Funding Civil Society

"Funding Civil Society addresses an important and under-researched issue: the development of civil society in Russia and the impact that Western assistance has had on this development. This book is especially important in identifying variations in regions based on political environment, and is at the cutting edge of scholarship." - Sarah E. Mendelson "This is a thought-provoking and well-documented book. The overall argument will interest a wide range of readers, and the book can also be used as a reference source for students interested in particular organizations and regions." - Slavic Review "Building on several scholars' previous studies of the foreign aid/civic organizing nexus, Sundstrom contributes theoretical insights about the relationship between foreign assistance and local political opportunity structure. Her extensive research shows how the intersection of these variables affects the strength of civic activism. This is an excellent book, and it will be welcomed by the scholarly and donor communities alike." - Valerie Sperling (Clark University) "By examining a detailed slice of the democracy promotion business in Russia, Lisa M. Sundstrom's Funding Civil Society demonstrates this enigma of Russia: a success and a failure, democratic yet undemocratic, pluralistic but authoritarian." - Democracy & Society