Teaching Paper: Assessing and Strengthening Non-Profit Legitimacy
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-orglgernsustpbltrst-tp-01
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About the Article
Legitimacy is a cornerstone of non-profit sustainability, shaping trust among donors, communities, governments, and beneficiaries. This Teaching Paper provides a structured framework for assessing legitimacy in practice, introducing five domains—legal, moral, representational, epistemic, and procedural—through practical audit checklists. Each tool enables managers and boards to diagnose organizational strengths and vulnerabilities, ensuring that compliance, ethics, participation, and credibility are systematically evaluated. The paper also addresses the balance between input legitimacy (inclusive processes) and output legitimacy (measurable results), supported by a real-world case study and reflection tools. By linking conceptual theory to practical instruments, this resource helps non-profits sustain trust, transparency, and long-term impact.
Key Topics
- Non-profit legitimacy assessment
- Governance and accountability
- Input and output legitimacy balance
- Practical audit and self-assessment tools
- Organizational trust and credibility
- Stakeholder participation and representation
Suggested Citation
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Teaching Paper: Assessing and Strengthening Non-Profit Legitimacy. NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies. NEYA Global Publishing. https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-orglgernsustpbltrst-tp-01
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