A company with an office or plant in Mumbai wants its CSR money to work close to home, through an NGO it can trust with the project. These are the top 10 NGOs in Mumbai for CSR that meet four checkable rules: each is headquartered in Mumbai, holds a CSR-1 registration number and runs programmes in school meals, education, disability, health, child rights, elder care or rural development.
The list runs A to Z and is not a ranking. For each NGO you will find a short note on its work, its CSR-1 number, its website and its office contacts. Eight checks to run before signing with any CSR NGO follow the list.
Why does a CSR NGO need a CSR-1 registration?
The CSR Rules (the Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014, amended in 2021) give a company two routes under Rule 4(1): run its CSR on its own, or work through eligible entities. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), in its FAQs on CSR, describes an NGO that runs a project for a company as an implementing agency. This article uses the same term for a CSR implementing agency.
Rule 4(1)(d) lists three tests for an independent NGO. The first is its legal form (a Section 8 company, a registered public trust or a registered society), and the second is its tax status (registered under section 12A and approved under section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961). The third is a track record of at least three years in similar work.
On top of these, Rule 4(2) requires registration: from 1 April 2021, each such entity files Form CSR-1 online with the Central Government and receives a unique CSR Registration Number. MCA's FAQ 5.6 makes this registration a condition for any implementing agency carrying out CSR for a company. If a company implements its CSR projects itself, the requirement does not apply to it (FAQ 5.8).
Top 10 NGOs in Mumbai for CSR at a glance
| # | NGO | Main work | CSR-1 number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ADAPT (Able Disabled All People Together) | Disability inclusion | CSR00001228 |
| 2 | The Akanksha Foundation | School education | CSR00001286 |
| 3 | Annamrita Foundation | School meals | CSR00001973 |
| 4 | Apnalaya | Health, education and livelihoods for the urban poor | CSR00003515 |
| 5 | Child Rights and You (CRY) | Children's education, health and protection | CSR00000805 |
| 6 | Dignity Foundation | Elder care and dementia care | CSR00008328 |
| 7 | Mumbai Mobile Creches | Day care for children on construction sites | CSR00001732 |
| 8 | SNEHA (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action) | Health of women and children in informal settlements | CSR00002137 |
| 9 | Swades Foundation | Rural development in Raigad and Nashik | CSR00000440 |
| 10 | Ummeed Child Development Center | Children with developmental disabilities | CSR00000221 |
Details checked on 10-11-2026 from each NGO's own website. CSR-1 numbers are taken from each NGO's profile on the Give directory; please confirm them with the NGO before funding.
The 10 NGOs, A to Z
1. ADAPT (Able Disabled All People Together)
ADAPT, formerly The Spastics Society of India, is a registered public trust working with people with disabilities. Its work covers special and inclusive education, therapy, skills and employability training, training for mainstream school teachers, and advocacy.
| Works on | Disability inclusion, education, skills |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00001228 |
| Website | adaptssi.org |
| Office | ADAPT Centre for Special Education, Upper Colaba Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400005 |
| Phone | +91 22 2215 0555 |
| contactus.adaptssi@gmail.com |
2. The Akanksha Foundation
Akanksha runs English-medium schools for children from underserved communities in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, in partnership with the government. Through Project Setu, it also works to strengthen municipal public schools, and it supports its students after they leave school.
| Works on | Education |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00001286 |
| Website | akanksha.org |
| Office | Voltas Premises, Z Block Building, 2nd Floor, T. B. Kadam Marg, Chinchpokli (East), Mumbai 400033 |
| Phone | +91 22 2370 0253 |
| fundraise@akanksha.org |
3. Annamrita Foundation
Annamrita Foundation, formerly ISKCON Food Relief Foundation, cooks hot mid-day meals for school children. It began in 2004 in Tardeo, Mumbai, cooking for 900 children in municipal schools, and is a registered Section 8 non-profit.
| Works on | Hunger and nutrition, education |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00001973 |
| Website | annamrita.org |
| Office | Unit No. 5, Suvarna Processors, Ramkrishna Chemburkar Marg, near Vengsarkar Cricket Academy, Chembur, Mahul, Mumbai 400074 |
| Phone | +91 93231 11690 |
| info@annamrita.org |
4. Apnalaya
Founded in 1973, Apnalaya works with the urban poor in Mumbai. Its work covers health and disability, education and livelihoods, and citizenship and advocacy.
| Works on | Health, disability, education, livelihoods |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00003515 |
| Website | apnalaya.org |
| Office | B/9-103 New Jaiphalwadi SRA Co-op Hsg Society, behind Police Quarters, Tardeo, Mumbai 400036 |
| Phone | +91 22 4002 4679 |
| admin@apnalaya.org |
5. Child Rights and You (CRY)
CRY works so that children go to school and complete their education, get proper nutrition and health care, and are protected from child labour, child marriage, trafficking and abuse. It works with teachers, Anganwadi workers and village child protection committees.
| Works on | Education, health and nutrition, child protection |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00000805 |
| Website | cry.org |
| Office | 189/A Anand Estate, diagonally opposite Arthur Road Jail, Sane Guruji Marg, Mumbai 400011 |
| Phone | +91 91159 11500 |
| writetous@crymail.org |
6. Dignity Foundation
Founded in 1995, Dignity Foundation works for senior citizens. Its programmes include dementia day care centres, loneliness mitigation centres for elders from low-income backgrounds, and Chai Masti centres where senior citizens meet for wellness and recreation.
