About us

Bond is the UK network for organisations working in international development.

Our mission

During these increasingly difficult times, charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are finding it even harder to achieve their missions. We connect, strengthen and champion a dynamic network of diverse civil society organisations to help eradicate global poverty, inequality and injustice.

Bond was founded in 1993 with 61 members. Now we unite over 400 organisations, ranging from small specialist charities to large international NGOs with a worldwide presence. Find out more about membership.

Our work

We unite the international development and humanitarian sector to drive global change in three ways:

• We connect people in the sector so that they can share expertise and develop their skills through our events and communities of practice.
• We influence governments and policy-makers at national and international levels through our collective advocacy with civil society.
• We strengthen organisations to be more impactful and sustainable through our expertise, training, resources and support services.

Take a look at what Bond has achieved over the last 30 years.

Our values

Collaborative: We bring our network and partners together to share knowledge and experience to create sustainable change.

Influential: We shape development and humanitarian policies and perspectives based on insight and evidence from our members, their partners, and the wider sector.

Open: We act with honesty and integrity and work to hold ourselves accountable.

Dynamic: We embrace new challenges with energy and commitment, adapting our approach to achieve quality and impact.

Our charter

The Bond Charter outlines the common vision, purpose, values and principles of the Bond network. All Bond members are signed up to the charter in shared commitment to excellence, transparency and accountability.

We also work with other networks and partners beyond our network to maximise the potential of civil society globally. As well as being part of 13 other networks, we are part of the UK Alliance of National Networks for International Development work with the national networks of Scotland (Scotland’s International Development Alliance), Wales (Hub Cymru Africa) and Northern Ireland (CADA). See a list of all these networks.

Our governance

Bond is governed by a board of 11 trustees. Trustees are generally elected from within the membership. Find out more about our board.

Bond is a registered charity. We believe that all activities and decisions, and those of our members, should be transparent and open to public scrutiny. Check out our open information page to find out about our funding, view our finance and read our annual reports.

Our funding

Bond’s work is funded by member subscriptions, income generated through paid-for service, and grants, including strategic funding from UK aid through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. If you would like to see a copy of our Ethical Fundraising Policy please contact us.