The legitimacy of nonprofit organisations in policy engagement remains a central and contested issue in global governance. NGOs frequently claim moral and representational authority despite lacking formal democratic mandates, leading to persistent debates about accountability, autonomy, and representation. This article examines how legitimacy is constructed and challenged through donor relations, service delivery, advocacy practices, and accountability frameworks. Drawing on theoretical models of pragmatic, moral, and cognitive legitimacy, it argues that credibility is dynamic—earned through participation, transparency, and community trust rather than formal authority. Donor dependency and professionalisation can enhance credibility but risk eroding grassroots legitimacy, while participatory accountability mechanisms strengthen authenticity and resilience. For scholars, legitimacy provides a conceptual anchor for understanding the evolving role of civil society in governance; for practitioners, it highlights the need for diversified funding, participatory engagement, and advocacy grounded in lived experience.
Anna Neya Kazanskaia (Wed,) studied this question.
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