Beyond the professionalized nongovernmental organization: Life-history narratives of grassroots philanthropic leaders in Africa

This research examines everyday people as grassroots philanthropic leaders in development aid in Africa. The article balances two objectives. First is to provide a counter narrative to the broad frames that traditionally drive research on nonprofit organizations and development aid, which have tended to center more on the professionalized nongovernmental organization and traditional North–South aid models. Second, I situate grassroots philanthropic leaders within the broader landscape of people engaging in development aid. I use life-history narratives of leaders to illuminate the diminishing barriers to being a philanthropist, capture motivating and relational dimensions in grassroots philanthropic leadership, as well as provide evidence of African philanthropy and further engagement of diaspora through small voluntary organizations. The findings espouse the everyday, relational practices of grassroots philanthropic leaders in development aid but do not entirely divorce these leaders and their initiatives from the overarching goals of development.