Top 10 NGOs in India 2024: Who brings change in society

India is the seventh-largest country in land area and the second-most populous. Since India’s independence in 1947, non-governmental organisations have played an essential role in its development. These organisations work to improve society by addressing issues such as poverty, education, healthcare, women’s rights, and the environment. Numerous non-profit organisations in India address social, economic and environmental challenges. As of 2024, several NGOs are making remarkable contributions with wide-reaching impacts across the nation. We at NGOFeed release this year’s NGOs ranking. NGOs are typically run by individuals or groups passionate about social causes and work to achieve their objectives with little or no government intervention. The top 10 NGOs in India have developed and strengthened through their good works in the last few decades.

However, only a few have impacted society; some are still working hard and serving the community. Some Top NGOs in India have reached a level, and some want to go where the Indian community has seen their efforts. Despite being surrounded by all the troubles prevailing in our nation, it lacks transparency or the rate of corruption. This article provides detailed information about the famous NGOs in India and how they positively impact society by engaging in exceptional work. It contains valuable insights about the NGOs, their mission, and how they operate as non-profit organizations. You can also find information on how to start an NGO in India and the necessary procedures involved.

What are NGOs?

Before starting a complete article review, let’s first understand an NGO. An NGO is an organisation in which the government has no role, and It is a Non-governmental organisation. People who have good money or business help people through NGOs. NGOs are a subgroup of organisations established by citizens, including clubs and associations that provide services to their members and others—an organisation aimed at the welfare of society. NGOs do much social work, such as housing widowed women, teaching poor orphans, protecting women, etc.

Role of NGOs in India

In this section, we provide detailed information about the Role of NGOs; you can check the table below.

• Particular Description: Advocacy for and with the Poor NGOs can act as spokespeople for low-income people, attempting to influence government policies and programmes. This can be accomplished through various methods, including demonstration and pilot projects, public forum engagement, government policy and strategies, and dissemination of research findings and impoverished case studies.
• Bridging the Gap: Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) work to fill in gaps in government programmes and reach out to those typically overlooked by government projects.
• Research and Development: These non-governmental organizations (NGOs) do research and assist in advancing knowledge on current topics. They come up with creative solutions to social problems based on research.
• Acts as a Middleman: It is a nonprofit venture that acts as a middleman and is not under the control of any governmental body. Its goal is to improve the welfare of citizens. Individual needs are assessed by NGOs, which operate as a middleman between Society and the government. They are respected globally because they seek aid in the financial sector and many economic, social, and political structures.
• Empowering women: NGOs take a stand against gender-based discrimination through our advocacy and initiatives. Together, we can create a world where everyone is treated fairly and respectfully, regardless of gender.

Top 10 NGOs in India (Brief Overview)

Many superior NGOs in India work in various areas such as education, healthcare, women’s empowerment, child rights, environmental conservation, old age, orphanage homes, food, and more. NGOFeed has been working for NGOs for a long time and provides research-based information on them. We have prepared a list of genuine NGOs working hard to improve our society in India. Our list of famous NGOs in India is based on our team’s research and work.

Top 10 NGOs in India (Detail Overview)

In this section, we provide a list of the top NGOs in India, detailed information on the nonprofit organizations in a table format, and some statistics on how they have helped those in need.

10. Save the Children India

Save the Children is India’s leading independent child rights NGO in 16 states. Starting its journey on 27th December 2004 when it was registered as ‘Bal Raksha Bharat’ under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and the Foreign Contributions Regulations Act 2010 on 23rd April 2008, we have changed the lives of more than 12.4 million children till March 2022. Our innovative programs were designed to cater to the specific needs of children, providing them with a healthy foundation, the chance to learn, and protection from harm. Their work has a lasting impact on children, their families, and communities around the globe. Ultimately, we aim to transform the future we all share.

