Tracking External Donor Funding.pdf - NDC

IV. Review of Welfare Study (1998)
IV.1 Profile of Donors to Palestinian NGOs (1995-1998)
In 1998 the Welfare Association commissioned a study by Dr. Sari Hanafi, Profile of Donors to Palestinian NGOs,
which would later become the quantitative foundation behind the book The Emergence of a Globalized Palestinian Elite
(2005). The 16 week study surveyed 100 (of the estimated 230) foreign donor organizations, and approximately 50% of
those surveyed returned completed questionnaires (50). Dr Hanafi divided donor organizations into four broad
categories: governmental (GOV), inter-governmental (IGO), non-governmental (NGO) and international nongovernmental
(INGO).
IV.2 Research Limitations
Dr Hanafi admits that, without first mapping Palestinian NGOs (Welfare, 1998:9), a true picture of aid may be difficult
to paint. The survey was unable to properly access the geographic distribution of donor funding to Palestinian NGOs
and did not clearly define the location of an organization versus the location of its projects, activities and beneficiaries.
The total amount calculated from the data for disbursements for Palestinian NGOs projects from 1995 to 1998, USD
232 million, must be viewed as low, since disbursements by some larger donors such as Welfare Association, World
Bank PNGO Project and UNICEF are not included.
IV.3 Results Breakdown by Sector
1. Education and Health remain the most important sectors of interest for NGOs, although responsibility for them was
transferred to the PA four years ago.
2. Although the main Palestinian economic sector is Agriculture, it remains neglected or ignored by donors, with only
7.7% of total PNGO funding being directed to it over a four year period. Of this small amount, the Palestinian
Agricultural Relief Center (PARC) commands over 2/3.
3. Traditional sectors, such as Culture and Social Services have a small share with 17 million each (approximately 7%
separately for a cumulative amount of 14% of the total).
4. Micro-credit and the Private Sector Support lag far behind other sectors, indicating the lack of NGO activity in the
economic sphere. Income generation and micro credit only received 3.7% of total funding, with most of it directed
towards projects for women.
5. There is a dramatic shift from Emergency Relief to Development Assistance since the end of 1997. Relief activities
only take up 0.9% of total NGO funds. This is also due to the fact that local NGOs do not often operate in this
sector, and the brunt of emergency aid is channeled through major IGOs, such as UNRWA.
6. There is a new interest among PNGOs in the Environment, but this interest has not resulted in an increase in donor
funding to the sector.
7. Infrastructure was primarily seen as function of the individual municipalities or the PNA and only comprised 2.9%
of total funding to the NGO sector.
8. Human Rights and Democracy have continually increased over the period studied and now sit at 10.5% of total
funding to PNGOs.
9. The funding of Institution-Building was 8 million, approximately 3.5%, but it is difficult to differentiate between
the resources that are directed towards either equipment or training.
10. Development also includes any unspecified project or projects that are multi-sectoral.
11. Dr. Hanafi’s study included as subsectors projects targeting Women (6% of total funding) and the Needs of the
Handi-capped (10% of total funding).
IV.4 Geographic Trends Identified
1. Despite the general view that Jerusalem is ignored by donors, the city enjoys the largest share of WB funding
(26%). The second is Ramallah with 7.7%, then Bethlehem with 6.9%, Nablus with 5.6% and Hebron with 5.3%.
2. Bethlehem benefits disproportionately compared to their population, especially when compared to Nablus or
Hebron.
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