The Vulnerability of Small NGOs

The Vulnerability of Small NGOs tells the story of the rise and fall of the Land Development Unit (LDU). The book describes how the LDU managed its affairs, its mode of operation, the stresses, strains and vicissitudes that it suffered; and explains why it succumbed after 13 years of valuable – and unfinished – work with poor rural communities and urban households. Many South African NGOs have disappeared without recording how they operated and what they achieved, and without analysing the reasons for their demise. The wider issues of the vulnerability of small NGOs are seldom addressed. Thus, the lessons that they learnt are lost and are not passed on to others working in this difficult field. This account is an attempt to address some of these issues.

The book is mainly intended for development professionals in southern Africa in aid agencies, institutes, government departments, NGOs, and for donors, policy makers, students and staff at universities, and private practitioners. It may also be of interest to a similar audience outside Africa. The book may also be useful for those setting up a new NGO or reviewing an existing one.

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