Financial sustainability of NGOs in rural development programmes

ABSTRACT

This article assesses the challenges facing both local and international NGOs in Mwenezi district of Zimbabwe in their efforts to ensure financial sustainability. Drawing from a qualitative approach that employs interviews and documents, the study revealed that reduced funding from the donor community, changing priorities of funders, poor resource allocation and lack of transparent structures to attract donor funding impact on the financial sustainability of NGOs. To ensure their financial sustainability, NGOs must do away with the donor dependency syndrome and embark on other entrepreneurial and strategic fundraising strategies.

KEYWORDS:

• Aid – Accountability
• Civil society – NGOs
• Labour and livelihoods - Poverty reduction, Microfinance
• sub-Saharan Africa

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elvin Shava

Elvin Shava is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the School of Management, Governance and Public Policy at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.