CSR funding · Check before you apply
Check NGO readiness, current company intake and five-part project fit.
Short answer: CSR funding is money a company spends on its CSR projects through an eligible implementing agency, such as an NGO. To receive it, your NGO needs to fall within one of the Rule 4(1) implementing-agency categories, hold CSR-1 registration and the tax registrations that apply to its category, and offer a project the company can link to Schedule VII. An independent NGO also needs a documented three-year record in similar work. A CSR-1 number is not a grant, so check what each company is accepting right now.
Which CSR page is for you? This guide covers what CSR funding is, whether your NGO is ready for it, and how to tell an open company call from a past spending record. 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 (this page)
- 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
- Need CSR-1 registration first? CSR-1 registration service
Jump to a section
To get CSR funding, an NGO needs a suitable implementing-agency route, a project that fits the company and evidence that it can deliver. Start by checking eligibility and current intake. Then decide whether to apply, enquire or move on.
This guide helps you make that decision before writing a proposal. The application workflow explains what to send. The worked proposal shows how the activities, targets and costs fit together.
CSR funding: the practical answers
- Who qualifies
- An independent society, public trust or Section 8 company with relevant current 12A and 80G registrations, at least three years of documented work similar to the project, and MCA21 CSR registration. Company-established and government-established bodies follow different conditions, set out in the table below.
- Who should wait
- A newly registered independent NGO without that three-year record in similar work. Registration on its own does not meet the condition, and a company cannot waive it. Spend the time building dated project records.
- What to prepare
- Formation documents, PAN, current tax orders with their validity dates, your CSR-1 record, and a short year-wise note for each similar project: location, your role, period, expenditure and evidence.
- What happens next
- Each company decides for itself. Once you know you are eligible, follow the step-by-step CSR application workflow: define one project, confirm the company’s current route, then enquire or apply.
Useful next links
- CSR-1 registration for NGOs – if your MCA21 CSR registration is not done yet.
- 12AB and 80G registration – the tax registrations most CSR routes ask about.
- CSR Proposal and Due Diligence Pack – editable proposal and evidence-folder templates.
- CSR Funding Handbook for Indian NGOs 2027 – company-by-company research.
- Complete NGO Documentation Toolkit – governance and finance records companies may ask for.
- How to get CSR funding: the application workflow.
- Government grants vs CSR funding – how the two routes differ.
Last verified 22 Oct 2026. Sources: National CSR Exchange FAQ, as cited in section 01. General information only, not legal advice.
Can your NGO act as a CSR implementing agency?
Check the category under Rule 4 that applies to your organisation. An independent NGO, a company-established organisation and a qualifying government or statutory body can face different conditions. The National CSR Exchange FAQ describes these categories and the three-year record of similar activities required for the independent category. Verify the applicable tax approvals and CSR-1 position against current rules.
Keep the actual orders, validity dates and similar-project records together. A certificate list without valid documents is weak evidence. Older guidance may use 12A, 12AB and 80G labels. Give the company your current records and explain any transition under the applicable tax law.
CSR-1 records an implementing agency. It does not approve a project or promise a grant. The Exchange also leaves partner verification and funding decisions with companies.
For the independent category, prepare a short record for each relevant year: project, location, your role, delivery period, expenditure and evidence. Organisation age alone does not show experience in the proposed activity.
CSR implementing-agency eligibility: compare Rule 4(1) categories
The National CSR Exchange’s official FAQ distinguishes four routes. The three-year similar-activity track record is a rule for the independent-organisation category, not a blanket test for every government-established or company-established entity.
| Applicant route | What to verify before offering to implement CSR |
|---|---|
| Independent Section 8 company, registered public trust or registered society | Relevant current 12A and 80G registrations; documented track record of at least three years in similar activities; MCA21 CSR registration. |
| Section 8 company, trust or society established by the company or companies | Applicable 12A and 80G registrations and MCA21 CSR registration. Do not automatically import the independent-category three-year condition. |
| Section 8 company, trust or society established by Central or State Government | Government-established category and applicable registration requirements; the Exchange FAQ identifies an exception to the 12A/80G condition for these entities. |
| Entity established under an Act of Parliament or a State legislature | Its statutory status, Rule 4(1) category and applicable MCA21 CSR registration requirement. |
Can a new independent NGO receive CSR as an implementing agency? Registration alone is not sufficient: the independent category requires the documented three-year similar-activity track record. Distinguish that statutory route from other categories; do not assume a company can waive the legal requirement.
