Under pressure : Canadian NGOs and the influence of public perception and government funding : a case study at Pueblito Canada

Abstract

NGOs have seen their numbers and role in international development expand dramatically post World War II. Funding flowed in from the general public, as well as from government coffers as the apparent success of these organizations infiltrated public conscience and will. The heyday of support they received in the 1970s and 1980s, however, has given way to magnified scrutiny and demands from all sides today. Two specific pressures on NGOs are examined in this practicum report: the influences of a public undereducated and often misled in general issues of international development, and an increased dependence on funding from the federal government which in turn is responsible to the taxpayer. In order to survive in the current international aid climate, small Canadian NGOs must find ways in which to effectively incorporate these demands without compromising mission or programs. This paper is an examination of how, and the extent to which the case study, Pueblito Canada has been able to do this.