Why NGOs That Fail To Reinvent Themselves Are Doomed To Disappear.
Here’s what might be the key to their survival.
What I’m about to say won’t please everyone. Especially nonprofits. Yes, them again.
Let me be clear: the NGO model as we know it is moribund. And, again, I’m being polite. I might as well say it is dead. It’s high time they shook things up.
You don’t have to go very far to find the reasons. There is only one.
NGOs are by nature dependent on donations, grants, or government funding. Their need for funding is constant to the point that most have to hire specialized fundraising teams, taking them away from their core mission and further increasing their funding needs (a fundraiser costs an average of $60,660 per year in the United States).
But these donations, these funds, are unpredictable, which limits their ability to plan for the long term.
When the funds dry up, the projects dry up too. This explains why NGOs are always playing catch-up, trying to meet the needs of the communities they serve rather than making real and lasting changes. It’s a never-ending race.
Okay, there are other reasons:
- NGOs often struggle to scale their programs and impact beyond a given geographic area.
