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Empowering the Urban Middle Class: Sustainability Strategy for Local NGOs in Makassar, Indonesia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2026

Nurlinah ,
Haryanto Open the ORCID record for Haryanto [Opens in a new window] ,
Haeranah  and
Sunardi
Nurlinah*
Affiliation:
Department of Government, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia
Haryanto*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia
Haeranah*
Affiliation:
Department of Criminal Law, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar, Indonesia
Sunardi*
Affiliation:
Department of Islamic Political Thought, Datokarama State Islamic University, Palu, Indonesia
*
nurlinah@unhas.ac.id
harymusi@unhas.ac.id
haeranah@unhas.ac.id
sunardi@iainpalu.ac.id
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Abstract

This article examines the sustainability strategy for local NGOs in Indonesia through empowering the urban middle class. Based on qualitative research in Makassar, the largest city in Eastern Indonesia, our study reveals that the decision to empower the urban middle class was made by leveraging collective consciousness and contextual mobilization. We argue that by targeting the urban middle class, local NGOs increase their sustainability by mobilizing internal funds from communities and gaining human resources that can continue their membership. This article reinforces the claim that NGOs that can choose issues aligned with their target groups’ interests tend to be more sustainable.

Keywords

NGOSustainabilityMiddle classIndonesia

Information

Type
Research Paper
Information
Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations , Volume 36 , Issue 3 , June 2025 , pp. 303 - 314
Copyright
Copyright © International Society for Third-Sector Research 2025

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