What Is A Civic Organization?

Civic organizations are comprised of people who join together to provide a service or services to their community. Non-profit organizations are considered civic organizations because they are formed for the purpose of servicing a public or mutual benefit other than the pursuit or accumulation of profits for its owners or investors.  Non-profit organizations take various forms, such as charities, foundations, social welfare or advocacy groups, professional/trade associations, and religious organizations.

Examples of Civic Organizations

The best way to explain civil organizations is to provide examples of their myriad types, including the American Cancer Society, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the United States of America, and Rotary International.

The American Cancer Society, founded in 1913 by 15 New York City physicians and businessmen, is a nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service.  Its activities include providing grants to researchers, running public health advertising campaigns, organizing projects such as the Relay For Life and the Great American Smokeout, and operating thrift stores to raise money for its operations.

The Boys Scouts of America provides a program for young boys to build character, train them in the responsibilities of citizenship, and develop personal fitness.  Boy Scouts activities are funded through membership dues and approved money-earning projects, such as the sale of popcorn.

Who hasn’t helped support the Girl Scouts of the United States of America by buying Thin Mints and other cookies from young girls selling door-to-door?  The Girls Scouts was founded in 1912 when Juliette Gordon Low organized the first Girl Scout troop in Savannah, Georgia.  The organization’s mission is to build girls with courage, confidence, and character, and to make the world a better place.  Girls in the United States and abroad participate in troops and groups in more than 92 countries through USA Girl Scouts Overseas.

Rotary International prides itself on being the world’s first service club organization, with 33,000 clubs worldwide.  Rotary club members volunteer to work locally, regionally, and internationally to promote peace, battle hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, and eradicate polio.

A Civic Organization is an organization that works for citizens and their development. They understand the citizen value and have principles of good governance, life and good ethics (eg understanding what is right and wrong). It is very important in that every country has institutions that directly work in civic development.

The word 'organization' describes a kind of particular organised structure in which things are arranged and all the people involved in the organisation have the same vision to serve a particular goal. So when you are using the same word in the context of civil matter and using the word 'civic organisation' to describe it, you are talking about the organisation that is formed to take out the function of civil body.

All the municipal bodies that perform their role to give facilities to people or in other words they are performing to get the job done for the convenience of people, can be called civic organization. It is not only the municipal bodies that come under the parameters of a civic organisation but any government body that is involved in the process of serving people can be called a civic organisation.