The Emergence and Role of Nongovernmental Organizations

Nongovernmental organizations or NGOs were recognized at the turn of the century as a “third sector” to work together with the private and public sectors to “fill the gap” in helping people in need. Since the end of World War II, in particular, we have witnessed the most dramatic increase in international NGOs, with over 4,000 organizations now engaged in a broad range of overseas relief and development activities. The global NGO sector is now equal to the eighth largest economy in the world, with annual spending of more than $500 billion dollars, which is comparable to the annual budget of the World Bank. These nonprofit entities employ 19 million workers, and engage thousands of volunteers to serve both domestically and abroad. Governments worldwide now recognize NGOs as important “partners in sustainable development” and have come to depend on these organizations to implement projects due to a favorable track record in reaching the “poorest of the poor” at the grassroots level. Extensive research has concluded that NGOs have a comparative advantage over government assistance programs which are often viewed as bureaucratically inefficient and limited in poverty reach. This chapter provides an historical review of the emergence and role of the international NGO sector, followed by three country reports (the USA, the UK, and Japan) that examine the context of the NGO sector in each country.