A company with an office in Bangalore wants to fund CSR work close to where it operates, through an NGO it can rely on. The top 10 NGOs in Bangalore for CSR listed here all have their head office in the city, a CSR-1 registration number, and programmes in school meals, education, disability inclusion, health, elder care, women's livelihoods or the environment.
They are listed A to Z, not ranked. Each entry covers what the NGO does, its CSR-1 number, its website and its office contact details. An eight-point check to use before signing with any CSR NGO follows the list.
Why does CSR-1 registration matter for a CSR NGO?
Rule 4(1) of the CSR Rules (the Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014, amended in 2021) lets a company carry out CSR itself or through eligible entities. MCA's FAQs on CSR call an NGO that runs a project for a company an implementing agency, the term used for a CSR implementing agency throughout this article.
For an independent NGO, Rule 4(1)(d) sets three conditions: it must be a Section 8 company, a registered public trust or a registered society; it must be registered under sections 12A and 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961; and it must have an established track record of at least three years in similar activities.
Rule 4(2) adds a registration step. From 1 April 2021, every such entity has to file Form CSR-1 with the Central Government, and the portal then generates a unique CSR Registration Number. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) confirms in its FAQ 5.6 on CSR that every implementing agency must register on the MCA21 portal to undertake CSR activities on behalf of a company. A company that runs its CSR directly does not need one (FAQ 5.8).
Top 10 NGOs in Bangalore for CSR at a glance
| # | NGO | Main work | CSR-1 number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Akshaya Patra Foundation | School meals | CSR00000286 |
| 2 | Agastya International Foundation | Hands-on science learning | CSR00003442 |
| 3 | The Association of People with Disability (APD) | Disability inclusion | CSR00001544 |
| 4 | Bangalore Hospice Trust (Karunashraya) | Free palliative care for advanced cancer | CSR00002889 |
| 5 | Christel House India | School education and careers | CSR00000160 |
| 6 | Dream a Dream | Life skills for children and young people | CSR00002063 |
| 7 | Hasiru Dala | Waste pickers' rights, waste management | CSR00001023 |
| 8 | Nightingales Medical Trust | Elder care and dementia care | CSR00000135 |
| 9 | Sampark | Women, migrant workers, early childhood | CSR00002408 |
| 10 | SayTrees Environmental Trust | Trees, water and land restoration | CSR00000702 |
Details checked on 05-11-2026 from each NGO's own website. CSR-1 numbers are as listed on the NGO's own website or its profile on the Give or NGOFeed directories. Confirm them with the NGO before you fund.
The 10 NGOs, A to Z
1. The Akshaya Patra Foundation
Akshaya Patra runs a network of kitchens that cook mid-day meals for children in government schools. According to its CSR document, the programme began in 2000 with 1,500 children.
| Works on | Hunger and nutrition, education |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00000286 |
| Website | akshayapatra.org |
| Office | #72, 3rd Floor, 3rd Main Road, 1st and 2nd Stage, Yeshwantpur Industrial Suburb, Rajajinagar, Bengaluru 560022 |
| Phone | +91 80 3014 3400 |
| infodesk@akshayapatra.org |
2. Agastya International Foundation
Agastya runs hands-on, experiential science learning for children and teachers. Its mobile science labs travel to remote villages, alongside digital learning platforms.
| Works on | Education (science and creativity) |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00003442 |
| Website | agastya.org |
| Office | 101, Varsav Plaza, 12, Jayamahal Main Road, Bengaluru 560046 |
| Phone | +91 80 4112 4132 |
| info@agastya.org |
3. The Association of People with Disability (APD)
Founded in Bengaluru in 1959, APD works on disability inclusion across urban and rural South India. Its work covers health care and rehabilitation, early intervention, education, assistive technology, livelihoods, accessibility and advocacy.
| Works on | Disability inclusion, health, education, livelihoods |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00001544 |
| Website | apd-india.org |
| Office | 6th Cross, Hutchins Road, off Hennur Road, Lingarajapuram, Bengaluru 560084 |
| Phone | +91 80 2547 5165 |
| contact@apd-india.org |
4. Bangalore Hospice Trust (Karunashraya)
Karunashraya provides free palliative care to people with advanced cancer who are beyond curative treatment, through a 73-bed in-patient hospice and a home-care service that began in 1994. It is a joint project of the Indian Cancer Society (Karnataka Chapter) and Rotary Bangalore Indiranagar.
| Works on | Health care (palliative care) |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00002889 |
| Website | karunashraya.org |
| Office | Old Airport-Varthur Main Road, Kundalahalli Gate, Marathahalli, Bengaluru 560037 |
| Phone | +91 80 4268 5666 |
| info@karunashraya.org |
5. Christel House India
Christel House India runs a learning centre in Bengaluru for underserved children, combining schooling with nutrition, health care, character education and support into college and careers. It also has a campus in Atal Nagar, Chhattisgarh.
| Works on | Education, health and nutrition, careers |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00000160 |
| Website | in.christelhouse.org |
| Office | Bellahalli Road (off Hennur Road), Kannur Post, via Bagalur, Bengaluru 562149 |
| Phone | +91 76249 99151 |
| info@christelhouseindia.org |
6. Dream a Dream
Started in Bengaluru in 1999, Dream a Dream works to build life skills in children and young people from vulnerable backgrounds. Its work includes a life skills curriculum and published research.
| Works on | Education (life skills), youth development |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00002063 |
| Website | dreamadream.org |
| Office | Prema Gardenia, No. 357/6, 1st Floor, 1st Cross Road, 1st Block, Jayanagar, Bengaluru 560011 |
| Phone | +91 80 4095 1084 |
| info@dreamadream.org |
7. Hasiru Dala
Hasiru Dala works for waste pickers and informal waste collectors, on identity cards, social security, education, health care, housing, skills and jobs. It also works with local governments on decentralised solid waste management, including dry waste collection centres.
