Transnational fundraising in a good cause: A North-South European example

This paper documents the experience of a one-time famous, longstanding, cha rismatically led and transnationally funded welfare project in Naples, Ital y. It details the manner of the project's original funding success and revi ews the implications of its subsequent shift from child rescue to community development, in conjunction with its founder's decision to resign from the priesthood. It comments on the project's funding fortunes thereafter, up u ntil its founder's retirement, and argues that, whilst the activities of th e project advanced from what might be termed first-generation (humanitarian relief) to second-generation (community development), its styles of manage ment and fundraising remained essentially unchanged. The paper comments on the project's qualities of charismatic leadership in conjunction with "frie ndship style" fundraising, and suggests ways in which its life might have b een prolonged with less upheaval, beyond the first generation, this account could furnish useful learning material for other, North-South NGO projects .