Russia: report on development of CSOs
Report published on the level of CSO organisational development
22.10.2025
Article published on the ASI website
According to a study, the level of organisational development in the non-profit sector has not changed significantly over the past three years.
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Russia are demonstrating a ‘plateau effect’ – for the third year in a row, their organisational development has shown little meaningful progress. This is the conclusion of the authors of the annual study ‘Assessment of the Level of Organisational Development of CSOs”, published this year.
Despite external head winds, the composite index of organisational development in the sector remains at an average level. The dynamics over the last three years have been minimal: from 3.57 points in 2022 to 3.47 points in 2024 – these fluctuations are statistically insignificant, according to experts.
‘This highlights a lack of fundamental change in the overall level of organisational maturity across the entire CSO sector’, the researchers say.
On the one hand, this stability may be interpreted as the sector’s resilience to external challenges. On the other, it reflects a deep-rooted systemic problem that prevents qualitative growth.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths of CSOs include flexible project management, a strong organisational culture, and openness to change. Among the weaknesses are personnel and risk management, and financial sustainability.
‘Availability of resources remains a major weak point in the sector and is likely to be the main barrier preventing CSOs from reaching a new level of development and stability’, say the authors of the study.
The data paint a typical picture of a Russian CSO: a team of up to five people (67% of organisations) working with an annual budget of up to three million roubles (44% of organisations). The fundraising situation appears to be critical – 85% of CSOs lack systematic plans for attracting funds.
Trends in the sector
A worrying trend is the growing gap between large and small organisations. Over the past three years, there has been a significant decline in the level of organisational development among small CSOs, regional organisations, and CSOs working on philanthropy development and local community initiatives. Meanwhile, major players in the sector continue to grow.
Inequality is particularly evident in salaries, the quality of financial planning, and the ability to build partnerships.
The authors of the study emphasise the need for targeted support of CSOs’ organisational development, especially in personnel, financial, and risk management. In their view, special attention should be given to small and regional organisations in order to prevent further fragmentation within the sector.
You can read the report on: https://pulsngo.ru/orgdevelopment25
The CSO Pulse Project is being implemented by the Ver. Sia Lab Social Research and Analytics Laboratory, with the support of the Online Marketing Intelligence company.
