Partnerships Between International Donors and Non-Governmental Development Organizations: Opportunities and Constraints

Abstract

This article examines partnerships between international donors and non-governmental development organizations (NGDOs). Following a discussion of partnership’s rationale and presumed benefits, the article provides a general overview of selected donors’ partnership experience and describes four illustrations of donor– NGDO partnership. Opportunities and constraints are identified, illustrating gaps in oratory and practice. Identified challenges include constraints related to donorinitiated partnerships, addressing the legacy of past relationships, the insufficiency of relying on personal relationships, and the limits of good intentions. The article stresses the importance of recognizing the political and economic realities that frame donor–NGDO relationships and condition incentives on both sides of the partnership.