Rethinking Nonprofit Financial Resilience Under Funding Retrenchment: A Longitudinal Mixed‐Method Study of Ugandan NGOs

ABSTRACT Non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in aid‐dependent contexts face persistent funding volatility, yet limited research explains how they sustain programme delivery during revenue decline. Drawing on financial resilience and adaptive capacity, this exploratory study examines the combination of organizational and financial conditions associated with resilience among 22 Ugandan NGOs that experienced a revenue decline of at least 15% between 2000 and 2001 and were revisited in 2016. A longitudinal mixed‐method design combines crisp‐set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (csQCA) with in‐depth interviews. The findings suggest that resilience emerges through multiple context‐specific pathways rather than from a single dominant condition, with institutional capital and financial flexibility recurring across multiple configurations. Qualitative evidence shows how donor negotiation, internal reallocation, and volunteer mobilization, help sustain programme delivery. Building on these patterns, the study proposes a provisional wildlife typology of five resilience pathways: Lions, Queen Elephants, Owls, Buffaloes, and Eagles. The typology illustrates how different combinations of leadership capacity, revenue diversification, unrestricted funding, and donor‐approved overhead may support programme continuity under financial stress. The study contributes an exploratory, theory‐building framework for future research and offers practical insights for NGO managers, donors, and policymakers seeking to strengthen programme delivery under funding pressure in resource‐constrained settings.