Does a CSR-1 number guarantee funding? No. MCA21 registration records an eligible implementing agency; the company still decides whether to select and fund a project. A separate National CSR Exchange account or listing is not a grant sanction.
Must the proposed work fit Schedule VII? Yes, the company must be able to relate the actual project activities to Schedule VII. Also, the 5% CSR administrative-overhead ceiling concerns the company’s general CSR administration; it is not a universal 5% cap on every NGO project salary or direct delivery cost. Build project-specific budgets using actual roles and funder conditions. See the worked CSR proposal and budget.
Additional official-rule cross-check: 15 October 2026, using the National CSR Exchange FAQ. Recheck changes to rules and specific company requirements before filing.
Separate legal eligibility from the company’s requirements
A legally eligible NGO can still miss a company’s selection criteria. The company may ask for a particular operating area, delivery history, audit record, staffing capacity or registration on another platform.
For example, NBCFDC’s published CSR proposal page asks for three years of audited accounts and NGO Darpan registration, among other criteria. Treat that as a requirement of that route. Do not turn it into a universal checklist for every CSR company. Its proposal page also does not establish that a dated funding call is currently open.
Swipe across to read all columns.
| Check | Evidence to keep | Action if missing |
|---|---|---|
| Applicable implementing-agency category | Entity documents, relevant current approvals and CSR registration record | Resolve eligibility before describing the NGO as ready |
| Company’s applicant criteria | Current official instructions and an item-by-item response | Confirm the gap or remove the route |
| Similar delivery experience | Dated programme records, accounts and supporting reports | Reduce the proposed scale or resolve the requirement |
| Operational capacity | Named team, delivery schedule, cost basis and reporting controls | Fix the delivery plan before submission |
Does the company have a current route?
A company’s CSR expenditure is a record of spending. It is not an amount available to your NGO. Open the official notice, form or contact page and classify what it actually establishes.
Swipe across to read all columns.
| What the official source shows | Route status | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| A current call with a deadline and applicant instructions | Open dated call | Read the full notice and amendments; use the prescribed route |
| A proposal form or intake process without a verified live window | Published proposal route | Confirm current intake, programme and geography |
| A relevant CSR contact without an invitation to apply | Partnership enquiry | Send a short fit enquiry |
| A statement that partners are selected or invited | Invitation route | Do not submit it as an open grant |
| Only past projects, spending or a closed notice | Historical information | Monitor for a current official route |
Save the legal name, official URL, source title, date checked, deadline where relevant, sector, geography and next action. Keep a copy of the instructions used for an application. Use the CSR route-status tracker as a starting point and recheck the official source before acting.
A worked company-fit decision
Illustrative project: basic enterprise skills for 60 adults aged 18–29 in a verified district. The plan runs for six months, with three cohorts and a request of ₹8,40,000. These are planning assumptions, not a completed project or a claim about any named company.
First test five things: current route, applicant eligibility, programme, geography and delivery scale. Mark each as confirmed, unresolved or mismatch. Add evidence beside each answer. A major mismatch should not disappear inside an overall score.
Swipe across to read all columns.
| Hypothetical company | Finding | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Company A | Current intake accepts the district, enterprise-skills project and NGO category; the documented scale fits | Prepare the prescribed application |
| Company B | A past report includes livelihoods, but current intake is unconfirmed | Ask about intake through an official contact, or monitor |
| Company C | The published programme is restricted to another state | Close the prospect unless the company confirms an exception |
This review can save a week of proposal work. A stronger paragraph cannot fix an excluded district. See the costed project example before judging whether your team can support the scale.
What should be ready for due diligence?
Maintain one master evidence folder. Check document validity and consistency before a company asks for it.
- Entity and governance: formation documents, PAN, governing body, authorised signatory and applicable registrations.
