However tremendous (and ambiguous) changes in
nonprofit sector in Kazakhstan began after the collapse of the Soviet Union. As
Tamara Nezhina and Aigerim Ibrayeva put it “the period of “NGOnization” of Kazakh society has
started with the fast and massive inflow of donor organizations, trainers, and
civil society experts from the West” (Nezhina & Ibrayeva, 2013: 339). Thus,
international donors became a serious power that fostered the development of
non-profit sector in Kazakhstan, especially on earlier stages of development in
1990s and at the beginning of the 2000s. In the mid of 2000s, the Kazakhstani
official authorities initiated their own Civil Society Development program(s)[9]. The aid of international donors, conversely,
has been reduced significantly during last year. Despite these processes, the part
of local NGOs continues the successful collaboration with international and
foreign donors. According to the survey, more than fifty per cent received
international aid.