Loading…Loading…Loading…Compliance · CSR-1
Without CSR-1 registration, companies can't legally route CSR funds to your NGO. Here's who's eligible, how to apply, and why it matters for corporate funding.
All four conditions typically need to be met.
Filed on the MCA21 portal, not the income tax e-filing portal.
Verify your NGO meets the 3-year track record requirement and holds valid 12A and 80G registration before applying.
Submit Form CSR-1 electronically on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA21) portal, digitally signed by the NGO's authorised representative and certified by a practicing CA/CS/CMA.
On approval, the NGO is issued a unique CSR Registration Number — mandatory for any company to legally route CSR funds to that NGO.
Companies can now list the NGO as an implementing agency for CSR projects and route CSR-2 disclosures accordingly.
CSR-1 registration is often the single biggest unlock for NGOs trying to move from individual donors to corporate CSR funding at scale.
CSR-1 is a registration NGOs must complete with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) to be legally eligible to receive and implement Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds from companies under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013.
Trusts, societies, and Section 8 companies with valid 12A/12AB and 80G registration, and at least 3 years of demonstrable track record in undertaking similar charitable activities, are eligible to apply for CSR-1 registration.
Generally no — MCA requires a 3-year track record of relevant activity. Newer NGOs typically need to partner with an already CSR-1-registered organisation or wait until they meet the track record requirement.
Companies are legally required to route CSR spending only to CSR-1-registered entities and report it via Form CSR-2. Without CSR-1 registration, an NGO cannot legally receive CSR funds from companies, no matter how strong its programs are.
Common rejection reasons include missing or expired 12A/80G registration, insufficient documentation of the 3-year activity track record, mismatched details between the application and the NGO's registration documents, and incomplete CA/CS/CMA certification.
Sevastack tracks 12A/80G compliance status (a CSR-1 prerequisite), and provides CSR proposal creation, fund utilization tracking by project, and utilization certificate generation once an NGO is CSR-1 registered and receiving corporate funds.
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