Government and international aid agencies from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have come to depend on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to implement their development policy programs. Corporations are increasingly expected to consult with NGOs prior to making investments in the developing world. Yet the long-term impact and effectiveness of NGOs is largely unknown.

Does the U.S. government rely too much on NGOs in its aid efforts? Or are NGOs the only way to stop corrupt governments from lining their pockets with aid money? What should the relationship between corporations and NGOs be? How well have NGOs performed, in practice, in combating poverty or responding to natural disasters, such as last year’s tsunami in Southeast Asia?

These and other questions will be the subject of a major conference organized by “NGOWatch,” a joint collaboration of AEI and the Federalist Society. Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) will deliver the keynote address.