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The Relationship Between Liberian CSOs and International Donor Funding: Boon or Bane?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2026

Kelly Krawczyk
Kelly Krawczyk*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, Auburn University, 7080 Haley Center, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
*
kak0037@auburn.edu
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Abstract

The Liberian environment is characterized by enormous reliance on international aid, substantial amounts of which is channeled through civil society organizations (CSOs). These civil society organizations have played an important role in Liberia’s redevelopment since the end of the civil war in 2003, despite the fact that international aid to Liberia is increasingly characterized by unstable funding patterns and shifting donor priorities. This makes it vital to deepen our understanding of international aid funding to Liberian CSOs. This study uses mixed methodology to examine what impacts the ability of Liberian CSOs to attract aid funding, the nature of the donor–CSO relationship, and how this relationship impacts the capacity and behavior of CSOs. Results indicate CSO competence and efficiency are associated with ability to attract aid funding. Pressures and imbalance in the donor–CSO relationship contribute to high levels of environmental uncertainty for Liberian CSOs in the sample, leading to adaptive behaviors related to activities and funding streams.

Résumé

Résumé

L’environnement libérien se caractérise par une énorme dépendance à l’aide internationale, dont d’imposants montants sont canalisés par des organismes de société civile (OSC). Tandis que l’aide internationale au Liberia se caractérise par des modèles de financement instables et la mutation des priorités des donateurs depuis la fin de la guerre civile en 2003, le secteur naissant de la société civile du pays a joué un rôle important dans sa reconstruction. Nous devons ainsi mieux comprendre le financement de l’aide internationale aux OSC libériens. La présente étude utilise une méthodologie mixte pour déterminer ce qui influence la capacité des OSC libériens à attirer de l’aide et évaluer la nature de la relation entre les donateurs et les OSC, et comment cette dernière influence la capacité et le comportement des OSC. Les résultats démontrent que la compétence et l’efficacité des OSC sont associées à leur capacité d’attirer du financement. La présence de pression et de déséquilibre dans la relation qui unit les donateurs aux OSC crée de grandes incertitudes environnementales pour les OSC de l’échantillon, ce qui entraîne conséquemment l’adoption de comportements adaptatifs associés aux activités et aux flux de financement.

Zusammenfassung

Zusammenfassung

Das liberianische Umfeld zeichnet sich aus durch eine enorme Abhängigkeit von internationaler Hilfe, die zum großen Teil über Bürgergesellschaftsorganisationen geleitet wird. Während die internationale Hilfe für Liberia durch instabile Finanzierungsmuster und wechselnde Prioritäten seitens der Spender gekennzeichnet ist, spielt der neue Bürgergesellschaftssektor des Landes seit Ende des Bürgerkrieges 2003 eine wichtige Rolle bei der Sanierung. Somit ist es äußerst wichtig, das Verständnis über internationale Hilfeleistungen für liberianische Bürgergesellschaftsorganisationen zu vertiefen. Diese Studie wendet den Mixed-Methods-Ansatz an, um zu untersuchen, wodurch die Fähigkeit liberianischer Bürgergesellschaftsorganisationen beinträchtigt wird, Hilfsgelder für sich zu gewinnen, wie sich die Beziehung zwischen Spender und Bürgergesellschaftsorganisationen gestaltet und wie sich diese Beziehung auf die Fähigkeit und das Verhalten der Bürgergesellschaftsorganisationen auswirkt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass es eine Verbindung gibt zwischen der Kompetenz und Effizienz einer Bürgergesellschaftsorganisation und ihrer Fähigkeit, Hilfsgelder für sich zu gewinnen. Spannungen und ein Ungleichgewicht in der Beziehung zwischen Spender und Bürgergesellschaftsorganisationen tragen zur großen Unsicherheit im Umfeld der liberianischen Bürgergesellschaftsorganisationen aus der Stichprobe bei, was in adaptiven Verhaltensweisen im Zusammenhang mit den Aktivitäten und Finanzierungsströmen resultiert.

