NGOs That are Bringing a Positive Change to the Society – List of Top 10 NGOs in India

NGOs, or Non-governmental Organizations, are the backbone of Indian society and facilitate the development of rural and underprivileged communities. You can think of these NGOs as the light that reaches the section of society that is ignored by the Government and has no access to the modern development schemes. The top 10 NGOs in India transform rural societies in multiple ways, including:

• By bridging the gap between the Government and underprivileged communities, they can access the benefits of various initiatives in education, food, and healthcare.
• By performing volunteer work with the help of donations to make sure the rural communities flourish and are sustained despite resource scarcity.
• By protecting the integrity and culture of communities and spreading awareness against wrongful actions done against them.

In this blog, we will present you with a list of the best NGOs in India working tirelessly for the sole purpose of bringing a change to society. We also want to encourage you to donate to these non-profit organizations, and we promise you that your money and efforts will be used for the right cause. Always remember, it is the thought that counts, not the amount of donation.

List of Top 10 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in India 2025

Top NGOs in India bring a change in various fields, including education, healthcare, women’s empowerment, children’s rights, environmental protection, elderly care, orphanages, food, and more. We have compiled a list of the best NGOs in India that work tirelessly to improve society, especially the deprived section.

 

1. PARD INDIA

PARD INDIA, short for Pragathi Association for Rural Development, was born from a simple yet powerful idea: gifting education through the READ Project to deprived children (V-kids) in rural India. PARD INDIA was formally established on January 13, 2011, as a Society in Yernagudem, Andhra Pradesh. Furthermore, this community-driven NGO began with an “After School Education Program” that provided educational care for 50 children after school as its initial focus. Since then, PARD INDIA has grown into one of the prominent non-profit organizations in India, covering over 80 villages across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states.

Significant Information About PARD INDIA

 

Great Campaigns Started By PARD INDIA:

• Rural Education and Development Project (READ)
  • Through this project, PARD INDIA aims to provide modern education to rural communities of India. Deprived and underprivileged kids are given resources to nourish their minds and bodies with complete academic support.
• Share A Happy Meal/Feed The Hungry
  • PARD INDIA is committed to fighting hunger and works to make it easier for you to donate food as a hunger hero. There are multiple ways that you can support their “Feed the Hungry” campaign, including serving a “Cooked Meal”, giving a “Happiness Grocery Kit”, donating a “Bag of Rice”, and sharing a “Millet Packet”.
• Sponsor A Child (V-kid)
  • Funds collected with this campaign directly impact the lives of underprivileged children, breaking the chain of child labour, and giving the “V-kids” a much-needed financial support.

Click here to donate or learn more about PARD INDIA campaigns, initiatives, and movements.

You can visit the blog page to read more about PARD INDIA’s work and gain a comprehensive understanding of the various aspects of NGOs and charity organizations India.

2. Akshaya Patra Foundation

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a self-sustained charitable trust registered under the Indian Trusts Act of 1882. It has been fighting classroom hunger and malnutrition since 2000 by operating the Government of India’s PM POSHAN Scheme. The foundation provides mid-day meals of nutritious food to schoolchildren across India every school day.

By using technology and the Public-Private Partnership model, Akshaya Patra has established a huge network of kitchen complexes. It collaborates with the Government of India, state and UT governments, corporations, and philanthropists to address this critical social issue on a large scale, thereby improving health and education outcomes for children.

Significant Information About Akshaya Patra Foundation

 

You can support the noble cause of the Akshaya Patra Foundation through the following methods:

• Joining their Active Fundraising Campaigns
• Sponsor A School For A Year
• Sponsor Kitchen Equipment
• Donate in memory of someone you love
• Donate in Honour of the one you admire.

3. Smile Foundation

Smile Foundation, founded in 2002 with its headquarters in New Delhi, is one of the top 10 NGO in India that operates in 25 Indian states. It has transformed itself over the last two decades into a self-sustained social institution and has promoted inclusive growth by forming alliances with industries and supporting change through civic leadership. The Foundation adopts cutting-edge programs in education, healthcare, and livelihoods, specifically targeting underprivileged children and women.

