COMMUNICATION MODELS IN THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

Abstract

The challenges of the last years have shown that the survival of non-governmental organizations depends on their ability to communicate and to be seen and heard by stakeholders and the general public. This paper describes the results of an exploratory qualitative research, whose main objective was to identify the methods of communication and promotion applied by non-governmental organizations in the social services sector and their implications. The research was carried out in the period 2021-2023, on a number of 23 non-governmental organizations accredited by the Romanian Government, from Brasov County, Romania. Data collection was done through semi-structured interviews, with people from the management structures of the non-governmental organizations. The results of the research show that those non-governmental organizations with communication and social marketing departments have a long-term vision of the organization, create and follow clear communication strategies with visibility for both stakeholders and the general public, that give them stability and sustainability while non-governmental organizations that don't have a communication department and don't have constant external communication activities, don't have a long-term vision of the organization and work, rather, on survival rather than development and continuity. This research highlights the importance of developing an effective communication strategy within the management of non-governmental organizations, which will provide them with visibility, predictability and long-term sustainability.