Resumen

Resumen

El entorno liberiano se caracteriza por una enorme dependencia de la ayuda internacional, importes sustanciales de la cual se canaliza a través de las organizaciones de la sociedad civil (CSO, por sus siglas en inglés). Mientras que la ayuda a Liberia se caracteriza por patrones de financiación inestables y prioridades de los donantes cambiantes, desde el final de la guerra civil en 2003, el naciente sector de la sociedad civil del país ha desempeñado un importante papel en el redesarrollo. Esto hace vital profundizar en la comprensión de la financiación de la ayuda internacional para las CSO liberianas. El presente estudio utiliza metodología mixta para examinar qué afecta a la capacidad de las CSO liberianas para atraer financiación de ayuda, la naturaleza de la relación CSO-donante, y cómo esta relación afecta a la capacidad y al comportamiento de las CSO. Los resultados indican que la competencia y la eficiencia de las CSO se asocia a la capacidad de atraer financiación de ayuda. Las presiones y el desequilibrio en la relación donante-CSO contribuyen a elevados niveles de incertidumbre ambiental para las CSO liberianas de la muestra, que llevan a comportamientos flexibles relacionados con las actividades y las corrientes de financiación.

摘要

摘要

利比里亚环境的特点是,严重依赖国际援助,其中的很大一部分都通过公民社会组织 (CSO)。尽管利比里亚国际援助的特点是,不稳定的资金模式和变换的捐赠优先级,但自2003年结束内战以来,该国的新兴公民社会领域在重新发展扮演了重要的角色。这使其对深入了解利比里亚CSO的国际援助资金非常重要。本研究使用混合方法检查了哪些因素会影响利比里亚CSO吸引援助资金的能力,捐赠人-CSO关系的性质和这一关系如何影响CSO的能力和行为。结果表明,CSO的能力和效率与吸引援助资金的能力关联。捐赠人-CSO关系的压力和不平衡使得利比里亚CSO的环境存在较高的不确定性,带来相对于活动和资金流的适应性行为。

要約

要約

リベリアの環境は、市民社会組織(CSO)が提示する相当量の国際的援助の信頼性によって特徴づけられる。リベリアの国際的援助は、2003年の市民戦争終結から国内で発生した市民社会のセクターは再開発に重要な役割を果たしてきたために、不安定な資金と資金提供者の優先の変化によって特徴づけられる。これによって、リベリアのCSOには国際的援助設立に深い理解が必要不可欠である。本研究では混合方法論を用いて、リベリアのCSOの資金援助を誘致する可能性とCSOの資金提供の関係にどのような影響を与えるか、この関係がCSOの能力と行動にどのような影響を与えるかを調査する。結果から、CSOの能力と効率は、資金援助を誘致する可能性と関連することがわかった。CSOの資金提供者の関係における圧力とアンバランスは、リベリアのCSOにおける活動と資金の流れに関連する適応行動を導く例からすると、高いレベルの環境の不安定さに寄与する。

ملخص

ملخص

تتميز بيئة ليبريا بالإعتماد الهائل على المعونة الدولية التي توجه مبالغ كبيرة منها عن طريق منظمات المجتمع المدني(CSOs). في حين تتسم المعونة الدولية المقدمة إلى ليبريا بأنماط التمويل الغير مستقر وأولويات المانحين المتغيرة، فإنه منذ نهاية الحرب الأهلية في عام 2003، لعب قطاع المجتمع المدني الوليد في البلد دور هام في إعادة التطوير. هذا يجعل من الضروري تعميق فهم تمويل المعونة الدولية لمنظمات المجتمع المدني في ليبيريا. تستخدم هذه الدراسة منهجية مختلطة لدراسة ما يؤثر على قدرة منظمات المجتمع المدني (CSOs)في ليبريا إلى جذب تمويل المساعدات، طبيعة العلاقة بين المانحين ومنظمات المجتمع المدني(CSOs)، كيف تؤثر هذه العلاقة على قدرة وسلوك منظمات المجتمع المدني(CSOs). تشير النتائج إلى أن مهارة منظمات المجتمع المدني (CSOs) وكفاءتها ترتبط بالقدرة على جذب تمويل المساعدات. تساهم الضغوط وعدم التوازن في العلاقة بين المانحين ومنظمات المجتمع المدني(CSOs) في إرتفاع مستويات عدم اليقين البيئي بالنسبة لمنظمات المجتمع المدني(CSOs) في ليبيريا في العينة، مما يؤدي إلى سلوكيات تكيفية تتعلق بالأنشطة وتدفق التمويل.

Keywords

International aid fundingCSOsLiberiaCivil society

Information

Type
Original Paper
Information
Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations , Volume 29 , Issue 2 , April 2018 , pp. 296 - 309
Copyright
Copyright © International Society for Third-Sector Research and The Johns Hopkins University 2018

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Footnotes

Update 10 May 2018 The PDF version of this article was reformatted to a larger trim size.

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