Save the Children India 2024 Global Strategy

9. Akshaya Patra Foundation

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is an independent charitable trust that is registered under the Indian Trusts Act 1882. The foundation aims to implement the Government of India’s PM POSHAN Initiative to solve the societal issues of classroom hunger and malnutrition in the country on a large scale. Since the year 2000, the foundation has been providing wholesome mid-day meals to school children every school day by leveraging technology and effectively harnessing the potential of the Public-Private Partnership model. The foundation has established an extensive network of kitchens and partnered with the Government of India, state governments, UT administrations, corporate houses and philanthropists to address the social cause on a massive scale.

Akshaya Patra Foundation Work Impact

8. Pratham

Pratham is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in India, and Madhav Chavan and Farida Lambe founded it. It works towards the provision of quality education for underprivileged children in India. Established in Mumbai in 1994 to provide preschool education to children in slums, Pratham has intervened in 23 states and union territories in India and supported chapters in the United States, Britain, Germany, and Sweden. Pratham is a pioneering educational institution that aims to enhance the quality of education in India. It was founded in 1995 to educate underprivileged children in the slums of Mumbai. Since then, Pratham has expanded its reach and programs to benefit children and youth nationwide.

Pratham Progress Meter

7. Helpage India

HelpAge India is an Indian organisation focused on the concerns of elders. Established in 1978, its mission is to “work for the cause and care of under-aged elderly people and improve their standard of living”. HelpAge is taking action against universal pension, healthcare, and elder abuse at the national, state, and social levels, along with the central and state governments, and advocates for people in need. It runs various aged care programs to cater to the more significant needs. It aims to holistically serve disadvantaged elders to lead an active, dignified, healthy life. Recently, an Indian organization achieved a significant milestone by being India’s first and only organization to receive the ‘UN Population Award 2020’. The award was given in recognition of their exceptional work in the fields of ageing, relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their outstanding contribution to population issues. Furthermore, the organization was also recognized for its efforts in promoting and protecting the rights of older persons in India.

Helpage India Work Report

6. Care India

CARE India has been working in India for 68 years and is a non-profit organisation focusing on reducing poverty and social injustice. They aim to empower women and girls child from poor and marginalised communities and improve their lives and livelihoods. They do this through well-planned and comprehensive health, education, livelihood, disaster relief, and response projects. Care India reached 31.5 million people directly through 43 projects in 14 states, covering more than 90 districts. Their health, livelihood, education, disaster relief, and resilience interventions build communities’ capacity for sustainably and holistically empowering marginalized women and girls sustainably and holistically.

Care India Impact (Sector wise reach)

5. Nanhi Kali

Nanhi Kali is an Indian non-governmental organization that supports education for underprivileged girls in India. Founded by Anand Mahindra in 1996, it is jointly managed by the Naandi Foundation and KC Mahindra Education Trust, part of the Mahindra Group’s corporate social responsibilities. Project Nani Kali educated girls and women positively to influence India in the long run. In an interview, the chairman of the non-profit organisation, Sheetal Mehta, told the Daily News and Analysis that “we wanted to create global awareness about the plight of young girls in the country who are denied their basic rights.”Nanhi Kali educates underprivileged girls in India. They’ve supported over 500,000 girls in 14 states, including remote areas. Nanhi Kali ensures ten years of education for girls in crowded slums and cooler locations like Darjeeling.

Nanhi Kali Work Report Overview

4. Goonj

Goonj is a non-governmental organisation based in Delhi, India. Give Foundation aims to relieve poverty by implementing impactful social initiatives in India. It allows individuals and organizations to donate funds to chosen causes and delivers programs with high-impact outcomes throughout India. It performs disaster relief, humanitarian aid and community development work in parts of 23 states of India. Echo focuses on clothes as a basic but unheard-of need. It was founded in 1999 by Anshu Gupta. In 2012, he was named India’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 by the Schwab Foundation, a World Economic Forum partner organisation. For his work with Goonj, he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2015. Goonj started with 67 garments and now deals with over 3500 tonnes of material yearly. It is registered under the Societies Act and Section 80G, 12A and FCRA to exempt foreign contributions.

