When Changemakers Struggle to Sustain: The Untold Reality of NGO Work

We Work for Sustainable Impact — But Are We Ourselves Sustainable?

Every day, thousands of NGOs across India wake up with the same mission: to uplift communities, tackle inequalities, and create lasting social change. At Pinkishe Foundation, this purpose drives everything we do. From menstrual health education to on-ground awareness and pad distribution, our projects are designed for long-term transformation.

But there’s a truth that rarely makes it to the reports, the panels, or the partnership decks.

It’s this:
Sustainability isn’t just about the work. It’s also about the people doing the work.

And often, we, the changemakers, are operating on fragile ground.

The Evolving CSR Landscape in India

India’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) landscape has evolved significantly over the last decade. Thanks to the Companies Act, 2013 and the spirit of giving it fostered, thousands of organizations like ours have gained access to crucial funding. With CSR support, we’ve scaled programs, deepened outreach in underserved geographies, and begun to create measurable, grassroots-level change.

We’re immensely grateful for that.

But alongside the growth and gratitude, there’s a reality that needs more airtime: one that most NGOs live with but few talk about openly.

The Reality Few Acknowledge

Despite the good intentions and committed partnerships, here’s what we experience on the ground:

1. One-Year Grants vs. Long-Term Goals

Most CSR funding cycles last 9 to 12 months. Yet the change we aim for, shifting gender norms, building menstrual health awareness, or changing generational beliefs, takes years. We’re expected to demonstrate impact rapidly, often without the time or resources to truly embed change.

2. Rigid Budget Structures

Budgets often come with locked line items. Flexibility, even within the same budget, is minimal.
Need to shift funds from unused printing costs to emergency travel? Not allowed.
Want to respond to sudden unrest in a village? No mechanism for urgent reallocation.

3. Administrative Caps

With the 5% admin cap, NGOs are left scrambling to cover:

• Rent and office utilities
• Salaries and professional development
• IT systems and software
• Audits and statutory compliance

We are asked to operate like efficient companies, but on shoestring administrative budgets.

4. Outdated Tech and Tools

We rely on decade-old laptops.
Automation remains a distant dream.
We run multi-state operations using Excel sheets and patchy software, not because we choose to, but because we have no other option.

5. Human Resource Instability

Hiring passionate talent is one thing. Retaining them is another.
Most NGO jobs:

• Offer low pay
• Don’t include PF or ESI
• Carry zero assurance of renewal after project closure
  Many brilliant individuals leave, not because they don’t believe in the cause, but because they can’t afford a life of financial insecurity.

6. Zero Room for Failure

Innovation needs room for error. But when failure might cost you next year’s grant, risk-taking becomes risky.
We end up playing safe, not because we want to, but because we’re afraid of collapse.

7. March 31st Blues

As financial year-end approaches, a familiar fear returns:
The grant ends. New approvals are pending.
How do we pay salaries next month?

The Irony: We Build Sustainability While Operating in Fragility

This isn’t a complaint.
It’s a window into the lived experience of many nonprofits across India.

We advocate for systems thinking, long-term change, and community ownership, but behind the scenes, we ourselves work without safety nets, job security, or modern infrastructure.

And this contradiction deserves attention.

What NGOs Truly Need

To deliver the kind of change CSR envisions, we need more than funding. We need trust-based, flexible, and long-term partnerships.

Here’s what would help:

1. Multi-Year Commitments

Allowing 2–3 year funding cycles gives room to deepen change and build stronger systems.

2. Flexible Budgeting

Let NGOs reallocate within their approved budgets, based on real-time field needs.

3. Higher Admin Allowances

Uplift the cap so NGOs can invest in professional HR, compliance, tech, and infrastructure.

4. Space for Innovation

Let us experiment, learn, and improve — without fear of losing future support.

5. Dignified Employment

Support decent pay, basic benefits, and continuity so NGO teams don’t burn out or drop out.

6. Invest in Systems

Encourage tools, tech, M&E, and training — not just direct service delivery.

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Conclusion: We Need Stronger Conversations — Not Sympathy

This blog isn’t a call for pity. It’s a call for conversation.

If we want sustainable social change, we need to begin by making sure the organizations driving that change are themselves sustainable.

Let’s talk honestly.
Let’s reimagine how impact is funded.
Let’s shift from “project-based support” to ecosystem-based partnerships.

Are You Listening?

To our fellow NGOs, do these struggles sound familiar?
To our CSR partners, can we sit down and rethink, together?

Because if the people building the change can’t survive —
How will the change survive?

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