Significant Information About Smile Foundation

 

The Smile Foundation is successfully impacting the lives of 20+ Lakh children through the following powerful campaigns:

• Shikha Na Ruke: Helping children from the deprived section to complete their education, including primary and secondary grades.
• Health Cannot Wait: Replenishing the health of the poor and ignored section of society through high-quality healthcare services.
• She Can Fly: A campaign for girls’ education to help them contribute to the development of society.
• Swabhiman: Helping rural women stand on their feet with skill development.

4. Give India Foundation

GiveIndia is India’s top-rated non-profit organization and online donation platform. The purpose of GiveIndia is to connect donors with certified, trustworthy non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across India. By operating as a connection between the material and virtual worlds, GiveIndia bridges individuals in India and internationally through philanthropy.

These contributions find their way into the hands of screened NGOs and charity organizations India, which take up different causes. Because of its open working style and humanitarian efforts, GiveIndia is acclaimed as one of the Non-Profit Organisations in India.

Significant Information About Give India Foundation

 

You can find more legal and financial information about the Give India Foundation from here.

5. CRY (Child Rights and You)

Rippan Kapur, an Indian Airlines purser, founded CRY in 1979 alongside six friends and a mere Rs. 50. Now, after more than forty years, CRY collaborates with 102 local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in 19 states across India. It has positively impacted the innocent lives of more than 3 million children. India’s most trusted NGO, Child Rights and You (CRY), strives relentlessly to provide happier and healthier childhoods for India’s poor children.

Significant Information About CRY (Child Rights and You)

 

The CRY(Child Rights and You) is bringing a positive change to society through:

• Child Rights and You (CRY) supports children’s healthcare, nutrition, education, and protection.
• Works to prevent child marriage and child labour.
• Collaborates with teachers, parents, communities, Anganwadi workers, and state governments.
• Actively involves children in awareness and development initiatives.
• Aims to build a society that protects children’s rights, health, happiness, justice, and equality.

6. Goonj

Goonj is an NGO based in Delhi that was established in 1999 by Anshu Gupta to tackle poverty through innovative social development programs in 23 states of India. With a strong emphasis on clothing as a fundamental yet overlooked necessity, Goonj started with just 67 clothes and now deals with more than 3,500 tonnes of material every year. It actively works in disaster relief, rural development, and humanitarian aid. Anshu Gupta was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2015 and India’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012.

Goonj is a registered society under the Societies Act and is certified for tax and foreign donation exemptions under 12a, 80G, and FCRA. Thus, making it a reliable charity organizations India that will use your money strictly for charitable purposes.

Significant Information About Goonj

 

7. Nanhi Kali

Nanhi Kali is an Indian nonprofit organization that operates to educate needy girls. Founded in 1996 by Anand Mahindra, it is an initiative of collaboration between Naandi Foundation and KC Mahindra Education Trust, which operates as part of the Mahindra Group’s CSR strategies.

Significant Information About Nanhi Kali

 

Your donation to Nanhi Kali Foundation will help many girl child in need due to the following reasons:

• Focuses on empowering underprivileged girls through 10 years of quality education.
• Reaches girls in remote regions like Darjeeling and densely populated urban slums.
• Supported over 500,000 girls across 14 Indian states.
• Works to ensure access to basic educational rights for underage girls.
• Promotes global awareness about the denial of elementary rights to girls in India.
• Led by Chairperson Sheetal Mehta.

8. CARE India

CARE India has been operating in India for 68 years and is one of the top 10 NGO in India dedicated to fighting poverty and social injustice. They work to empower girl children and women from poor and marginalized backgrounds, enhancing their lives and livelihoods. They accomplish this through well-prepared, well-rounded health, education, livelihood, disaster relief, and response projects.

