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The Kettering Foundation works on strategies to strengthen democracy. The primary focus of Kettering's research is 'What does it take to make democracy work as it should?'

International Institute for Sustained Dialogue (IISD) helps citizens around the world to transform their conflictual or destructive relationships and to design and implement sustainable change processes.

Institute of Policy Studies fosters discussion, research and publication of current issues of domestic and foreign policy.

IPS links academic research and public policy by providing opportunities for independent and detached study, and for neutral and informed discussion of important and relevant issues.

IPS engages the broadest possible range of informed opinion, particularly in drawing people together from the universities, the public service, the business community and the wider public community.

World Alliance for Citizen Participation (CIVICUS) is an international alliance of members and partners which constitute an influential network of organisations at the local, national, regional and international levels, and span the spectrum of civil society including: civil society networks and organisations; trade unions; faith-based networks; professional associations; NGO capacity development organisations; philanthropic foundations and other funding bodies; businesses; and social responsibility programmes.

CIVICUS has worked for over a decade to strengthen citizen action and civil society throughout the world, especially in areas where participatory democracy and citizens' freedom of association are threatened. CIVICUS has a vision of a global community of active, engaged citizens committed to the creation of a more just and equitable world. This is premised on the belief that the health of societies exists in direct proportion to the degree of balance between the state, the private sector and civil society.

CIVICUS provides a focal point for knowledge-sharing, common interest representation, global institution-building and engagement among these disparate sectors. It acts as an advocate for citizen participation as an essential component of governance and democracy worldwide. CIVICUS seeks to amplify the voices and opinions of ordinary people and it gives expression to the enormous creative energy of the burgeoning sector of civil society.

International Society for Third-sector Research (ISTR) is a major international association promoting research and education in the fields of philanthropy, civil society and the nonprofit sector. ISTR reflects the growing worldwide interest in Third Sector research and provides a permanent forum for international research, while at the same time building a global scholarly community in this field.

Association of Non-Governmental Organisations of Aotearoa (ANGOA) is a unique network of organisations from across the range of NGO’s in Aotearoa New Zealand including national, regional and local groups. Member organisations are active in the areas of health, education, international development, human rights, the environment, youth, women and ethnicity.

ANGOA facilitates NGO networking around issues of common concern with a particular emphasis on strengthening relationships across the sector and between the sector and government.

ANGOA disseminates information as part of its effort to strengthen the Community and Voluntary Sector in Aotearoa New Zealand.

ANGOA's primary functions are to:

• Provide an independent vehicle for interaction, cooperation, and mutual support and exchange amongst NGOs within Aotearoa New Zealand;
• Work in partnership with appropriate tangata whenua organisations and networks.

Tangata Whenua, Community and Voluntary Sector Research Centre provides research and other resources for communities, researchers and groups being researched that work in the Tangata Whenua, Community and Voluntary Sector.

International Center for Not-for-profit Law (ICNL) is the leading source for information on the legal environment for civil society and public participation. Since 1992, ICNL has served as a resource to civil society leaders, government officials, and the donor community in over 100 countries.

ICNL strives to create a world where civil society can freely develop in all its forms and participate in public decisions. In pursuit of that goal, ICNL's programs and research focus on promoting an enabling legal environment for civil society and public participation worldwide.

ICNL helps establish the legal framework for a strong and effective global civil society through:

• technical assistance to over 100 countries;
• the expertise of our multinational in-house staff and global network of legal specialists; and
• our partnerships with civil society representatives, government officials, scholars, and business leaders.