Marketing Strategies and Financial Sustainability of Local Non-Governmental Organizations in Rwanda

ABSTRACT Financial sustainability is problematic in local non-governmental organizations in Rwanda. While their number continues to increase/ many others frequently close down their development work due to lack of funding as a result of decreasing donor presence. It is within this framework that this study was carried out to establish the extent to which marketing strategies affects financial sustainability in selected local non-governmental organizations in Rwanda. Specifically/ the study wanted to determine the level of marketing strategies applicability/ the level of financial sustainability1 the correlation between marketing strategies and financiai sustainability1 the difference in the level of marketing strategies by Gender and level of financial sustainability by education level of responsible in selected LNGOs in Rwanda. The study employed a descriptive correlation design and data was collected from 166 respondents using a self administered questionnaire as the key data collection instrument. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Linear Correlation Coefficient at bi-variate level. The study revealed that there was a low level of marketing strategies and there was also a low level of financial sustainability in selected LNGOs in Rwanda. There was a significant and positive relationship between the level of marketing strategies and the level of financial sustainability indicating that the low level of marketing strategies is significantly responsible of the existence of low level of financial sustainability in selected LNGOs in Rwanda. From the above findings/ this study concludes that an improvement in marketing strategies in LNGOs will significantly boost their level of financial sustainability. The study therefore recommends that different marketing strategies should be enhanced by managers of the respective LNGOs such that they can help to sustain themselves financially.