Care India reached 31.5 million people directly through 43 projects in 14 states across over 90 districts. Their resilience, disaster relief, livelihood, education, and health interventions empower marginalized women and girls to sustainably and holistically strengthen communities.

Significant Information About CARE India

 

The notable domains where the Care India Foundation works are listed below:

• Education
• Women Empowerment
• Child Cancer Patient
• Child Protection
• Child Education
• Child Labour cases

9. Pratham

Pratham is among the largest non-governmental organizations in India, founded by Madhav Chavan and Farida Lambe. It operates to deliver quality education to poor children in India. Pratham was established in Mumbai in 1994 to provide preschool education to slum children and has expanded its reach to 23 states and union territories in India, as well as assisted chapters in the United States, Britain, Germany, and Sweden.

Pratham is a trailblazing school that seeks to raise educational standards in India. It was established in 1995 to provide education to needy children from the slums of Mumbai. Pratham has now diversified in reach and programs for children and youth across the country.

Significant Information About Pratham

 

10. HelpAge India

HelpAge India, founded in 1978, operates to enhance the status of older individuals, particularly marginal ones. Universal pensions, healthcare, and abuse of the elderly are addressed by the organization, not just involving the government, but also other stakeholders as well. Its efforts are directed towards improving the quality of life of older citizens so that they can lead active, dignified, and healthy lives.

HelpAge India won the ‘UN Population Award 2020’ as the first Indian organization for its exemplary efforts in aging, COVID-19 relief, and the upholding of the rights of older persons.

Significant Information About HelpAge India

How Your Donations and Volunteering Can Help The Best NGOs in India for Social Welfare

PARD INDIA is a grassroots-level NGO that has spent more than two decades in helping the rural communities with resilience, hope, and transformation. As the leading NGO in India, we work diligently to overcome pressing challenges of recent times and continually improve our capabilities and mindsets to utilize our influence for the betterment of the society and laying the foundation for a fairer policies for underprivileged communities in rural areas.

Being a non-profit organization, we ask for your firm support in our campaigns so that we can spread awareness to underprivileged communities and include them in the modern India. With PARD INDIA, your donations reach the right group of people, bringing a positive change in their lives.

What is NGO Funding in India?

Non-governmental organization (NGO) funding in India is a pressing issue for anyone entering the non-profit sector. Here at PARD INDIA, we thrive on a combination of corporate collaborations, government grants, and donations to drive our green revolution. Securing funds for a top 10 NGO in India can be quite challenging, but with the right strategy, it is possible to obtain good support. Whether from CSR initiatives, crowdfunding, or foreign donations, donations enable NGOs to take their mission to greater heights, both literally and figuratively.

A Comprehensive Overview of NGO Registration in India

Creating the best NGO in India is like planting the first sapling. It is tiring, but growth is rewarding! The registration process involves submitting documents, such as a Memorandum of Association and a Trust Deed, under various acts, including the Societies Registration Act and the Indian Trusts Act. At PARD INDIA, we welcome all those who wish to join the bandwagon of social change by registering their NGO and taking the path towards transformation. Once you have your documents in place, you’re off and running towards adding to India’s social fabric, one tree or cause at a time.

Shape Today & Tomorrow With PARD INDIA!

India’s growth process is primarily the result of NGOs’ steadfast initiatives to transform deprived communities. Whether it’s educating underprivileged children, empowering women, providing skill development to the youth, strengthening rural livelihoods, addressing zero hunger at the grassroots level, or safeguarding elderly citizens, the top 10 NGOs in India, along with all other NGOs, have been continuously shaping the country’s future.

At PARD INDIA, our extensive grassroots connections and commitment to rural development show how national change can be powered by local action. Whether you want to be part of our initiative as a donor, volunteer, or advocate, PARD INDIA is the best place for everyone in this social movement. Nonetheless, if you want to make a positive impact at the grassroots level in India, PARD INDIA is one of the best non profit organizations in India to do so.

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