[1] CRY
Started in 1979 by Rippan Kapur – a young airline purser, and 6 of his friends, CRY pursued to provide equitable outcomes to underprivileged children. The Indian NGO has ever since worked towards restoring children’s rights by raising awareness, bringing about policy changes, and taking direct actions. Their aim is to build a society that assures a healthy and happy childhood that promises equality and respect.
Source: cry.org
[2] CHILDLINE INDIA FOUNDATION
CHILDLINE India Foundation (CIF) is the nodal agency of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development acting as the parent organization of CHILDLINE 1098 by setting it up, managing the helpline, and monitoring the service all over India. CHILDLINE 1098 is a phone number that is available 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, free, emergency phone service for children in need of aid and assistance.
Source: childlineindia.org
[3] PRATHAM
A Sanskrit word for ‘First’, Pratham was established in 1995 and is one of India’s leading organizations that strives to better the quality of education provided in India. The organization works towards identifying the gaps in the education system and then addressing them with cost-effective, high-quality solutions and interventions. They ensure that the children attend schools in large numbers and the youth become well-trained and ready for job opportunities.
Source: pratham.org
[4] UDAAN WELFARE FOUNDATION
Udaan Welfare Foundation was established in 2008 by a group of 41 professionals from different walks of life. The NGO, which was started in Mumbai, has effectuated several projects in the areas of health, nutrition, and education. They have also implemented projects, such as rainwater harvesting and wastewater recycling, that have restored the environment. Various community centers have also been established in the semi-urban areas of Thane.
Source: udaanwelfare.org
[5] BIRTH INDIA
Birth India is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that was established in 2007 by 5 women of different nationalities. The organization aims to provide the best birth care practices and promote evidence-based benefits to birthing women. With an array of health professionals, birth professionals, research, and educational organizations as their aides, the organization is a platform for connecting pregnant families with the relevant professionals.
Source: birthindia.org
[6] NANHI KALI
Nanhi Kali is an Indian non-governmental organization that was founded by Anand Mahindra in 1996 with an aim to provide education to the underprivileged girls in the country. The NGO, which is jointly managed by Naandi Foundation and KC Mahindra Education Trust, was established in the wake of the rising population in India, the downfall of female literacy levels, and low female workplace participation. So far, the project has reached out to over 370,000 underprivileged girls across 14 states in India and continues to do so.
Source: nanhikali.org
[7] ACTION AID ASSOCIATION
ActionAid Association is an organization that works towards bringing social and ecological justice. With the aim of empowering a person to lead their life with dignity, and to create a world where poverty, injustice, and patriarchy are wiped off, the organization has worked tirelessly in uplifting the most marginalized communities since 1972. ActionAid Association works in 24 states and two union territories, with several partners and allied organizations.
Source: actionaidindia.org
[8] A PERIOD OF SHARING
Menstruation is an important biological phenomenon of every woman. ‘A Period of Sharing’ encourages women to adopt sustainable practices during menstruation and save the environment. India’s first-ever menstruation fest ‘Maasika Mahotsav’, which is the brainchild of ‘A Period of Sharing’, is an initiative by an organization called ‘Muse’ founded by Amritha Mohan and Nishant Bangera. The festival aims to break the stereotypes which have been continuing in our society since ages.
Source: aperiodofsharing
[9] HELPAGE INDIA
One of the oldest non-profit and non-governmental organizations operating in India, HelpAge India was founded by Sri Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Mr. Jackson Cole, and Samson Daniel in 1960. The NGO has been working in taking care of the disadvantaged elderly people by giving them a better quality of life. It works in association with ‘Senior Citizens Associations’ and advocates quality healthcare, Universal Pension, action against elder abuse, and many more at a national, state, and societal level with State and Central governments.
Source: helpageindia.org
[10] THE MINDS FOUNDATION
The MINDS Foundation is a non-profit organization that is committed to combating mental health issues via a multi-pronged approach. The foundation strives to bring about a preventive approach to decrease the global burden of mental ill-health. It drives mental health education, training making accessible high-quality mental health care in communities, corporate settings, academic institutions, and by partnering with existing infrastructure and clinics. It also integrates arts, media, and storytelling to eradicate the stigma surrounding mental illness and to develop a positive environment.
Source: mindsfoundation.org
[11] AKSHAYA PATRA
Founded in the year 2000 by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in Bengaluru, Karnataka, the Akshaya Patra Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides mid-day meals. The organization aims to feed the underprivileged children in India who lack the means to have a basic mid-day meal. It strives to counter malnutrition and supporting the right to education of socio-economically disadvantaged children. It has successfully served over 1.76 million children from 15,024 schools across 12 states in India and continues to do so.
