We investigate donor-beneficiary relationships in participatory development programs, where (i) communities are heterogeneous and dominated by the local elite, (ii) the elite strategically propose a project to the donor, knowing that the latter has imperfect knowledge of the needs of the target...

We test how donors respond to new information about a charity's effectiveness. Freedom from Hunger implemented a test of its direct marketing solicitations, varying letters by whether they include a discussion of their program's impact as measured by scientific research. The base script, used...

This paper provides new empirical findings on the aid-growth relation. We find evidence for considerable asymmetry in the aid-growth relation; i.e., aid cuts have a large negative impact on economic activity, while increasing aid may be ineffective in promoting growth. Development aid thus...