A Strong Legacy
NDC became operational in November 2006. This new entity builds upon and continues the achievements of the Palestinian NGO sector under the recently-ended PNGO I/II Projects. The Welfare Association Consortium, which implemented PNGO I/II, was a World Bank-funded initiative led by
the Welfare Association that brought together
the British Council and
the British-based Charities Aid Foundation to successfully deliver technical assistance and invest $42 million into the Palestinian NGO sector.
In 2006, the overwhelming success of PNGO I/II, combined with the increasing Palestinian demand for reliable and sustainable NGO service delivery, highlighted the need for a permanent organization to support the Palestinian NGO sector beyond the life of the PNGO projects. As a result, the NGO Development Center (NDC) was registered in March 2006 as an independent Palestinian NGO. In August 2006,
the World Bank financed the feasibility studies and other assessments for the establishment of NDC, under a third phase of its PNGO Project (PNGO III).
The Welfare Association Consortium was officially closed on October 31, 2006 and NDC began operations on November 1. The assets, systems, and staff of the Consortium were transferred to NDC, capturing nearly ten years of valuable experience and knowledge in the new permanent Palestinian organization. Ongoing programs of PNGO II were also transferred to NDC including
the Unified Health Insurance Program (UNIFIED) and
the Palestinian NGO Portal (Masader).
The Welfare Association, which oversaw the Consortium, continues to support the NGO sector by contributing towards the management costs and allocating an endowment to cover the Center"s running costs. Additionally, the Welfare Association will utilize the services of NDC to channel donated funds it receives for purposes of grant-making to NGOs. The Welfare Association is also active on the governing board of NDC, which also includes representatives of Palestinian NGOs, unions and networks, international donors, the private sector, government, and academia.
NDC is partially financed by
the World Bank and
Agence Francaise de Developement (AFD), and creates a platform for leveraging funds from other international donors as well. In addition, NDC will engage in fundraising from institutional and individual donors, especially regional Arab and Palestinian donors.
