What Is a Financial Mechanism?

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  • Written By: G. Wiesen
  • Edited By: Shereen Skola
  • Last Modified Date: 31 December 2016
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A financial mechanism refers to the way in which a business, organization, or program receives the funding necessary for it to remain operational. Private companies, for example, typically receive such funding through a variety of means, including revenue generated from the sale of services and products as well as from loans or the sale of stock. Other organizations typically receive funding through various means, such as donations provided by individuals and companies as well as fund-raising events. The financial mechanism for government typically comes from taxes or other means of acquiring resources from the populace, which is then used as funding for various agencies and programs.

There are many different contexts in which the term “financial mechanism” can be used, though they all typically refer to the same basic concept. This is something of a catchall term for the source of funding that an organization or business receives. By using this term, a company can more easily establish practices and regulations for how funding is utilized on an operational level, without having to refer to the process of receiving money at every usage. The exact financial mechanism for an organization can be quite complex, and the use of a simple term makes it easier to describe and consider overall.


Revenue is one of the most common forms of financial mechanism for a business. This is typically generated through the sale of various products or services that the company manufacturers or otherwise provides for customers. Large companies, especially corporations, may use the creation and sale of stocks as a form of financial mechanism, to allow for a greater influx of resources based on the perceived value of the company. Businesses can also take out loans from banks and other institutions that ultimately have to be paid back, but which provide that company with initial capital for development.

Organizations, such as charities and other non-profit groups, can use different mechanisms to generate the resources necessary for ongoing operations. Donations from businesses and private individuals are quite common. An additional financial mechanism can come in the form of fund-raising through events and campaigns, and some groups may receive funding from governmental bodies.

The government of a country often relies on the populace of that country as a financial mechanism. Funds are typically raised through taxes levied upon the citizens of a country, though loans from private organizations and other countries may also be necessary. These resources are then used to fund individual agencies, departments, and programs within the government, allowing the government itself to become a mechanism for those subsections.


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