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Keeping a Low Profile: What Determines the Allocation of Aid by Non-Governmental Organizations?

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  • Dirk-Jan Koch
  • Axel Dreher
  • Peter Nunnenkamp
  • Rainer Thiele

Abstract

NGOs play an important role in international development cooperation, but the allocation of NGO aid has rarely been mapped, let alone explained. Based on a representative dataset for 61 important NGOs from various OECD countries, we analyze the targeting of NGO aid across a large number of recipient countries by jointly considering major determinants of NGO aid in a multivariate regression framework. While our results show that NGOs are more active in the neediest countries, we reject the hypothesis that NGOs complement official aid through engaging in so-called difficult institutional environments. Rather, they tend to replicate the location choices of official "backdonors". Moreover, NGOs follow other NGOs so that aid gets clustered. Finally, NGOs select recipient countries with common traits related to religion or colonial history. Taken together, our findings suggest that NGOs keep a low profile rather than distinguishing themselves from other donors and trying to excel under risky conditions.

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  • Dirk-Jan Koch & Axel Dreher & Peter Nunnenkamp & Rainer Thiele, 2008. "Keeping a Low Profile: What Determines the Allocation of Aid by Non-Governmental Organizations?," KOF Working papers 08-191, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    • Handle: RePEc:kof:wpskof:08-191
    DOI: 10.3929/ethz-a-005552303
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    6. Raschky, Paul A. & Schwindt, Manijeh, 2012. "On the channel and type of aid: The case of international disaster assistance," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 119-131.
    7. Tierney, Michael J. & Nielson, Daniel L. & Hawkins, Darren G. & Roberts, J. Timmons & Findley, Michael G. & Powers, Ryan M. & Parks, Bradley & Wilson, Sven E. & Hicks, Robert L., 2011. "More Dollars than Sense: Refining Our Knowledge of Development Finance Using AidData," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(11), pages 1891-1906.
    8. Dipendra, K.C., 2020. "Which aid targets poor at the sub-national level?," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 17(C).
    9. Nunnenkamp, Peter & Öhler, Hannes & Schwörer, Tillmann, 2013. "US based NGOs in International Development: Financial and Economic Determinants of Survival," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 45-65.
    10. Afridi, Muhammad Asim & Ventelou, Bruno, 2013. "Impact of health aid in developing countries: The public vs. the private channels," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 759-765.
    11. Nunnenkamp, Peter & Öhler, Hannes, 2011. "Aid Allocation through Various Official and Private Channels: Need, Merit, and Self-Interest as Motives of German Donors," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 308-323, March.
    12. Mersland, Roy & D’Espallier, Bert & Supphellen, Magne, 2013. "The Effects of Religion on Development Efforts: Evidence from the Microfinance Industry and a Research Agenda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 145-156.
    13. Lessmann, Christian & Seidel, André, 2017. "Regional inequality, convergence, and its determinants – A view from outer space," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 110-132.
    14. Nicola Banks & David Hulme, 2012. "The role of NGOs and civil society in development and poverty reduction," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 17112, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    15. Metzger, Laura & Nunnenkamp, Peter & Mahmoud, Toman Omar, 2010. "Is Corporate Aid Targeted to Poor and Deserving Countries? A Case Study of Nestlé's Aid Allocation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 228-243, March.
    16. Shin, Wonkyu & Kim, Youngwan & Sohn, Hyuk-Sang, 2017. "Do Different Implementing Partnerships Lead to Different Project Outcomes? Evidence from the World Bank Project-Level Evaluation Data," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 268-284.
    17. Nunnenkamp, Peter & Weingarth, Janina & Weisser, Johannes, 2009. "Is NGO aid not so different after all? Comparing the allocation of Swiss aid by private and official donors," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 422-438, December.
    18. Heyes, Anthony & Martin, Steve, 2015. "NGO mission design," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 197-210.
    19. Maiden, Emily & Brockway, Mark, 2018. "Parlez-vous français? Language and agricultural aid allocation strategies in northern Mali," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 356-375.
    20. Ronald B. Davies & Stephan Klasen, 2019. "Darlings and Orphans: Interactions across Donors in International Aid," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 121(1), pages 243-277, January.

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    Keywords

    Aid allocation; Aid agencies; Non-governmental organizations; Poverty;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F35 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Foreign Aid

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