| Works on | Livelihoods, social protection, environment (waste) |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00001023 |
| Website | hasirudala.in |
| Office | Lake Side, 50, 2nd Cross Road, Marenahalli, 2nd Phase, J. P. Nagar, Bengaluru 560041 |
| Phone | +91 99868 08866 |
| info@hasirudala.in |
8. Nightingales Medical Trust
Established in 1998, Nightingales Medical Trust works for older people and people with dementia. Its services include dementia day care and residential care, programmes for marginalised elders, prevention of elder abuse, livelihoods for older people, caregiver training and advocacy.
| Works on | Health care (elder and dementia care) |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00000135 |
| Website | nightingaleseldercare.com |
| Office | 8P6, Kasturinagar, 3rd A Cross Road, Banaswadi, Bengaluru 560043 |
| Phone | +91 80 4242 6565 |
| contact@nightingaleseldercare.com |
9. Sampark
Sampark is a registered society working in three areas: building women-owned institutions, welfare and social protection for migrant construction workers, and early childhood care and education. It publishes its CSR-1 number on its own website.
| Works on | Women's empowerment, livelihoods, early childhood |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00002408 |
| Website | sampark.org |
| Office | #39, 1st Avenue, Teacher's Colony, 1st Block Koramangala, Bengaluru 560034 |
| Phone | +91 80 2553 0196 |
| sampark@sampark.org |
10. SayTrees Environmental Trust
SayTrees began in 2007 as a volunteer tree-planting group in Bengaluru and was later registered as a trust. It works on urban forestry, agroforestry, water conservation and clean energy.
| Works on | Environment, water, livelihoods |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00000702 |
| Website | saytrees.org |
| Office | Number 6, 1st Floor, ST Main Road, opposite Concorde Midway City Apartments, Basapura, Bengaluru 560100 |
| Phone | +91 96635 77758 |
| info@saytrees.org |
Looking for support beyond a single NGO? Our page on CSR consulting in Bangalore covers how we work with companies in the city.
How to check a CSR NGO before you fund it: an eight-point check
A list like this is a starting point. Before a CSR NGO partnership is signed, or any implementing agency for CSR is chosen, these checks show whether a particular NGO fits a particular project.
- Confirm the CSR-1 registration. Ask for the CSR Registration Number generated when the NGO filed Form CSR-1, and check it against the NGO's documents.
- Confirm eligibility under Rule 4(1). Check the legal form (Section 8 company, registered public trust or registered society), the 12A and 80G registrations, and at least three years of work in similar activities.
- Read the last three annual reports and audited accounts. Look for consistent programme spending and clear reporting.
- Visit a project in the field. Meet the people the NGO serves and the staff who will run your project.
- Match the NGO's work to your CSR policy. Check that the project fits the activities listed in Schedule VII and the areas your board has approved.
- Agree how money will be released and reported. Tie releases to milestones and ask for utilisation reports, not only receipts. Our article on the Unspent CSR Account explains why money released but not used still counts as unspent.
- Ask how beneficiary data is protected. Field records hold names, phone numbers and other details of the people a project serves, which brings the DPDP Act for the social sector into play.
- Speak to other funders. Ask the NGO for references from companies or foundations it has worked with.
Each of these steps is set out at greater length in our article on how to choose an NGO partner.
FAQs
What is a CSR registered NGO?▾
It is an NGO that has filed Form CSR-1 with the Central Government under Rule 4(2) of the CSR Rules and received a unique CSR Registration Number. Since 1 April 2021, every implementing agency must be registered this way to carry out CSR activities on behalf of a company (MCA FAQ 5.6).
Do companies have to fund NGOs in their own city?▾
No. Section 135(5) asks companies to give preference to the local area and areas around where they operate, but MCA's FAQ 3.9 says this preference is directory, not mandatory. Companies are expected to balance local preference with national priorities.
Can a company fund an NGO for CSR activities if it is not on this list?▾
Yes. This list of ten is a starting point, not a complete CSR NGO list. Any entity that is eligible under Rule 4(1) and registered through Form CSR-1 can implement CSR projects for a company.
How do CSR and NGOs work together?▾
CSR is the company's obligation under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, and an NGO is often the implementing agency that delivers the project. The board stays responsible: Rule 4(5) requires it to be satisfied that disbursed funds were spent for the approved purposes, with a certificate to that effect from the Chief Financial Officer or the person in charge of financial management.
Can a company carry out CSR without an NGO?▾
Yes. Rule 4(1) allows a company to carry out CSR activities itself. MCA's FAQ 5.8 confirms that Form CSR-1 registration does not arise when the company runs its CSR directly.
The bottom line
A list tells you who to call, not who to fund. The ten NGOs here meet clear, checkable criteria, and the right partner is the one whose work matches your CSR policy and whose records hold up under the eight-point check.
References
- Companies Act, 2013, Section 135 (Corporate Social Responsibility), as amended.
- Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Amendment Rules, 2021, G.S.R. 40(E), 22 January 2021. mca.gov.in/Ministry/pdf/CSRAmendmentRules_22012021.pdf
- Ministry of Corporate Affairs. General Circular No. 14/2021, Frequently Asked Questions on Corporate Social Responsibility, 25 August 2021 (FAQs 3.9, 5.6 and 5.8).
- Official websites of the ten NGOs listed above, checked on 05-11-2026.
- NGO profiles on Give (give.do) and NGOFeed (ngofeed.com), used for CSR-1 numbers, checked on 04-11-2026 and 05-11-2026.