Goonj Work Impact

3. Give India Foundation

GiveIndia is a non-profit organisation in India. It is an online donation platform and aims to provide channels and resources to trusted non-governmental organisations across India. As a web portal, it helps raise funds and contributions from individuals in India and worldwide and distributes these donations to trusted NGOs. As we all know, India is working to improve our society, and because of their extreme level of hard work, it’s counted as one of the Top 10 NGO in India.

Give India Foundation Mission of 10 Million Meals

2. CRY (Child Rights and You)

Rippan Kapur, a purser for Indian Airlines, founded CRY in 1979 with a group of six friends and only Rs. 50. Today, after more than four decades, CRY collaborates with 102 local NGOs across 19 states in India. It has positively affected the lives of over 3 million children. Recognized as India’s most trusted NGO, Child Rights and You (CRY) works tirelessly to ensure happier and healthier childhoods for India’s underprivileged children. CRY addresses children’s critical needs of healthcare, nutrition, education and protection from child labour and child marriage by working with parents, teachers, Anganwadi workers, communities, district and state-level governments, and the children. Now, it is one of the Top 10 NGO in India. The vision of CRY is to create a society that respects children’s rights, promotes their health and happiness, and values justice and equity for all.

CRY (Child Rights and You) Impact – Achievement

1. Smile Foundation

Smile Foundation is an NGO based in New Delhi, India. It was established in 2002 and has a presence in 25 states. Smile has become a sustainable social institution in India over the past 20 years. It focuses on making society and businesses more inclusive while bringing about positive change. They’ve created a unique resource model that puts businesses at the centre and promoted the concept of civic-driven change. By taking the road less travelled Smile has made all the difference! Their development program includes education, health, and livelihood for children and women, with equal provision for those lacking resources. Some of their programs are Smile on Wheels, Mission Education and Smile Twin e-learning. Now, Smile Foundation is one of the Best NGO in India.

Smile Foundation Impact

How to Start an NGO?

Before starting an NGO, you should know the fundamental problems of people in the area you want to reduce. Knowing this, it becomes easier to formulate the purpose and mission of your NGO accordingly. After this, you must decide the NGO’s vision, mission and purpose.

People with problems must work accordingly because no one listens to many people’s concerns. Therefore, the purpose of any NGO should be to understand the people’s problems and start their NGO accordingly.

Steps to quickly start an NGO in India:

Here, we provide information about starting an NGO and follow these easy steps. Let’s see.

NOTE: Do you want to know how to start an NGO?

How to Register an NGO?

The NGO registration process takes place in three ways. We can also say that NGOs can be registered in any of the three Acts. Let us know what these three acts are.

• Trust Act (Charitable Trust Registration Process)
• Society Act (Society Registration Process in India)
• Companies Act (Section 8 Company Registration)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What do NGOs mean?

An NGO is an organisation in which the government has no role; It is a Non-governmental organisation. People who have good money or business help people through NGOs. NGOs are a subgroup of organisations established by citizens, including clubs and associations that provide services to their members and others—an organisation aimed at the welfare of society. NGOs do much social work, such as housing widowed women, teaching poor orphans, protecting women, etc.

Can a single person start an NGO?

No, a single person cannot begin an NGO. At least two people are required for Section 8 company incorporation, and at least three are required for Trust and Society registration.

Can I know NGO work?

A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a non-profit group that functions independently of any government. NGOs, sometimes called civil societies, are organized on community, national and international levels to serve a social or political goal such as humanitarian causes or the environment.

What is the advantage of NGOs

The advantages of NGOs are:
> Improve Literacy level
> Improve standards of life
> Innovative approaches
> Better communication

Are NGOs private?

“NGO” has various interpretations; the term is generally accepted to include non-profit, private organizations outside government control. Some NGOs rely primarily on volunteers, while others support a paid staff.

Which is the famous NGO in India?

There are several famous NGOs in India, such as Give India, Smile Foundation, Goonj, Helpage India, and more. You can check the complete list of top NGOs in India in the above article.

What is meant by NGO in India?

A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization formed by a group of individuals who aim to work towards public, social, or political goals for a nation or the world.