Threats to Legitimacy in Non-Profit Organisations
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-05
This material forms part of the NEYA Global knowledge architecture. Institutional, organizational, professional, training, consulting, curriculum, program design, or implementation use requires an active license from NEYA Global
Explore Architecture →
Module Overview →
Request Institutional Access →
About the Article
Legitimacy in non-profit organisations is inherently fragile, continuously challenged by internal vulnerabilities and external pressures. This article identifies five principal threats to NGO legitimacy: scandals and mission drift, perceptions of foreign influence, professionalisation and corporatisation, digital disinformation, and weak grassroots connections. Scandals and governance failures erode public trust, while foreign funding dependencies expose NGOs to politicised accusations of interference. Increasing professionalisation, though enhancing efficiency, can alienate communities and foster elitism. Simultaneously, digital disinformation campaigns amplify reputational risks and deepen mistrust. Finally, structural critiques highlight persistent disconnection between NGOs and their grassroots constituencies, leading to weakened representational legitimacy. The article argues that sustaining legitimacy demands proactive governance, ethical integrity, participatory engagement, diversified funding, and digital resilience. By integrating political, cultural, and organisational perspectives, it provides scholars with an analytical framework for understanding legitimacy threats and offers practitioners practical strategies for preserving trust and credibility in volatile environments.
Key Topics
- Scandals and mission drift
- Foreign influence and restrictive civic space
- Professionalisation and corporatisation
- Digital disinformation and online attacks
- Grassroots participation and elitism
- Governance and legitimacy resilience
Suggested Citation
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Threats to Legitimacy in Non-Profit Organisations. NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies. Neya Global Publishing. https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-orglgernsustpbltrst-05
References
Banks, N., Hulme, D., & Edwards, M. (2015). NGOs, states, and donors revisited: Still too close for comfort? World Development, 66, 707-718.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.09.028
Bryson, J. M. (2018). Strategic planning for social impact. NEYA Global Publishing.
Choudry, A., & Kapoor, D. (2013). NGOization: Complicity, contradictions and prospects. Zed Books.
https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350221512.0005
Ebrahim, A. (2003). Accountability in practice: Mechanisms for NGOs. World Development, 31(5), 813-829.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(03)00014-7
Hilhorst, D. (2003). The real world of NGOs: Discourses, diversity and development. Zed Books.
Jad, I. (2013). The NGOisation of Arab women's movements. IDS Bulletin, 35(4), 34-42.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1759-5436.2004.tb00153.x
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Organizational Legitimacy: Earning & Sustaining Public Trust. NEYA Global Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.64357/legitimacy-2025
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Legitimacy in different contexts: Organisational, political, and regional variations in non-profit credibility. Neya Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies.
https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-orglgernsustpbltrst-06
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Legitimacy and trust-building in non-profit organisations. Neya Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies.
https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-orglgernsustpbltrst-04
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Measuring legitimacy in non-profit organisations. Neya Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies.
https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-orglgernsustpbltrst-08
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Civil Society Under Pressure: Restrictive Environments. NEYA Global Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.64357/civil-society-under-pressure-2025
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). CSR: Legal and Ethical Issues. NEYA Global Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.64357/csr-legal-ethical-issues-2025
