CSR proposal · Free guide and editable files
Adapt a six-month project with a checked budget, delivery plan and measurable targets.
Short answer: A CSR proposal shows a company what your NGO will deliver, why it fits that company’s CSR programme and geography, what it will cost and how progress will be proved. Follow the company’s format if it has one, and keep the participant numbers, work plan, targets and budget identical in every document. Check that your NGO is eligible first, and run the proposal review checklist before you send it.
Which CSR page is for you? This guide covers writing the CSR proposal itself: need, activities, budget, targets and annexures, with a worked example and free files. Pick the page that matches where you are:
- New to CSR, or not sure your NGO qualifies? CSR funding for NGOs: routes, readiness and due diligence
- Ready to approach companies and want the order of steps? How to get CSR funding: step-by-step workflow
- Have a company or call in mind and need to write the document? CSR proposal for NGO: build the proposal (this page)
- Need CSR-1 registration first? CSR-1 registration service
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Download the CSR Proposal files
Use the editable Word file for preparation, and read the PDF guide before finalising it. Current law, prescribed authority/funder formats and professional certification requirements take precedence.
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A CSR proposal should show what the NGO will deliver, why the company’s programme is a fit, what it will cost and how progress will be proved. Follow the funder’s format. Keep the participant count, work plan, targets and budget consistent.
The example below connects those parts. It is a fictional planning case, not a completed NGOGrant project or evidence of funding success. Replace the bracketed facts with your own verified records.
Before adapting it, check the NGO eligibility and company-fit guide. If the company has only a partnership contact, use the first-enquiry example before sending a full proposal.
If your NGO does not have a CSR-1 registration number yet, look at that step first.
CSR proposal: the practical answers
- Who this page is for
- NGOs that can act as a CSR implementing agency and have found a company with a current route: a dated call, a proposal form or an invitation to send a proposal.
- Who should step back
- If eligibility is unclear, read CSR funding for NGOs. If the company has only a contact, send a short enquiry first (CSR application workflow). For a non-CSR funder, use the general project proposal format.
- What to prepare
- Dated evidence of the local need, a costed work plan, measurable targets with a verification method, and the annexures the company lists, such as registration orders and audited accounts.
- What happens next
- The company reviews the proposal against its own criteria. A shortlist usually leads to due diligence and then an agreement setting the amount, tranches and reporting.
Useful next links
- CSR Proposal and Due Diligence Pack – editable proposal and evidence templates.
- NGO Project Proposal and Budget Pack.
- CSR Funding Handbook for Indian NGOs 2027.
- CSR-1 registration for NGOs.
- NGO proposal review checklist.
- General NGO project proposal format.
Last verified 22 Oct 2026. The worked example is fictional. General information only, not legal advice.
Worked CSR project and executive note
Project: Basic enterprise skills for 60 young adults
Applicant: [NGO legal name]
Location: [Verified district and blocks]
Duration: Six months
CSR support requested: ₹8,40,000
Co-funding: None assumed in this example
[NGO legal name] proposes basic enterprise-skills training for 60 adults aged 18–29 in [district]. Three cohorts of 20 will each receive 24 sessions. Participants will practise preparing a unit-cost budget, maintaining a cashbook, setting a supported price and identifying a target customer.
The plan targets 60 unique enrolments, 48 completions and 40 participants meeting an agreed practical assessment standard. The six-month period covers mobilisation, baseline, training, endline and reporting. The requested ₹8,40,000 funds the eight cost lines below. [Add a supported statement about the local need, the NGO’s comparable work and the company’s programme fit.]
Describe the local gap with evidence
State the problem in the project area. Use a dated local source or a real needs assessment. Record the location, method, sample where relevant, finding and limits. Do not invent a survey because the proposal format asks for one.
A useful paragraph follows this structure: “[Source and date] identifies [specific gap] among [group] in [area]. Existing provision covers [what is available]. The proposed project addresses [remaining need] through [defined activities].” A national statistic can give context, but it does not establish demand in your chosen block.
Show the company fit separately. Name the published programme, eligible location and current route. Identify the relevant Schedule VII activity accurately and have the company confirm the project’s eligibility. A familiar CSR theme does not settle every project’s legal treatment.
Explain who will take part
For this example, select 60 interested adults aged 18–29 from the verified project area. Use published selection criteria, a simple application record and a waiting list. Record participation barriers and the basis for access support. Explain how applicants can raise a concern.
Assign one participant ID to each person. Obtain appropriate consent and limit access to personal records. Report counts and learning evidence without publishing identity documents or private contact details.
