Communication challenges within non-governmental organizations

Abstract

The communication of the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) faces some challenges that make it unique, with certain features, different from other well studied organizations, as community associations or corporations. With this article, we sought to address the most common, that affect almost every NGO, and make the work of the researcher or even the communicator – whose importance is, several times, disregarded – within the organization more difficult. Between the phenomenon of globalization, the multicultural background of both internal and external agents of the NGO and its public, the growing need of fundraising and attracting volunteers, and the difficulty of working with non-quantifiable variables, values, NGO are facing a deep changing and challenging process, adopting some business administration methods, but distrusting others. Members of NGO directions doubt any marketer (viewed as the only way to manage their communication, but not considered the most suited to the humanitarian world), sparking a permanent opposition, more or less evident, between paid workers and active militants, volunteers.