It is that time of the year again when politicians begin to discuss the budget and demand, almost as a form of blackmail for its approval, payment to the non-governmental organizations they sponsor. The unfortunate thing is that in the past it has been demonstrated that they actually do receive direct benefits from these entities, which sometimes are not even legally constituted, let alone operational.

What is distressing is the fact that the general public tends to judge the entire community of non-profit, third-party service organizations equally, and that is wrong. This newspaper could be filled with the achievements of foundations and NGOs whose work has been more successful than the administrations of all governments. One could mention the Dominican Rehabilitation Association, the Dermatological Institute, the League Against Cancer as examples, but really in the areas of work such as environment, sexual and reproductive health, community development, gender, human rights, fight against corruption and strengthening of justice, initial and basic education, housing improvement, alternative energy, among others, the results have been more efficient, more pluralistic, less paternalistic and politicized, less costly, more responsible and surely more sustainable.

Despite our many efforts to demonstrate this to the public, confusion persists as to who is who and who does what. However, at the international level, this is not the case.

Recent research conducted by Strategy One, a unit of Edelman Public Relations Worldwide, found NGOs to be highly credible sources of information and more likely to act in the public interest. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International, have become the new super brands in global governance. They have gained a greater level of trust than some of the most respected global companies, such as Ford, Microsoft, G-7 governments.

The survey was one of the most comprehensive examinations of opinion leaders' attitudes toward NGOs. Five hundred well-educated professionals between the ages of 34 and 64 from industrialized countries (United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Australia) were interviewed, with the following key findings:

• By an approximate ratio of 2 to 1, NGOs are more trusted than governments, the media and corporations. Two-thirds of respondents say that corporations are only concerned with profits, while well over half say that NGOs represent values that can be believed in.
• NGOs were ranked as the most reliable source of information, compared to companies and the media, including issues such as: labor and human rights; genetically modified foods; environment and health.
• Sixty-four percent of respondents said that the influence of NGOs has increased significantly over the past decade.
• In times of corporate crisis many interviewees paid more attention to NGOs for information than to the media and corporations.
• NGOs such as Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Sierra Club and the World Wildlife Fund have greater credibility than EXXON, FORD, MICROSOFT, MONSANTO and NIKE corporations. Eighty percent of Americans surveyed saw Greenpeace as very highly effective, 78% for Amnesty International. Only 11% of respondents saw companies and government as sources of making the world a better place.
• The survey also found that NGOs have this high degree of credibility because they most effectively use the power of images, particularly television and the Internet. They speak directly to consumers, appealing to emotions through concise and simple themes.
• NGOs have taken advantage of the downward spiral, in public perception, in governments, the media and corporations, said Steve Lombardo, president of Strategy One. Gaining trust is essential. These thought leaders are more likely to believe that NGOs are doing the right thing compared to large companies, because they are motivated by morals and not simply by profit.
• Business leaders and governments must recognize that NGOs are important players in the global marketplace, said Richard Edelman, President of Edelman PR Worldwide. Given the growing public distrust of government due to cases such as mad cow disease and skepticism toward the financial motivations of multinational corporations, NGOs must play a critical role in global governance.
• Due to an increased reliance on NGOs, governments and multinational companies can work toward mutually beneficial outcomes, such as U.S. retailer Home Depot's alliance with the Forest Stewardship Council, or Chiquita's partnership with the Rainforest Alliance, said Edelman's Jonathan Woodtlift. In both cases, our clients have adapted their working practices in coordination with NGOs that were once their critics.

This research yields several conclusions. First, Dominican NGOs need to be much more proactive in publicizing their work and in winning over public opinion to ensure that the public knows who is who. Second, they need to do a more intense effort to support a purge of NGOs that receive government subsidies. This is not to say that there have been no achievements, as the new Law 122-05 demonstrates, but there is much to be done. Third, propose that a Social Development Fund be created for the use of the Deputies and Senators and eliminate all subsidies to those NGOs that they sponsor. Fourth, it is necessary to make all NGOs make a public report on their management so that it is of general knowledge and their actions and good use of the resources they receive can be measured. Fifth, our community has been too defensive in the past and even a bit fearful in promoting the actions described above. This cannot continue. The status quo is neither acceptable nor desirable.