- Finance: requested audited years, current commitments, bank controls and responses to material audit findings.
- Delivery: comparable projects, team roles, permissions, cost assumptions and monitoring records.
- Protection: relevant safeguarding, consent, data access, complaints and conflict-of-interest procedures.
Share sensitive bank, identity or beneficiary records only through the verified process when requested. Use the due-diligence checklist to assign an owner and review date to each item.
A separate CSR route added in May 2026
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs added a route for subscribing to eligible zero-coupon zero-principal instruments issued by NPOs registered on a recognised Social Stock Exchange. The PIB release states a ceiling of 10% of a company’s total CSR expenditure for the financial year. This is a separate regulated route; holding CSR-1 does not by itself complete SSE registration.
Write the next action before drafting
Finish the screening record with one decision: apply, enquire, monitor or not a fit. Assign a person and a date. Record the reason for closing a prospect too. That stops the team from returning to the same unsuitable company next month.
If the route is suitable, move to the first enquiry and application workflow. If the company requests a proposal, use its format and the worked CSR proposal.
Official checks used for this guide
For an auditable funding decision, use the NGOGrant grant-source verification worksheet to save the issuer’s current evidence, intake status and next action before applying.
Source check: 10 October 2026. National CSR Exchange FAQ for implementing-agency categories and portal scope; NBCFDC’s CSR proposal page for its own applicant criteria; MCA’s May 2026 release for the SSE route. Current rules and the company’s instructions govern a real application.
Editorial contact: Vekho P. Ringa, Editor of NGOGrant. The project and company comparisons above are illustrative. Send corrections or preparation enquiries through NGOGrant’s WhatsApp assistance.
Optional CSR document pack
When is the free guide enough—and when might a document pack help?
Start free: If a company is not accepting proposals or the project is outside its geography, a paid CSR pack will not make that route available. First confirm programme fit, current intake status and the NGO’s implementation eligibility using the free guide and official funder links.
Consider a connected system if: Where a genuine CSR proposal route exists, a programme team may need to coordinate company-fit evidence, due-diligence requests, communication, budgets, milestones, submission and corporate review.
What the optional pack actually describes: The optional pack describes 60 substantive editable pages, six DOCX modules, a seven-sheet XLSX workbook and PDF instructions, including an illustrative CSR control case.
What it does not do: It is not a corporate invitation, Government CSR-1 registration, verified open grant, CSR due-diligence clearance or assurance of funding.
Browse the CSR document packThe CSR document pack is listed in the NGOGrant Shop. Review its included files, previews, price and licence before choosing it. The free guidance above remains available without purchase.
CSR funding for NGOs: common questions
Can a newly registered NGO get CSR funding?
Not as an independent implementing agency until it has a documented three-year track record in similar activities. That condition belongs to the independent-organisation category. Company-established and government-established bodies have different conditions, so check which category you are in before you approach a company.
Does CSR-1 registration guarantee CSR funding?
No. MCA21 CSR registration records your NGO as an implementing agency. The company still decides whether to select and fund your project, and a National CSR Exchange account is not a grant either.
Does our project have to fit Schedule VII?
Yes. The company must be able to relate the actual project activities to Schedule VII. Describe the activities plainly so the link is easy to see, rather than relying on a broad sector label.
Is there a 5% cap on NGO salaries in a CSR project?
No such universal cap applies to your project budget. The 5% ceiling on CSR administrative overheads concerns the company’s general CSR administration. Build your budget from the actual roles and costs the project needs and any conditions the company sets.
Does a company’s past CSR spending mean it will accept our proposal?
No. Past spending is a record of what the company did, not money available to your NGO. Look for a current call, a published proposal route or an official contact before you send anything.
Continue your CSR preparation
For company-by-company research, the CSR Funding Handbook for Indian NGOs 2027 brings together 100 company profiles, official application routes, a protected Excel reference workbook and companion tools. The digital bundle costs ₹599 (inclusive of GST); sample pages are available before purchase.
Continue with the related task or checklist that fits your organisation. Verify current official requirements before submitting anything.
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Get help with your next step
NGOGrant can help organise preparation and coordinate professional support where required.