at the conference session 'The Future of NGO Reporting' on Thursday 27 May featuring speakers from Oxfam International, Centre for Human Rights and Environment and Amnesty International’s former Deputy Secretary.

The Global Reporting Initiative has pioneered the development of the world’s most widely used Sustainability Reporting Framework and is committed to its continuous improvement and application worldwide. This framework sets out the principles and indicators that organisations can use to measure and report their economic, environmental, and social performance. www.globalreporting.org

The GRI Sector Supplements can be viewed at www.globalreporting.org/ReportingFramework/SectorSupplements/