For years, Americans have been told that NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) are benevolent, independent charities doing work the government “can’t.”
The truth is more complicated and more dangerous.
Many NGOs today function as unelected extensions of government power, funded by taxpayer money, shielded from transparency, and largely immune from voter accountability. When abused, this structure can exacerbate fraud, enable money laundering, and distort public policy all while appearing charitable on paper.
Now before you start questioning my reporting…isn’t about attacking charity.
It’s about exposing a systemic loophole that thrives in darkness.
An NGO is a private organization, usually structured as a nonprofit (often a 501(c)(3)), that is not part of government but frequently works with government.
Key characteristics:
- Not elected
- Not subject to voters
- Often tax-exempt
- Eligible for government grants and contracts
- Often shielded from public records laws
In theory, NGOs provide services.
In practice, many have become pass-through entitiesfor public money.
Fraud doesn’t require criminal masterminds.
It requires opacity + incentives + weak enforcement.
NGOs provide all three.