ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the main challenges of promoting democracy through nonprofit organizations. The impact of nonprofits in structuring democratic values is undeniable, but it also entails tensions and costs. To assess the relationship between these and the quality of democracy, this analysis focuses on nonprofits’ (i) relations with governments; (ii) external pressure for democracy, transparency, and accountability while internally securing those values; and (iii) external communication. Research design comprises a qualitative approach to nonprofit communication and a case study of Transparency International (TI) and its links to democracy, transparency, and accountability. Findings reveal that nonprofits such as TI are indeed democratic linking mechanisms for governments. They push legislation and engage with government officials to promote democratic indicators, though their legitimacy is more dependent on the communication factor. TI’s case often reveals dubious relations with governments – it is criticized for not securing intra-organizational transparency and accountability. Furthermore, the more TI communicates on democratic issues, the more trust in political institutions tends to decrease, and TI only engages with other nonprofits when such a movement is advantageous to them. These results have important implications for democratic consolidation and nonprofit–government relations.
