Every year, the World NGO Day is a moment to recognize the work nonprofits and community-based organizations do in some of the world’s toughest places—and to be honest about the pressures they face, from shrinking civic space to falling budgets and rising security risks. To mark the day, DevelopmentAid Dialogues host Hisham Allam speaks with Linda Nordby, Head of the Humanitarian Division at Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), about what it really means for an international NGO to work “together with local communities and local civil society” rather than directing everything from the head office. 

For Nordby, this way of working “is part of our DNA,” not a new fashion. NCA’s aim is to tap into and strengthen “already existing networks or structures so that [they] become stronger and more resilient when a crisis hits,” instead of building parallel systems. In Sudan, that means combining humanitarian and development funding to support internally displaced people with cash, while also working with small-scale farmers and local markets so that “the local community can sort of sustain itself” after the emergency phase. 

NCA’s dual mandate allows it to address “underlying vulnerabilities” and “immediate needs” at the same time, but it also exposes tensions that many NGOs recognize. Building “proper partnership” and trust with grassroots movements and local organizations takes time, especially in fragile settings, and Nordby is clear that there is a power imbalance due to funding and audit requirements. She notes that NCA is consulting partners on its partnership policy and collecting regular feedback on “how we’re doing on basically being a partner,” yet donors’ compliance demands still make it hard for many national actors to “stand on their own.” 

Global aid cuts are tightening the screw further: 14 of 20 OECD DAC countries reduced aid in 2025, and efficiency gains “will not” compensate for all the losses. In response, NCA is trying to stay flexible on access, adjusting locations and approaches with partners rather than walking away when security or bureaucracy blocks the original plan. 

Nordby’s message to smaller organizations on this World NGO Day is to “challenge international NGOs” and “stand your ground” so that partnership does not slide into pure service provision. Her final words are for frontline staff who are “often IDPs or affected themselves”: a mix of gratitude for holding communities together, and a promise that head office will keep trying to “make your life easier” rather than adding burdens.​ 

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