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Tracing the Geography of NGOs: Exploring where Canadian Development Organizations Work and Why

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A Correction to this article was published on 22 June 2023

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Abstract

As NGOs have emerged as arguably the most prominent actors within the global development enterprise, their international activities and presence have grown to represent a key area of inquiry for development scholars. Existing literature on the geographic distribution of development NGOs leans heavily on quantitative analysis, which lends little insight into the deeper motivations behind the location-based decisions that these organizations make; this study uses a qualitative lens to fill this gap, shedding light on the question “Why do NGOs work where they do”? After interviewing representatives from 22 Canadian development NGOs, the research team determined several key catalysts, which shape the geography of these entities. These factors include existing relationships, personal visits, local requests, logistical ease, funder restrictions, documented need, and humanitarian crises. Furthermore, the decision-making framework related to project locations appears to evolve as organizations grow.

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Acknowledgements

The research team would like to thank Asa Coleman at the University of Guelph for his assistance with this project. This research was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John’s, Canada

    Heather Dicks

  2. Department of Political Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada

    Andrea Paras

  3. Spur Change Program, Montreal, Canada

    Andréanne Martel & Craig Johnson

  4. Department of Integrative and Global Studies, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, USA

    John-Michael Davis

Authors
  1. Heather Dicks
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  2. Andrea Paras
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  3. Andréanne Martel
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  4. Craig Johnson
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  5. John-Michael Davis
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Heather Dicks.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interests to declare.

Human Participants

This study involved interviews with participants, from which informed consent had been acquired. The research received ethics approval from the Research Ethics Board at the University of Guelph.

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Appendix 1: Interview Questions

Appendix 1: Interview Questions

General Questions

  1. 1.

    Please summarize what are the main areas of work for your organization.

  2. 2.

    Why is [country/ies noted in survey] a priority for your organization?

  3. 3.

    In what communities or regions within this/these country/ies are you implementing projects?

    1. a.

      Is this where your staff and volunteers are predominantly based within this/these country/ies?

    2. b.

      [If the answer is no] Where are they mostly located?

  4. 4.

    Why has your organization chosen to work in these communities/regions?

Localization Questions

  1. 5.

    What is your organization’s approach to localization?

  2. 6.

    What is your organization trying to achieve in relation to this?

  3. 7.

    Can you provide any concrete examples of how your organization has pursued localization?

  4. 8.

    What kinds of pressures or obstacles does your organization face in relation to localization?

  5. 9.

    Has the pandemic impacted your organization’s relationships with its local partners?

  6. 10.

    What is your organization’s approach to the decolonization of foreign aid and/or reconciliation in Canada?

Aspirations Questions

  1. 11.

    How does your organization define success?

  2. 12.

    In what ways would an increase in your annual revenue enable your organization to achieve your metrics for success?

  3. 13.

    Is there a motivation within your organization to increase your annual budget each year? If so, has the pandemic impacted this in any way?

  4. 14.

    In the survey, you indicated that you expect your annual budget to [increase/decrease] in the next five years:

IF DECREASE

  • Why?

  • What strategies is your organization using to prevent a decreasing budget?

  • How will a decreasing budget affect your organizations?

  • What support resources would be beneficial to maintain or increase your annual budget?

IF INCREASE

  • Why?

  • What strategies is your organization using to obtain more funding?

  • How will your organization allocate a growing budget? Why?

  • What support resources have been critical to the expected continued growth of your organizations?

Adaptation Questions

  1. 15.

    Has your organization changed anything about the way it operates as a result of the pandemic?

  2. 16.

    What are some practices or approaches that you’ve developed during the pandemic that you’d like to carry on with after the pandemic is over?

  3. 17.

    Were there any adaptation strategies that you tried after the pandemic hit that either failed or that you had to change over time?

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Dicks, H., Paras, A., Martel, A. et al. Tracing the Geography of NGOs: Exploring where Canadian Development Organizations Work and Why. Voluntas 35, 36–46 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-023-00564-0

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