NGOs AND NPOs IN AUSTRIA

What exactly are NGOs ...?

NGOs are non-profit organisations, independent of national governments, providing valuable services in various areas within society. Traditionally, this term only described organisations active in development work, but meanwhile has become used for almost any idealistic association with the aim to serve the public.

Most of the NGOs address specific target groups, e.g. the handicapped or ill people in the social context. Others engage in certain missions, such as educational work in the environment or human rights contexts. Others again focus on cultural activities, ranging from the organisation of public festivals to concerts and theatre performances.
All these non-governmental and non-profit-oriented organisations together form the so-called non-profit sector. In contrast to commercial businesses profits gained through entrepreneurial activities of NGOs are not distributed among their members.
There are roughly 90,000 non-profit organisations (NPOs) operating in Austria, the majority of which is working in the fields of culture, sports and leisure-time activities. About 190,000 people are employed by these organisations, 70 per cent of them being women! Another one million volunteers are active in these 90,000 organisations, lending a certain profile to this sector and being responsible for a large part of their economic success.
Non-profit organisations have become an indispensable part of the national economy. Revenues from this sector amounted to ATS 68 billion in 1995.
The market share of the non-profit sector in Austria can be demonstrated by the following figures: 66 per cent of all museums, 25 per cent of places in kindergartens and 19 per cent of hospital beds are provided by NPOs.

Survey:
Christian Pichler-Stainern
Sources:
Christoph Badelt, Handbuch der Non-profit Organisation, Stuttgart 1999.
Lester M. Salamon; Helmut K. Anheier u.a.: The Emerging Sector Revisited - A Summary. The Johns Hopkins University, CNP Comparative Non-profit Sector Project, Phase II. Baltimore/USA 1998.