SBR-9506132 This dissertation-improvement award is to fund a year of research in southern India. The Student aims to compare three community-based nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Karnatka State to explore hypotheses about the relationships between fiscal autonomy and political "distance" from the state, on the one hand, and the structure, form, and organizational practices of NGOs. The context of the research is the increased salience given this form of civil institution in industrializing societies. India is the site of the extended case studies because of the importance of NGOs to current development strategies there. The Student will compare the three NGOs along a set of detailed parameters, including household characteristics of participants, organizational structure and activities, and organizational impact. A major purpose of the study is the impact of NGO practices within both the household and larger political spheres.