Connect the six-month work plan to delivery
Swipe across to read all columns.
| Period | Activity | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | Confirm locations and facilitators; select three cohorts; complete baseline | Selection record, consent, participant IDs, baseline scores and delivery calendar |
| Months 2–5 | Run six sessions per cohort per month; include practice within the 24-session curriculum | Session plans, attendance, task samples and monthly delivery review |
| Month 6 | Complete endline assessment, review results, reconcile costs and report | Matched assessment records, completion register, budget report and lessons |
Three cohorts × 24 sessions gives 72 facilitated sessions. Those are sessions delivered, not separate beneficiaries. Confirm staff availability, room capacity and the delivery calendar before retaining this scale.
Worked budget of ₹8,40,000
These rates are illustrative planning assumptions, not market quotations. For a real proposal, attach the rate basis and confirm applicable tax treatment. The example assumes the listed rates include applicable taxes; it does not add a blanket tax percentage.
Swipe across to read all columns.
| Cost line | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Facilitation | 72 sessions × ₹3,500 | ₹2,52,000 |
| Learner materials | 60 participants × ₹2,000 | ₹1,20,000 |
| Venue | 6 months × ₹10,000 | ₹60,000 |
| Project coordinator | 6 months × ₹25,000 | ₹1,50,000 |
| Field travel | 12 trips × ₹3,500 | ₹42,000 |
| Baseline and endline | 2 rounds × ₹18,000 | ₹36,000 |
| Participant access support | 60 participants × ₹1,000 | ₹60,000 |
| Shared training kits | 6 kits × ₹20,000 | ₹1,20,000 |
| Total requested | No co-funding assumed | ₹8,40,000 |
Cost per enrolled participant: ₹8,40,000 ÷ 60 = ₹14,000. Cost per planned completion: ₹8,40,000 ÷ 48 = ₹17,500. These use different denominators. Neither is an actual achieved cost until delivery and final expenditure are known.
Break down the bundles. An illustrative ₹2,000 learner allocation could contain a ₹300 workbook, ₹500 in consumables and ₹1,200 in individual practice materials. A ₹20,000 shared kit could allocate ₹12,000 to reusable demonstrations, ₹5,000 to calculation and recording aids, and ₹3,000 to teaching aids. Six kits gives two per cohort. Replace these assumptions with a real item list and quotations; do not purchase the same materials under both lines.
Treat ₹1,000 per participant as an access-support planning ceiling. Define the need, payment rule and supporting record before release. Keep travel logs, staff duties and an asset register. Use the budget guide and spreadsheet to adapt the amounts.
The company-level limit on administrative overhead should not be applied mechanically to every NGO salary. The National CSR Exchange FAQ distinguishes direct project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation costs from company administration. Explain the coordinator’s project duties and time allocation, then follow the company’s approved budget conditions.
Set targets that can be checked
Swipe across to read all columns.
| Measure | Planned target and counting rule | Evidence and owner |
|---|---|---|
| Unique enrolments | 60 people; count each participant ID once | Enrolment register; project coordinator |
| Sessions delivered | 72 sessions; record cohort, date, topic and facilitator | Session log and attendance; facilitator |
| Completions | 48 people attending at least 20 of 24 sessions and completing the endline assessment | Attendance matched to endline; coordinator |
| Practical learning | 40 people meeting the predefined standard on all four enterprise tasks | Same baseline/endline rubric and retained task samples; assessment lead |
Approve the rubric before training. Record missing endline assessments and explain any change to a target. The learning measure tests demonstrated skills. It does not prove a new business, a job or increased income.
The maximum is 1,440 participant-attendances: 60 people × 24 sessions. Repeated attendance must not be reported as 1,440 unique people reached.
Show who will deliver and what could go wrong
Name the proposed coordinator, facilitator and assessment lead. State relevant experience and actual availability. Support the NGO’s similar-project history with dated records, finances and references where requested.
Swipe across to read all columns.
| Risk | Planned response |
|---|---|
| Participants cannot attend regularly | Check timing during mobilisation; track absence; document access support |
| Costs rise or the award is reduced | Revise quantities, activities and targets together; seek approval before reallocating |
| Facilitator leaves | Keep session plans and an agreed replacement process |
| Kits are lost or unused | Maintain an asset register, custodian, usage log and agreed closeout arrangement |
At closeout, provide learners with reusable materials and identify who will hold the shared kits. Promise later mentoring or follow-up only if staff time and funding have been assigned. A sentence about sustainability cannot create that capacity.
Attach proof and check the final file
Follow the company’s annexure list. Typical evidence covers entity and governance records, relevant current approvals, requested audited years, comparable work, team roles, policies, cost assumptions and authorised submission. Use the due-diligence checklist to track validity and document owners.
