How NGOs Shape U.S. Foreign Aid: Field Presence Raises Aid Flows

Why This Question Matters

Youngwan Kim asks how nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) influence states' foreign policy decisions—specifically U.S. foreign aid allocations to developing countries. Understanding whether and how NGOs move state resources matters for debates about accountability, expertise in development, and the political channels through which nonstate actors affect international assistance.

What Youngwan Kim Does

Kim develops a theory that NGOs affect states’ foreign aid behavior directly by supplying information from the field and by acting as lobbying actors on behalf of partner countries or causes. The paper tests this claim in the context of U.S. foreign aid to developing countries.

Data and Methods

A new time-series cross-sectional dataset is constructed of field activities by U.S.-based NGOs operating in developing countries. Using statistical models appropriate for panel data, the analysis links variation in NGO presence and duration of operations to subsequent U.S. aid flows to the same countries.

Key Findings

• Countries with more U.S.-based NGO field operations are significantly more likely to receive larger amounts of U.S. foreign aid.
• NGOs that maintain longer, sustained operations in a country appear more effective at increasing U.S. aid to that country—consistent with prolonged information provision and sustained lobbying efforts.

What This Means for Policy and Research

The results suggest NGOs do more than deliver services: their on-the-ground presence and longevity help shape donor choices. For policymakers, funders, and scholars of international development and foreign policy, the study highlights NGOs as influential intermediaries between recipient countries and donor governments and points to the importance of measuring NGO activity when studying aid allocation.

Where to Look Next

Future work could probe the mechanisms in greater detail—distinguishing information-sharing from formal lobbying—and assess whether these patterns hold for other donor countries or different types of aid.