Keeping a low profile: What determines the allocation of aid by non-governmental organizations? [Dataset]

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.

非政府组织（Non-Governmental Organizations，以下简称NGO）在国际发展合作中发挥着重要作用，但针对NGO援助分配格局的研究仍较为匮乏，更遑论对其分配逻辑的系统阐释。本研究基于涵盖经合组织（Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development，以下简称OECD）多国61家重要NGO的代表性数据集，在多元回归分析框架下综合考量NGO援助的主要影响因素，分析了NGO援助在大量受援国的投向布局。研究结果显示，NGO在最贫困的受援国更为活跃，但我们拒绝了“NGO会通过介入所谓制度困境环境来补充官方援助（Official Aid）”这一假说。相反，NGO倾向于复刻官方援助捐赠方（Official Backdonors）的区位选择。此外，NGO的援助布局会跟随其他NGO，进而导致援助资源集聚。最后，NGO会优先选择具备宗教或殖民历史共同特征的受援国。综上，本研究结果表明，NGO更倾向于保持低调，而非与其他援助方形成差异化定位，或是在高风险环境中力争脱颖而出。