Inputs and Resources for Social Change in Non-Profit Organisations

This article examines how non-profit organisations mobilise and configure resources to achieve systemic social change. It argues that resources are not neutral supports but active determinants of strategies, legitimacy, and influence. Analysing four forms of capital—human, financial, social, and intangible—the discussion shows how these resources interact to shape organisational capacity and power. Human capital provides expertise and local legitimacy, while financial capital offers stability yet risks dependency. Social capital amplifies influence through networks but can reinforce hierarchies, and intangible capital—values, narratives, and knowledge—anchors legitimacy and framing capacity. Drawing on comparative cases, the article highlights tensions between professionalisation and grassroots knowledge, and between donor accountability and community representation. By conceptualising resources as dynamic and relational, it provides both theoretical depth and practical insight into how NGOs translate inputs into sustained social impact.