The Donor-Driven Model and Financial Sustainability: A Case Study from Palestinian Non-Government Organizations

Rabeh Morrar,Suhail Sultan

doi:10.5130/ccs.v12.i2-3.6771

Abstract

This study presents factors that encourage Palestinian NGOs to embrace financial sustainability employing modern ideologies that encompass community engagement, voluntarism, collaboration, and business-like practices in order to meet societal challenges. The study explores the reliance of Palestinian NGOs on external funds (donor-driven funds) and the environment impact of their attempts at financial sustainability. Data were gathered using semi-structured interviews with 22 NGOs in the West Bank and Gaza in 2019. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis using the computer software MAXQDA. Key findings were that Palestinian NGOs need to alleviate the dependency on a donor-driven model by functioning independently from donors’ agendas; and that Palestinian NGOs need to collaborate with each other to centralize their efforts and avoid fragmentation. Further, the Palestinian government needs to revisit the relevant laws to regulate the civil society sector and avoid competition between NGOs and private sector on the one hand, and NGOs and governmental institutions on the other hand.

Highlights

Palestinian NGOs and other civil society organizations have played a major role in the Palestinian national movement over the last three decades ( following the Oslo Accord and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 1993), and this represents a distinctive and unique model in the Arab region
This study mainly focuses on the association between the volatility or instability of external funding and the financial sustainability of Palestinian NGOs
Suha, an employee in an international NGOs in Gaza, stated: ‘Palestinian NGOs depend totally on the donor’s funding, which creates many challenges for our ability to provide our services’; while Lara, a project coordinator in one of the international NGOs in education and social business noted: ‘Many of the NGOs do not work within the developmental objectives in Palestine, since they mainly are governed by the donors’ objectives’

Summary

Introduction

Palestinian NGOs and other civil society organizations have played a major role in the Palestinian national movement over the last three decades ( following the Oslo Accord and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 1993), and this represents a distinctive and unique model in the Arab region. This could be explained by the uniqueness of the political, social and economic environment in Palestine.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion