Development NGOs, Domestic Politics, and Foreign Aid Allocations

Abstract

Development non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are found to be important actors in numerous studies, although their role is examined primarily from the recipient side. Focusing on the influence of development NGOs inside donor states originating from their transnational networks, I consider the high informational status of NGOs and their dedication to helping the poor as affording them the political leverage to acquire aid allocations from donor governments. I examine this idea through three distinct aid flows—countries, sectors, and delivery channels—that correspond to the NGOs’ primary concerns. The results show that the greater the increase in the domestic influence of the development NGO community, the larger the increase in aid spending not only allocated to the least-developed countries (LDCs) but also channeled through private actors in donors based on neoliberal doctrine. The expected positive relationship was also found between NGOs’ influence and increases in developmental-purpose aid with potential correlations with trade-purpose aid controlled.