Table 1.

Summary of four waves of NGO sector evolution

Wave	Approximate era	Defining characteristics
1st	WWII to late 1960s	• Small number of large, well established NGOs
		• Primarily involved in emergency and conflict relief
		• Religious and missionary affiliations commonplace
2nd	Early 1970s to early 1980s	• Role expanded beyond emergency and conflict relief
		• Community level work employing participatory approaches commonplace
3rd	Mid/early 1980s to late 1990s	• Rapid proliferation of NGOs around the globe linked to changing political and economic ideologies of the time
		• Significant increase in funding for NGO related projects
		• NGOs were considered development alternatives and become the ‘favoured child’ of development agencies
4th	Early 2000s- current	• NGO activity shaped by poverty reductions agendas and Millennium Development Goals
		• Funders increasingly channelling aid to and through NGOs
		• Increase in bilateral aid and global health initiatives (i.e.Global Fund, PEPFAR)