**Ur 3. Dwtopmstt Catalyst** e"OrganlUon: "S iaijdl

donor's lack of understanding of the VO catalyst's basic nature and function.

First, the catalyst VO is neither a government dependency nor a business. So unless a donor is sufficiently generous to give it an endowmen **t** o fund its operations in perpetuiy, the VO necessarily depends on a continuing flow of external contributions from donors willing to allow it the independence and autonomy essential to carfying out its mission.

Soils ManJi: le -voluntary organzation that wOr-s W ith small fnrmers bn rural vilages ln mdIi..L: in the. late: $aventI village: workers b..ame frIstrated with-the minima IWpct of training mail farmers.ln agr1lcutur **m** l ods. Wlththeal -*id-. an outside consulant Fey loia program tolp famr leaders .and village groups anayze thekairIcurstancesia plan InitIatIve and organizeSthemseles collecto: arry o their plans.

Second, the true catalyst VO performs temporary functions. For this reason there is no inherent contradiction between its reliance on external funding and its commitmen **t** o sustainability - as long as it maintains its independence in defining its agenda and strategy.

Te farm.r groW ps became wetreely actie, ng ' **c** hosen projects like buld. aly .ig chools, reducing vlllage alcohol consumptilon demanding more attention from agricul tS ext6nn-agents, and building coa1Ions Etol:el:t fW repese t to local govern mennt- bodles. The -results of the wodrhops nd villagefollowup actvties were 8so suc cesefuiJthat ... ,So: a Mandir staff soon began applying it hi dozen dof other villaes, The task of the catalyst Vo is to build selfreliant sustainable institutions that are accountable to the people, rather than to become self-reliant and sustainable itself. The concern of the donor therefore should be not with whether the catalyst VO is itself becoming financially self-reliant so much as with whether it is effectively developing self-reliant self-sustaining organizations and structures able to survive its own departure.

Sotibee RaJesh Taridon _and_ LDavid Brown, :ranzatlor-Buildlng for Rural Development: AnEXpeimet 'in India. _JJourna ApiWed_ BeheMru _$cfce._ :17:Z 1981, -pp.172-189.

Effective performance in the catalyst role requires that the VO maintain substantial independence in defining and interpreting its own mission so that it does not fail captive to power holders in government or business who see their interests as better served by maintaining the status quo. At the same time, its survival and effectiveness often requires that it maintain credibility and legitimacy with a wide variety of external constituencies, including donors. Effective development catalyst VOscatalyst VOs become adept at articulating visions and values that stituencies, as well as in their own members.

financing local institutional arrangements that can survive its departure. See Box 3 for an example of a development catalyst organization.

Some VOs that believe themselves to be catalwith a wide variety of external constituencies, ysts are surprised to realize on reflection that they including donors. Effective development catalyst VOscatalyst VOs are not. Even VOs committed to organizing local become adept at articulating visions and values that communities for empowerment and self-reliance strike resonant cords among diverse external conoften find they have unintentionally allowed the stituencies, as well as in their own members. beneficiary groups to become dependent on them for services such as credit or health. Such depenVoluntuy Sector Support and Networking dence is increasingly being recognized by VOs as Orpinatlons counter-developmental.

Development catalyst VOs face constant pressures from donors to move into welfare oriented service delivery roles that may compete with their distinctive catalytic functions. Service delivery is easier, produces results more quicldy, and is more likely to please donors who want their resources matched with clearly measurable outputs. Both donors and catalyst VOs must be alert to these forces and attempt to resist them.

As the voluntary sector matures in a given country, there is normally an increasing differentiation of functions among its component organization **s** , ome of which undertake to become specialized service providers either to other members of the sector or to people's organizations. Similarly growing numbers of networks will emerge.

_Sector Support Ogewi4dos._ These organizations provide technical assistance, training, research, advocacy support, and other services to VOs that can not allocate resources away from their primary activities to create in-house expertise. As the voluntary sector grows in size and complexity, increasing Another dilemma posed for the catalyst VO by well-meaning donors is the expectation that they should demonstrate their ability to become selffinancing The expectation commonly reflects the

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