Source: akshayapatra.org
[12] MITRA JYOTHI
Mitra Jyothi was established in 1990 and has been tirelessly working for the welfare of the visually impaired. They aim to empower and help the visually impaired individuals to lead an independent and dignified life, through education, training, counseling, communication, and with the aid of technology. The organization provides educational material, training in independent living skills, Braille transcriptions, and an accessible library via multiple programs. They also have a residential ‘Center for Empowerment of Women with Disabilities’ (CEWD).
Source: mitrajyothi.org
[13] SOUNDS OF SILENCE
India’s first technology-based NGO, Sounds of Silence (SOS) that enables the hearing impaired individuals to overcome the communication barriers and provide them with innovative ways of interacting with the world. Sumit Singh Gandhi started the NGO in 2012 with a pilot project in Delhi. Today, the program has more than 1,000 students under their wings in Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune. The program now has many non-voice centers wherein a two-months training course will empower the hearing impaired individuals to land job opportunities.
Source: soundsofsilence.in
[14] KARUNASHRAYA
Karunashraya was established as a joint project of the Indian Cancer Society (Karnataka Chapter) and Rotary Bangalore Indiranagar. It provides the highest quality in-patient and home-based palliative care, free of cost, to the cancer patients who are beyond curative medical treatment. Taking support of technological advancement, and intensive research and innovation, the organization strives to provide their patients. It is truly an “abode of compassion”.
Source: karunashraya.org
[15] THALASSEMIA & SICKLE CELL SOCIETY
The Thalassemia & Sickle Cell Society (TSCS) was established in the year 1998 in Hyderabad to provide quality treatment and ensure a better life for children affected by Thalassemia. The organization strives to reduce the number of newborn babies with Thalassemia and improve the quality of life of Thalassemia patients by giving them free blood transfusion, providing timely and free health check-ups, and give regular counseling.
Source: tscsindia.org
[16] PEOPLE FOR ANIMALS
People for Animals or PFA is India’s largest animal welfare organization. It has a network of 26 hospitals, 165 units, 60 mobile units, and 2.5 Lakh members, spread across the entire country. The organization strives to work towards rescuing and rehabilitating the sick and needy animals. They do so setting up shelters, running ambulance services, conducting sterilization programs, having treatment camps, and disaster rescue missions for animals. PFA also imparts educational programs on the school level, fight cases in court, and lobby on animal issues in parliament.
Source: peopleforanimalsindia.org
[17] GREEN PEACE
Green Peace was started in 1971 by a bunch of people and 45 years on, it’s presence thrives in 55 countries. Green Peace India was established in 2001 with the support of an able and committed team that ran environmental awareness campaigns and conducted activities in raising public awareness on environmental issues. Greenpeace seeks to protect biodiversity in all its forms, prevent pollution and abuse of the earth’s ocean, land, air, and freshwater. It also strives to end all nuclear threats and promote peace, global disarmament, and non-violence
Source: greenpeace.org
[18] BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) is a pan-India wildlife research organization that was established in 1883 and has been promoting the cause of nature conservation ever since. Its mission is to conserve nature, mainly biological diversity via action based on research, education, and public awareness. They work with a vision of excelling in the conservation of threatened species and habitats.
Source: bnhs.org
[19] GOONJ
Goonj is a non-governmental organization based in India that was established by Anshu Gupta in 1999. The NGO works towards issues such as disaster relief, humanitarian aid, and community development in almost 23 states of India. What started with 67 garments, the NGO now deals with over 3,500 tonnes of material every year. Goonj’s mission is to ‘grow as an idea across regions, economies, and countries using urban discard as a tool to alleviate poverty and enhance the dignity of the poor in the world.’
Source: goonj.org
[20] HUMSAFAR TRUST
Founded in 1994 by reputed journalist Ashok Row Kavi, the Humsafar Trust (HST) reaches out to LGBTQ communities in Mumbai, Delhi, and its surrounding areas. The trust began by inviting people from the LGBTQ community to attend their workshops that were conducted to raise awareness and eradicate the social stigma. Workshop on HIV/AIDS, health services, and human rights became the prima facie of HST activities. HST also provides legal support, crisis management, mental health, and nutrition counseling to its communities.
Source: HUMSAFAR TRUST