Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Ensuring Organizational Sustainability of Non-Government Organizations (NGO) from donor dependency to self-sufficiency: the challenges faced, and strategies adopted by the development-NGOs in Bangladesh

Hasan, Sk Kamran LU (2025) MIDM19 20251
Department of Human Geography
LUMID International Master programme in applied International Development and Management
Abstract
Since the country’s graduation from the United Nations Least Developed Countries (UNLDC) list in 2015, there has been a sharp drop in foreign aid inflows in Bangladesh, whichforced many NGOs to reconsider their business models in managing organizational operatingfinances. This study identifies that development-NGOs are confronted with multiple internaland external challenges like decreased commitment from the donors, compromisedorganizational autonomy, resource criticality and discretionarily in fund procurementprocesses. As a result, several Bangladeshi development-NGOs are making strategic shifts inmanaging their operating budgets through acquiring and diversifying resources bymicrofinance programs, Income Generating Activities (IGAs)... (More)
Since the country’s graduation from the United Nations Least Developed Countries (UNLDC) list in 2015, there has been a sharp drop in foreign aid inflows in Bangladesh, whichforced many NGOs to reconsider their business models in managing organizational operatingfinances. This study identifies that development-NGOs are confronted with multiple internaland external challenges like decreased commitment from the donors, compromisedorganizational autonomy, resource criticality and discretionarily in fund procurementprocesses. As a result, several Bangladeshi development-NGOs are making strategic shifts inmanaging their operating budgets through acquiring and diversifying resources bymicrofinance programs, Income Generating Activities (IGAs) and social enterprise initiatives.Building upon Pfeffer and Salancik’s Resource Dependence Theory (RDT), this paper exploresthe dynamics of the changing organizational environment of development-NGOs inBangladesh, moving from utmost donor-dependency to increased organizational autonomy;and finally contributing to the empirical understanding of the resource dependency scenario of Bangladeshi development sector with their multidimensional implications among the donors,policymakers, NGOs and other stakeholders working in post-LDC aid-declining settingsespecially after 2015.The study involved semi-structured interviews with 10 key respondents (NGO directors,donors and government officials) and used a qualitative approach to understand howorganizations are ensuring their operating resources under decreased support from donors. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Hasan, Sk Kamran LU
supervisor
organization
course
MIDM19 20251
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
development-NGOs, resource dependency, organizational sustainability, funding challenges, funding strategies, Bangladesh
language
English
id
9212976
date added to LUP
2025-10-14 15:51:41
date last changed
2025-10-14 15:51:41
@misc{9212976,
  abstract     = {{Since the country’s graduation from the United Nations Least Developed Countries (UNLDC) list in 2015, there has been a sharp drop in foreign aid inflows in Bangladesh, whichforced many NGOs to reconsider their business models in managing organizational operatingfinances. This study identifies that development-NGOs are confronted with multiple internaland external challenges like decreased commitment from the donors, compromisedorganizational autonomy, resource criticality and discretionarily in fund procurementprocesses. As a result, several Bangladeshi development-NGOs are making strategic shifts inmanaging their operating budgets through acquiring and diversifying resources bymicrofinance programs, Income Generating Activities (IGAs) and social enterprise initiatives.Building upon Pfeffer and Salancik’s Resource Dependence Theory (RDT), this paper exploresthe dynamics of the changing organizational environment of development-NGOs inBangladesh, moving from utmost donor-dependency to increased organizational autonomy;and finally contributing to the empirical understanding of the resource dependency scenario of Bangladeshi development sector with their multidimensional implications among the donors,policymakers, NGOs and other stakeholders working in post-LDC aid-declining settingsespecially after 2015.The study involved semi-structured interviews with 10 key respondents (NGO directors,donors and government officials) and used a qualitative approach to understand howorganizations are ensuring their operating resources under decreased support from donors.}},
  author       = {{Hasan, Sk Kamran}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Ensuring Organizational Sustainability of Non-Government Organizations (NGO) from donor dependency to self-sufficiency: the challenges faced, and strategies adopted by the development-NGOs in Bangladesh}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}