ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the role of private actors in raising, allocating and implementing international development aid. Private individuals and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have long been important actors in the transnational governance of economic development through aid. Yet some private actors, such as foundations providing funds for development projects in other countries, have become much more prominent in international development during the last two decades while others, such as NGOs, have become far more numerous or have taken on new roles. The chapter provides a distinction between four different kinds of new actors: transnational NGOs as a channel of delivery for public (governmental) development aid; transnational aid NGOs as agenda-setters; foundations and other private sources of development aid; transnational aid NGOs as private providers of privately funded aid. It considers peer-to-peer development aid and related innovative attempts to solve pervasive accountability problems in development aid.
