Nongovernmental organizations In Lebanon : an exploratory study -

Abstract

Knowledge about NGOs in Lebanon is limited. To improve our understanding of NGOs that are based in Lebanon, this study addresses three questions. What are the purposes of the nongovernmental organizations that operate in Lebanon? What is the size of the nongovernmental sector in Lebanon in terms of human and financial resources? Where are NGOs located in Lebanon and where do they perform their activities? These questions were addressed through the development and implementation of a classification system based on a combination of existing NGO classification systems. Data collection proceeded with the distribution of an online survey to 621 nongovernmental organizations. Of these, 232 organizations elected to participate in the study. However, only 88 responses were considered for data analysis. The study produced several findings. First, NGOs that operate in Lebanon are highly diverse in terms of their purposes, and most notably focus on areas of human and social services, development, health, education, and the environment. In addition, NGOs’ activities are mostly geared to Lebanon’s youth, the general public, students and schools, disadvantaged people, refugees, and parents and families. Second, organizations operate with a small workforce. The majority of organizations have ten or fewer full-time and part-time employees and ten or fewer volunteers in their organizations. In addition, most organizations have access to acceptable amounts of funding generated from fundraising, donations from the public, and international sources, and operate with more than $100,000 annually. Finally, although the majority of organizations are located in Beirut, they operate in all areas of Lebanon, most notably Tripoli, Jdeideh, Baalbek, Tyre, and Sidon. This study concludes that additional research is needed to provide a better understanding of the nongovernmental sector in Lebanon. More particularly, the creation of a framework for NGO registration, the creation of an official directory of NGOs, the promotion of