Why NED programs are a good value. The American Foreign Policy Council has worked with various federally funded agencies, including NED and the NED-funded Center for International Private Enterprise, as a contractor, subcontractor, or grantee. NED has often been the first, if not the only, U.S. institution to aid democratization in the former USSR and other countries. Fast turnaround time. NED's small size allows it to make decisions quickly.
Small budget stretches dollars further.
NED allows little for overhead and often requires substantial private sector partnerships. While this is a handicap for larger projects, it weeds out the big K Street consultants that soak up overhead. It also makes tax dollars go further. No revolving door. NED has no permanent bureaucracy or constituency of favored contractors who reward federal grant officers with high-paying jobs once they leave government.