Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), popularly known as charities, are acknowledged to be pivotal to poverty alleviation, especially in African countries where government capacity and revenues are often limited. Despite their prominent role in poverty alleviation, little is known about how these organizations function in developing countries. This book charts a new path by considering the role of NGOs in African development and by using a number of new large-scale, representative data sets.

The book integrates a fragmented literature spanning many different disciplines by providing an overview of what is known about the sector. This includes the growth and importance of the sector, a cross-country comparison of NGO sectors and various perspectives on the role of NGOs. The book also looks at the shortcomings of the literature - or what we do not know - mapping and exploring the questions the literature has failed to answer such as what motivates NGOs, how are they funded, to whom are they accountable and what are the determinants of their growth and survival.