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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CASE STUDY:
US PVOs register with USAID so that they can be eligible to compete for certain types of funding, such
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CASE STUDY: US CSOs AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE US GOVERNMENT IN DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION
C A S E STUDY 5
POSSIBILITIES FOR SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION?
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US CSOs AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE US GOVERNMENT IN DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION
CAROLYN M. LONG
1. AN OVERVIEW OF THE CSO ENVIRONMENT IN THE USA 1.1 NUMBERS AND TYPES OF CSOs The term normally used to refer to a US civil society organization (CSO) or non-governmental organization (NGO) involved in international development or humanitarian assistance is Private Voluntary Organization (PVO). This paper will use the term ‘CSO’ except when describing PVO registration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The definition of a PVO, according to USAID, is “a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization that solicits and receives cash contributions from the general public and conducts or anticipates conducting international program activities that are consistent with U. S. Foreign Policy objectives”. The term ‘PVO’ is important because USAID, on its website, currently includes for-profit organizations within the definition of ‘NGO’. The full USAID list of CSOs includes: US, local (indigenous) and international PVOs; cooperatives; US, local (indigenous) and international not-for-profit organizations; US, local (indigenous) and international for-profit organizations; private and public foundations; and private educational institutions.