Functions of Non-Profits in Society: Service, Advocacy, Empowerment, and Innovation
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-fncimpc-cv-sc-03
About the Article
Non-profit and non-governmental organizations perform multiple, interrelated functions that define their societal influence and legitimacy. This article explores four central roles—service delivery, advocacy, community empowerment, and innovation—highlighting both their contributions and internal contradictions. NGOs fill governance gaps, promote accountability, and foster civic participation, yet they also navigate donor dependency, political repression, and representational dilemmas. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from Salamon, Putnam, and Keck & Sikkink, and supported by illustrative global examples, the analysis reveals how these roles overlap and interact within broader political and economic systems. By adopting a critical, interdisciplinary lens, the article argues for recognizing NGOs not as isolated moral actors but as embedded institutions negotiating power, legitimacy, and survival in an evolving global order.
Key Topics
- Service delivery and governance gaps
- Advocacy and watchdog functions
- Community empowerment and participation
- Social innovation and experimentation
- Donor dependency and legitimacy
- Intersections of power and accountability
Suggested Citation
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Functions of Non-Profits in Society: Service, Advocacy, Empowerment, and Innovation. NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies. NEYA Global Publishing. https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-cvscunprrsenv-03
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