Functions and Roles of Grassroots Leaders: Internal Cohesion, External Representation, and Cultural Brokerage
Author: Dr. Anna Neya Kazanskaia
Publisher: NEYA Global Publishing
Article | NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies
Year: 2025
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5669-1676
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-grsrldemplcvc-03
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About the Article
This article explores the multiple and interdependent functions of grassroots leaders within non-profit governance and community-based development. Unlike managerial leaders who derive authority from institutional hierarchy, grassroots leaders operate through trust, reciprocity, and lived connection with their communities. The analysis identifies three key roles—internal consolidation, external representation, and cultural brokerage—that together sustain both community cohesion and advocacy. Grassroots leaders build solidarity and resilience within their communities, act as intermediaries between local actors and institutions, and translate between cultural and bureaucratic systems. Intersectional analysis reveals how gender, class, ethnicity, and age shape leadership legitimacy and participation. Drawing on examples from Indigenous, women’s, and youth movements, the article demonstrates how grassroots leadership embodies both fragility and resilience—constantly negotiating the boundaries between empowerment and co-optation. It concludes by emphasizing that the sustainability of grassroots leadership depends on relational accountability, inclusivity, and autonomy.
Key Topics
- Grassroots leadership functions
- Trust and community cohesion
- Advocacy and representation
- Cultural and social brokerage
- Intersectionality and inclusivity
- Relational accountability
Suggested Citation
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Functions and Roles of Grassroots Leaders: Internal Cohesion, External Representation, and Cultural Brokerage. NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies. NEYA Global Publishing. https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-grsrldemplcvc-03
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