Based on the work of Henderson and Venkatraman (1993) on strategic alignment, the objective of this article is to explain that the strategic alignment of microcredit beneficiary not for profit Organizations (NPOs) is achieved through their adjustment to the constraints of their lessors. We thus discuss the adaptation of Burundian NPOs benefiting from microcredit by taking into account a specific attribute of a difficult economic environment: the threat of their survival. The physiological needs of their members are at the origin of their reactions of adaptation to the constraints of the lessor. This adaptation enables them to acquire and maintain the resources necessary for their survival. This article explains this adaptation by highlighting the strategic actions of the members of the NPOs who are beneficiaries of microcredit.

In this study, we analyze the profile of burundian non profit organizations (NPOs) receiving funding from a microfinance institution. We focus on the concept of strategic alignment as developed by Henderson and Venkatram (1999) which assumes that the corporate performance is related to the management skills. We analyze the modes of operation of Burundian NPOs which benefit from microcredit. We observe that they reflect an appropriate financing strategy. In fact, our study concludes that the income-generating activity flows a well-defined profile that ensures an adaptation for the NPOs. While the microcredit institution has a financial role, it also contributes to satisfy basic needs for survival of the NPOs members.

<p><em>The crisis that Burundi has experienced since October 1993 has led to the emergence of new associative mechanisms at the initiative of Burundian citizens around the same adventure: that of microcredit. Far from being a fad, microcredit has been the single source of financing for poor citizens by enabling them to engage in income-generating activities. For this, beneficiaries who are for the most part without material guarantee must not only group themselves in associations, but also align themselves with the constraints of the lessor. According to the theory of contingency, any organization can increase its performance to the extent that its strategy is in harmony with its environment. Our analysis considers the issue of strategic alignment from a new angle. We conclude that the adjustment of the NPOs members to the modalities of granting loans enables them to benefit from Microfinance Institutions which help to reach their main objectives and to promote a real organizational efficiency.</em><em></em></p>