Grants for NGOs in India: Find the Right Grant and Apply

Short answer: Indian NGOs get grants from four main routes: government schemes, company CSR programmes, Indian foundations and, with FCRA registration or prior permission, foreign donors. Pick the route that fits your registrations, track record and region, keep your documents ready, and apply only through the funder’s own official page or portal. NITI Aayog says a Darpan ID is mandatory for non-profits seeking grants from Ministries and Departments of the Government of India. Centrally funded schemes processed through State governments, such as the Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme, also require it, and State schemes set their own rules. Below you will find a readiness checklist, a guide to which funding fits, what funders actually ask for, common reasons for rejection, and grants open as of 26 Oct 2026.

NGOGrant.in does not award grants, sanction funding, or charge any fee to “approve,” “release,” or guarantee a grant. Any fees are only for documentation / proposal preparation help — never for “sanctioning” a grant.

Which funding fits your NGO?

Each route has its own rules, so start from what your organisation already has. For the wider picture, see NGO funding sources in India and our comparison of government grants vs CSR funding.

Route	Usually needs	Read next
Government scheme (Central or State)	Registered NGO; a Darpan ID for grants from central Ministries/Departments and centrally funded schemes processed through State governments (State schemes set their own rules); many schemes also ask for 2 years’ registration and past accounts	government schemes and grants for NGOs
Company CSR programme	CSR implementing agencies not set up by the company or government generally need 12A/80G (or 10(23C)) approval, an established track record of at least three years in similar activities, and CSR-1 registration.	CSR funding guide
Indian or foreign foundation	Varies by funder; read eligibility, region and exclusions first	Foundations open now
Foreign government or agency	FCRA registration or prior permission, plus the funder’s own conditions	Australian DAP rows in the table below

A quick test: if you have no Darpan ID, fix that before applying for any central government grant. If you are under three years old, CSR implementation is usually not open to you yet, so look at rolling foundation routes. If you have no FCRA registration, leave foreign grants aside for now.

Grant-readiness checklist

NGO Darpan ID in place and details matching your PAN (NGO Darpan registration support: ₹1,000 incl. GST)
12A registration and 80G approval if you plan to seek CSR funds (12A and 80G registration support)
FCRA registration or prior permission before any foreign grant (FCRA assistance)
Audited accounts for at least the last two years, ready as PDFs
Registration certificate and governing documents, with the same name everywhere
A short record of past projects: where, how many people, what changed
A project proposal and budget that tell the same story
Compliance filings up to date (see the NGO compliance calendar)

For the full list, use our funding documents checklist, then run the grant application checklist on the day you submit. Funders may also run their own checks; our due diligence checklist shows what they look at.

What funders actually ask for

These requirements come from current grant routes, across different regions:

Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and other northern states (Australian DAP, New Delhi): FCRA validity details and the previous two years’ audited accounts.
Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and the eastern region (Australian DAP, Kolkata): a co-contribution, FCRA details and two years’ audits.
Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Vidarbha and other priority areas (Paul Hamlyn Foundation): FCRA registration; prior permission is not accepted.
All States/UTs (SMILE Garima Greh): two years’ registration and experience, an NGO Darpan ID and an e-Anudaan account.
All States/UTs (DDRS): two years’ registration, Darpan registration first, and accounts for the last two years.

A realistic timeline

Grants are slow, and the waiting is built into each route. Plan around the steps each funder publishes:

Registration: after you register on the Azim Premji Foundation form, portal login details come within seven working days.
Assessment windows: Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s India Fund is rolling but assessed in March and October, so the timing of your application matters.
Government chain: a DDRS application goes from District Welfare Officer inspection to the State grant-in-aid committee and then to DEPwD. The FAQ advises applying in the first quarter of the year.
Money after work: the community radio grant is a reimbursement after inspection, so you need cash to start.
Reporting: central grants are accounted for through utilisation certificates under the General Financial Rules.

Why grant applications get rejected

Wrong route: the call is closed, invitation-only or not meant for your type of organisation.
Eligibility not met: too few years of registration, no Darpan ID, or no FCRA for a foreign grant.
Region or theme mismatch: for example, Paul Hamlyn Foundation makes micro-level grants only in its priority areas.
Excluded applicants: Paul Hamlyn Foundation does not fund applications made through consultants or fundraisers, or political or religious institutions.
Documents that do not agree: name, PAN, accounts and proposal figures that differ.

