10 - Mercy Corps

2013-01-09T23:34:17Z

The bridge between relief and recovery.

HQ Location: United States.

Sometimes you see too much in this business, resulting in horror fatigue,” says Mercy Corps co-founder Dan O’Neill. “But you use the nightmare for fuel.” The organization he first established as the Save the Refugees Fund in response to the atrocities of Pol Pot’s Cambodian killing fields has certainly matched that ethos, growing into one of the pre-eminent international development NGOs in the world today.

Based in Portland but active in over 41 countries, Mercy Corps’ pioneering commitment to using relief and recovery programs to strengthen civil society for the long-term has seen the diversification of its high-impact, cost effective activities across a range of program areas and locations.

What sets the organization apart is its leadership in using social innovation as an engine for sustainable development – and unlike other actors focusing on entrepreneurial strategies in ‘stable’ operating environments, Mercy Corps works in this way with affected communities as a means to accelerate the process of post-disaster or post-collapse recovery. From helping restore local economies in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake via a mobile banking solution, to fighting malnutrition in Indonesian slums through a microfranchise system of vendor-managed food carts, the NGO consistently looks to foster indigenous entrepreneurship, rebuilding social capital and stimulating markets.

Convinced of the value of taking ‘responsible risks’ – backed by rigorous monitoring and evaluation – Mercy Corps focuses especially on engaging partner communities to identify solutions proven to work in specific contexts and bring these to scale. As such, the organization’s greatest impact is arguably linked to its ability to strengthen the resilience of communities with a view to future shocks, beyond the millions of lives touched through immediate relief efforts.

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Photo © Miguel Samper for Mercy Corps

#11 - Mercy Corps

2012-01-23T12:10:17Z

Check out if Mercy Corps is in The Top 100 NGOs 2013 Edition!

Bridging the gap from relief to recovery.

Almost 17 million beneficiaries annually.

The field of international relief and development is a crowded one. Portland based Mercy Corps, however, has managed over its 29-year existence to not only maintain a constant trajectory of expanding and deepening impact, but also a commitment to innovation and willingness to experiment that is refreshing for its size. Though ostensibly a humanitarian organization, Mercy Corps’ pioneering commitment to using relief and development programs to strengthen civil society for the long-term has seen the diversification of its high-impact, cost effective activities across a range of sectors.

Reaching almost 17 million people annually in over 107 countries, Mercy Corps’ goal is to help transform places hit by natural disasters, conflict or economic collapse by moving quickly from relief to recovery initiatives – fostering local entrepreneurship, re-building social capital and stimulating markets. Convinced of the value of taking ‘responsible risks’ – backed by rigorous monitoring and evaluation – the organization engages with local communities to identify solutions proven to work in specific contexts and brings these to scale.

Recent innovations have included everything from mobile banking for individuals without bank accounts in Haiti, to establishing a ‘wholesale’ micro-finance lender in Indonesia and teaming with Wal Mart in Guatemala to help rural farmers learn how to supply their products to leading retailers.

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10 - Mercy Corps

#11 - Mercy Corps