Adapt this CSR proposal to the funder’s prescribed format
Use the free NGOGrant Word file for planning, but always submit through the current company-prescribed form if it provides one. For example, NBCFDC’s published CSR proposal format asks for an activity-wise budget, means of finance, start/middle/end funding needs, implementation timeframe, human resources, expected outcomes, monitoring and sustainability arrangements. Those are illustrations of what a named funder asks—not a universal form or proof that its intake is presently open.
| Funder-form question | How to adapt this worked ₹8,40,000 proposal |
|---|---|
| Activities, milestones and duration | Use the three 20-person cohorts, 24 sessions per cohort and six-month schedule; add real dates and delivery locations. |
| Cost and means of finance | Reconcile all eight budget lines to ₹8,40,000. No co-funding is assumed in the example; do not invent a matching contribution. |
| Release of CSR support | Enter tranche amounts, milestones and dates only when the company’s actual instructions or agreement provide them. |
| Implementers and monitoring | Name actual staff, qualifications, evidence owners and the measures for 60 enrolments, 48 completions and 40 practical assessments. |
| Sustainability and attachments | Explain ownership and continued use of shared training kits; attach the actual approvals, accounts, registrations and permissions required by the issuer. |
Submission check: mark each prescribed field completed, not applicable with reason, or evidence still needed. Never replace the funder’s form with a generic PDF simply because it looks professional. Official example checked 15 October 2026; verify the issuer’s current application route before using it.
Before submitting, read the narrative beside the budget. Every activity needs a cost or an explained existing resource. Every target needs a counting rule and evidence owner. Check legal names, geography, dates, signatures and the official submission route. Save the exact submitted version and acknowledgement.
For this case, the final cross-check is simple: 60 unique people, three cohorts, 24 sessions each, 72 sessions delivered, six months and ₹8,40,000. If you change one number, review the connected sections.
How this example was prepared
The budget arithmetic, session count and target definitions were checked together. The case illustrates proposal design; it does not supply local need evidence or a verified company opening. The cost-classification explanation uses the National CSR Exchange FAQ. Source check: 10 October 2026.
Editorial contact: Vekho P. Ringa, Editor of NGOGrant. For preparation enquiries or corrections, use NGOGrant’s WhatsApp assistance.
CSR proposals: common questions
What should a CSR proposal include?
What you will deliver and for whom, the evidence of need, why it fits the company’s published CSR programme and geography, a costed work plan, measurable targets with a way to verify them, your NGO’s relevant experience, and the annexures the company asks for.
Can we send the same CSR proposal to several companies?
Only after tailoring it. Each company has its own programme, geography and format. Rewrite the fit section and check the attachment list for every company.
Does our NGO need CSR-1 registration before sending a proposal?
Check this before you send it. If your NGO does not have a CSR-1 registration number yet, look at that step first. Our CSR funding for NGOs guide explains which NGOs can act as implementing agencies and what each route needs. General information only, not legal advice.
Does the company’s CSR overhead limit cap our project budget?
Not automatically. The company-level limit on administrative overhead should not be applied mechanically to every NGO salary; the National CSR Exchange FAQ separates direct project costs from company administration. Cost your project from the real roles and inputs it needs, and follow any limits the company sets. General information only, not legal advice.
What should we check before submitting?
That the participant numbers, duration and amount match across the form, narrative and budget, that every rate has a basis, and that the attachment list and signatures are complete. The proposal review checklist walks through this.
Use this CSR proposal with a verified funder route
A proposal is useful only when the funder has a relevant intake route and your organisation can support the project with realistic evidence. Use these free resources to check the route, budget and required documents before submission.
Check current company application routes
Distinguish dated calls from enquiries and invitation-only partnerships.
CSR eligibility and funder-fit guide
Check NGO eligibility, programme fit and the submission channel.
NGO project budget guide and spreadsheet
Calculate costs and explain the requested grant share.
CSR and grant due-diligence checklist
Organise evidence that may be requested after shortlisting.
More free document guides
- Minutes of Meeting Format for NGO & Society
- NGO & Society Resolution Format
- NGO Donation Receipt Format
Editorial related reading, reviewed 9 October 2026. Government and funder instructions take precedence over these general guides.
Preparing a CSR RFP response rather than a project proposal? Our SBI Foundation capacity building RFP guide walks through one current call step by step.
Get help with your next step
For a structured reference alongside this guide, see the CSR Funding Handbook 2027 with workbook. It includes company research, proposal preparation, budget guidance and due-diligence workshops. The ₹599 (inclusive of GST) bundle has a free 15-page preview.
NGOGrant can help organise preparation and coordinate professional support where required.