Before trusting any call, use our grant verification toolkit. The Azim Premji Foundation carries a fraud alert about mails asking for money; genuine funders do not charge to consider an application.

Grants open as of 26 Oct 2026

Checked on 26 Oct 2026. Status can change, so confirm on the funder’s page. For every current route, see the NGOGrant funding directory and our October 2026 funding roundup.

Want only the calls that are still open, sorted by closing date? See our open NGO grants in India list, refreshed every week.

Grant	Funder	Where	Status	Key requirement
Australian Direct Aid Program, New Delhi	Australian High Commission	Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Ladakh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh	Closes 11 Nov 2026, end of day IST	FCRA details and the previous two years’ audited accounts
Australian Direct Aid Program, Kolkata	Australian Consulate-General, Kolkata	Eastern and northeastern states, including Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal	Closes 21 Nov 2026, end of day IST	Co-contribution, FCRA details and the previous two years’ audits
Paul Hamlyn Foundation India Fund	Paul Hamlyn Foundation (UK)	Priority areas incl. Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana, Vidarbha, Bundelkhand, The Dangs, Mewar/Hadoti	Rolling; assessed in March and October	FCRA registration (prior permission not accepted); ₹10–40 lakh over 1–2 years
Azim Premji Foundation grants	Azim Premji Foundation	All India	Rolling, no deadline	Register first; portal login within seven working days
SMILE Garima Greh grant	Ministry of Social Justice (SMILE)	All States/UTs	Open throughout the year	2 years’ registration, NGO Darpan ID, e-Anudaan account
community radio station grant	Ministry of Information & Broadcasting	All India	Rolling, for licensed community radio stations	NGO Darpan ID; reimbursement after inspection

Also check: the DDRS grant (Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme, DEPwD). FY 2026-27 intake; no closing date published, so apply on e-Anudaan when notified and check the portal.

Foreign grant: Indian NGOs normally need FCRA registration or prior permission (FCRA 2010) to receive these funds. General information only, not legal advice.

Where NGOGrant can help

If your documents are the gap, our annual compliance service (₹3,999 + GST per year) keeps filings on track, and the Project Proposal & Budget Pack helps you build a proposal and budget together. We help you prepare; the funder decides. More guides are on the Funding hub.

FAQs

Where can NGOs in India find grants?

Government schemes, CSR programmes of companies, Indian foundations and, with FCRA registration or prior permission, foreign donors. NGOGrant's funding directory lists researched routes with their status and source dates.

Is NGO Darpan registration needed for grants?

NITI Aayog says a Darpan ID is mandatory for non-profits seeking grants from Ministries and Departments of the Government of India. Centrally funded schemes processed through State governments, such as the Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme, also require it, and State schemes set their own rules.

Can a new NGO apply for grants?

Some routes need a track record. DDRS and SMILE Garima Greh ask for at least two years of registration, and CSR implementing agencies not set up by the company or government generally need an established track record of at least three years in similar activities, 12A/80G (or 10(23C)) approval and CSR-1 registration. Rolling foundation routes set their own rules, so read each one.

Can an Indian NGO apply for a foreign grant without FCRA?

Normally no. Indian NGOs need FCRA registration or prior permission to receive foreign funds, and some funders, such as the Paul Hamlyn Foundation India Fund, accept FCRA-registered organisations only. General information only, not legal advice.

Does NGOGrant.in award grants or charge an application fee?

NGOGrant.in does not award grants, sanction funding, or charge any fee to “approve,” “release,” or guarantee a grant. Each funder decides its own grants. Any fees are only for documentation / proposal preparation help — never for “sanctioning” a grant, so be wary of anyone who asks for money to secure one.

Sources

By Vekho P. Ringa, Editor. Last verified 26 Oct 2026. General information only, not legal advice. NGOGrant.in does not award grants, sanction funding, or charge any fee to “approve,” “release,” or guarantee a grant. Any fees are only for documentation / proposal preparation help — never for “sanctioning” a grant.