Big money can turn policies in weak countries, as long as we are dealing with simple decisions that can be executed by a small group of government executives, but will not turn national political processes around, which is necessary with comprehensive reforms. Parliamentarians have an important role to play, but in many countries raising the concern over economic inequalities, alone, is not what attract voters. Governments are not monolithic entities . There are change-makers and conservatives. Donors face a challenge in teaming up with the best strategic partners.
Aid can also help creating new organisational constellations, and broker new forms of cooperation.
Ideas, knowledge, trust and time are the critical factors in this work not money. Ideas work better than money in creating reform. This was a general conclusion from the Assessing Aid Study, by the World Bank a couple of years back. Poverty reduction implies in most countries is indeed about reform, not merely infusion of capital. Donors have an important role to play contributing to new knowledge, and the building of independent national capacity for policy analysis.