They have been accused of being designed by, and used as extensions
of, the foreign-policy instruments of some Western countries and
groups of countries.[95][96] Russian president Vladimir Putin made
that accusation at the 43rd Munich Security Conference in 2007, saying
that NGOs "are formally independent but they are purposefully financed
and therefore under control".[97] According to Michael Bond, "Most
large NGOs, such as Oxfam, the Red Cross, Cafod and ActionAid, are
striving to make their aid provision more sustainable. But some,
mostly in the US, are still exporting the ideologies of their
backers."[98]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-governmental_organization#Criticism
They are organizations that operate independently from any government, but they may receive funding from a government and they operate without oversight or representation from that government. Are there things that can insure that NGOs are less susceptible to government influence? Not getting money from the government might be one thing, but how do you insure that, and is that proven to be effective against control and influence from the government? Because there must be other means through which a NGO could be influenced by the government or several governments. I am thinking transparency, board member voting etc. although I can't really think of specific set of actions.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ngos-tool-geopolitics-accountability-erasmo-sanchez-
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) were once considered as
altruistic groups whose aim was to impartially influence public policy
with no vested interests. Nevertheless, this perception has changed.
They are increasingly perceived as groups that prioritize their own
ideologies or that respond to the interests of their donors, patrons,
and members rather than to those of the groups they represent. This
article discusses the politics of NGOs in the present changing
globalized world as agents concerned with social and environmental
change as much as with their own causes. It argues that numerous NGOs
are as much a part of national and international politics as any other
interest group and that their practices and activities are not always
in the search of a good society or the common good.
