Keeping body and soul together: southern NGOs' strategic responses to donor constraints

W. Elbers, B.J.M. Arts

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

62 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Most Southern Non-Governmental Organizations (SNGOs) depend on donor agencies for their survival. To qualify for donor funding, SNGOs typically have to meet a range of funding conditions. Critics argue that donor requirements may have undesirable consequences. Based on qualitative research involving 41 SNGOs in India and Ghana, this article explores (1) the (potentially) adverse effects of donor conditions on SNGOs and (2) the strategies that SNGOs employ to deal with these conditions. We demonstrate that certain donor conditions are difficult to reconcile with a view of development that emphasizes local ownership and a strong and autonomous civil society. We also show that SNGOs employ a multitude of strategies to deal with adverse donor conditions, highlighting that they are not powerless in their relations with donors. Yet, these strategies are not always available to all organizations and may have undesired consequences
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)713-732
JournalInternational Review of Administrative Sciences
Volume77
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2011

Keywords

  • organizations
  • legitimacy
  • mexico

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