| Works on | Elder care, dementia care, health |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00008328 |
| Website | dignityfoundation.com |
| Office | B-206, 2nd Floor, Byculla Service Industries Premises, Dadoji Konddev Marg, Byculla (East), Mumbai 400027 |
| Phone | +91 22 6138 1100 |
| responsedignity@dignityfoundation.com |
7. Mumbai Mobile Creches
Mumbai Mobile Creches runs day-care centres on construction sites for the children of construction workers, covering education, nutrition, and health and hygiene. Its work in Mumbai began in 1972 as part of Mobile Creches, and it became a separate organisation in 2006.
| Works on | Early childhood care, education, nutrition |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00001732 |
| Website | mumbaimobilecreches.org |
| Office | 1st Floor, Abbas Building, Mereweather Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400001 |
| Phone | +91 22 2202 0869, +91 22 2202 0879 |
| contact@mmcmail.org.in |
8. SNEHA (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action)
Founded by Dr Armida Fernandez, SNEHA works to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in urban informal settlements. Its programmes cover maternal and newborn health, child health and nutrition, adolescent health, prevention of violence against women and children, and palliative care.
| Works on | Health, nutrition, gender |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00002137 |
| Website | snehamumbai.org |
| Office | Behind Building No. 11, BMC Colony, Shastri Nagar, Santacruz (West), Mumbai 400054 |
| Phone | +91 98922 53038 |
| communications@snehamumbai.org |
9. Swades Foundation
Founded by Ronnie and Zarina Screwvala, Swades Foundation works with rural communities in Maharashtra, across 7 blocks of Raigad district and 4 blocks of Nashik district. Its work covers water, sanitation and green initiatives, health, education and economic development.
| Works on | Rural development, water, health, livelihoods |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00000440 |
| Website | swadesfoundation.org |
| Office | Unit No. 401, 4th Floor, Ceejay House, Dr. Annie Besant Road, Worli, Mumbai 400018 |
| Phone | +91 22 6109 3730 (WhatsApp) |
| contact.us@swadesfoundation.org |
10. Ummeed Child Development Center
Founded in 2001 by Dr Vibha Krishnamurthy, a developmental paediatrician, Ummeed provides specialised care for children with developmental disabilities. It also works on training, research and advocacy.
| Works on | Disability, health, education |
| CSR-1 number | CSR00000221 |
| Website | ummeed.org |
| Office | Ground Floor, Mantri Pride 1-B, 1/62, N.M. Joshi Marg, Subhash Nagar, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400011 |
| Phone | +91 22 6248 8100 |
| info@ummeed.org |
Need support across several projects, not just one NGO? See how we work with companies through CSR consulting in Mumbai. For Bengaluru, we have a separate list of the top 10 NGOs in Bangalore for CSR.
Eight checks before you fund a CSR NGO in Mumbai
A shortlist is not a decision. Before you sign a CSR NGO partnership or appoint an implementing agency for CSR, these eight checks will tell you whether a particular NGO suits your particular project.
- Ask for the CSR Registration Number. It is generated when the NGO files Form CSR-1. Match it with the NGO's registration documents.
- Check eligibility under Rule 4(1). Make sure the NGO is a Section 8 company, registered public trust or registered society, holds 12A registration and 80G approval, and has done similar work for three years or more.
- Read three years of annual reports and audited accounts. Look for steady programme spending and clear reporting.
- See the work on the ground. Visit a project, and meet the people it serves and the team that will run yours.
- Check the fit with your CSR policy. The project should fall within Schedule VII and within the areas your board has approved.
- Link fund releases to milestones. Release money in stages and ask for utilisation reports at each stage, not just receipts. Money an NGO has received but not used still counts as unspent, as our article on the Unspent CSR Account explains.
- Ask how beneficiary data is protected. Project records hold names, phone numbers and other personal details of the people served. Our guide to the DPDP Act for the social sector explains what the law expects when such data is collected and stored.
- Speak to other funders. Ask for references from companies or foundations the NGO has worked with.
For more depth on each step, read our guide on how to choose an NGO partner.
FAQs
What is a CSR registered NGO?▾
It is an NGO that holds a CSR Registration Number, issued after it files Form CSR-1 online under Rule 4(2) of the CSR Rules. From 1 April 2021, an implementing agency needs this number to carry out CSR on a company's behalf (MCA FAQ 5.6).
Can a company based in Mumbai fund an NGO outside Mumbai?▾
Yes. Section 135(5) of the Companies Act asks a company to prefer the local area and the areas around where it operates, but MCA's FAQ 3.9 calls this preference directory, not mandatory. A company is expected to weigh local needs against national priorities.
Is a CSR-1 number enough to choose an NGO for CSR activities?▾
No. A CSR-1 number shows that the NGO has registered to implement CSR projects, but it says nothing about how well it will run yours. That is what the eight checks above are for.
Who is responsible for how an NGO spends CSR money?▾
The company's board. Under Rule 4(5), the board has to satisfy itself that the money it disbursed was used for the purposes it approved, with a certificate from the Chief Financial Officer, or the person responsible for financial management, confirming this.
Can a company carry out CSR without an NGO?▾
Yes. Under Rule 4(1), a company may run its CSR projects on its own. In that case, as MCA's FAQ 5.8 explains, the CSR-1 registration requirement does not apply to the company.
The bottom line
Use this as a starting point, not a complete CSR NGO list. Every NGO here clears four simple rules that anyone can check. Whether one of them is right for you depends on how well its work fits your CSR policy and how its records stand up to the eight checks above.
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 10-11-2026.
- NGO profiles on Give (give.do), used for CSR-1 numbers, checked on 10-11-2026.
