Challenges of NGO in India

The Absence of Strategic Planning and Development Approaches

It is a common mindset for Indian NGOs to favour a “hardware” approach to development. This focuses on building infrastructure and providing services instead of empowering people and institutions locally, which often have stronger impacts. Resultantly, NGOs’ development approaches are not as flexible, sustainable and relevant to the community as they have the potential to be. Furthermore, many NGOs suffer from the lack of a cohesive, strategic plan that would facilitate success in their activities and mission. This renders them unable to effectively raise and capitalise on financial support.

Many NGOs do not maximise the use of current technologies that could facilitate better communication and networking. More effective use of technology can assist NGOs in staying abreast of important regional, national and global concerns.

Lack of Fund

Many NGOs find it difficult to garner sufficient and continuous funding for their work. While CSR partnerships offer a steady income, the majority of NGOs are excluded and for them, gaining access to appropriate donors is a major component of this challenge. Often, they have limited resource mobilisation skills locally, and instead, they wait for international donors to approach them. This is both time-consuming as well as inefficient. In addition, many-a-times NGOs have to make matching contributions, which they are unable to manage, and are, therefore, unable to avail themselves of the grants.

Poor Governance and Networking

Poor or disorganised networking is another major challenge, as it can cause duplicated efforts, time inefficiencies, conflicting strategies and an inability to learn from experience. NGOs in India often fear to connect with International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs), as they are perceived to be threatening to their mission. However, this belief ignores the possibility of collaboration, where local NGOs can tie up with INGOs and the community at large, to become more effective and deliver better results.

Another area wherein NGOs lack communication is their inability to maintain a healthy relationship with various government agencies local, state level and the central government. NGOs are commonly viewed as ‘opposition to the government’, which masks the need for NGOs to liaison with the government and be a partner wherever needed.

Misuse of Funds

It is not unknown that some unscrupulous elements have made fortunes by floating NGOs for their personal gains and managing grants from the government. It is a common experience to hear of serious charges of misuse and misappropriation of funds received as grant-in-aid from the government, foreign donors and raised through their own resources by most of the NGOs. These NGOs may reflect a negative image, due to high levels of corruption, and therefore ruin the reputation of other NGOs who are working with dedication and commitment.

Lack of Volunteerism/Social Work Among Youth

Earlier the NGOs were assumed, to be served by unpaid social workers imbued with the spirit of service and by those who did not require any special education or training. But the present trend is that youth are choosing to pursue a professional education and are not interested in working with NGOs. Their vision has been altered to include an urban lifestyle and professionalisation, which, in their minds, rejects all possibilities of basing their career on working with NGOs and rural India. Consequently, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get trained personnel to work in rural societies, where most NGOs work.