Released on: December 18, 2007, 5:24 am

Press Release Author: Saleem Toor/ Media Weaver

Industry: Non Profit

Press Release Summary: Pakistan Center of Philanthropy, the only government
recognized certification agency has provided over 100 certifications to non-profit
organizations

Press Release Body: Islamabad (December 18, 2007): Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy
(PCP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Welfare today hosted an
orientation workshop exclusively for the federal government officers on nonprofit
organizations (NPO) Certification system. The center is headed by the Chair of
UNESCO\'s special committee, Ms. Shahnaz Wazir Ali.

PCP was established in 2001 and is an independent nonprofit support organization.
The Centre does not engage in direct philanthropy, instead it seeks to help others
in their altruistic philanthropic efforts through encouragement and provision of
systematic meaningful support services. PCP is the first and so far the only
Government of Pakistan authorized NPO Certification agency.

Minister for Health, Government of Pakistan, Mr. Ejaz Rahim attended as chief guest
and appreciated PCP's unique role in promoting a system of evaluating NPOs on
standardized parameters based on international best practices.

Executive Director of the Centre Ms. Shahnaz Wazir Ali highlighted the role of
nonprofits in development and need for synergistic partnership between government
and civil society. She termed certification as an institutional support mechanism
for supplementing and promoting government's agenda of good governance, transparency
and accountability. Tax exemption by the government is a key incentive.

Explaining the unique and first ever NPO Certification system in South Asia, Mr.
Eazaz Dar, Senior Programme Manager at Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy, said "The
Certification regime has met much acceptance and proved its efficacy and now is
recognised as the single system that reinforces and promotes internal governance,
financial transparency and programme delivery standards in nonprofit sector of
Pakistan." NPO certification not only creates sector wide standards but also
promotes government agenda of strengthening civil society in terms of good
governance, documentation, disclosure, financial transparency, accountability and
effective service delivery. Till date, the Centre has granted 139 certificates of
good NPO practices against 196 applications. This list is available on
http://www.pcp.org.pk.

By
Saleem Toor
http://www.mediaweaver.net
For
Pakistan Center of Philanthropy
http://www.pcp.org.pk


Web Site: http://www.pcp.org.pk

Contact Details: Saleem Toor, Mediaweaver, 192, street 69, F-10/3, Islamabad,
+92512214217, +92512210561, saleem@mediaweaver.net

Aleeza Shahid, Pakistan Center of Philanthropy, F-8, Islamabad, aleeza@pcp.org.pk