Problem Statements and IRI’s Responses
NGOs and CSOs are community-rooted and irreplaceable, but chronically under-resourced in organizational capacity. Weak financial systems, limited governance frameworks, and poor operational structures prevent them from growing and scaling impact.
Build organizational strength from within through financial governance frameworks, SOPs, manuals, and operational systems — tailored to each organization’s context and stage of development.
01
Shifts in international funding sent devastating ripple effects across the humanitarian ecosystem in 2025. Organizations built on single-donor dependency collapsed overnight — not because their work lost value, but because their financial foundation was too narrow to absorb the shock.
Strengthen organizations to diversify funding sources, reduce single-donor dependency, and withstand funding shocks — making sustainability structural, not circumstantial.
02
Without robust financial due diligence, SOPs, and compliance systems, NGOs and CSOs cannot demonstrate accountability to donors — limiting their ability to attract and retain funding independently.
Develop accountability and compliance frameworks that meet international standards — enabling organizations to demonstrate credibility to local and global funders with confidence.
03
Organizations lack trained staff and internal knowledge in financial management, project management, and grant management — creating dependency on external support rather than cultivating self-reliance.
Deliver hands-on training, capacity-building workshops, and knowledge transfer so that organizations own and sustain their systems independently — and grow stronger with each cycle.
04
Rigid, project-tied, short-cycle funding prevents organizations from investing in their own people, systems, and long-term sustainability.
Advocate alongside NGOs and CSOs for trust-based, flexible funding models — and equip organizations with the evidence, systems, and credibility to make that case to donors themselves.
05
NGOs and CSOs that are accountable, credible, and funding-ready, able to attract and retain donors independently.
Communities in Myanmar are better informed and better served. Because the organizations they rely on are strong, credible, and trusted bridges between local needs and funder resources.NGOs and CSOs that are accountable, credible, and funding-ready, able to attract and retain donors independently.
A thriving, self-reliant civil society ecosystem in Myanmar where organizations support each other, share knowledge, and grow together.
That is our measure of success
Moving toward trust-based, flexible funding models that give community-rooted organizations the freedom to lead.
