Bareilly, a historic city of the Rohilkhand region in western Uttar Pradesh, blends a bustling urban centre with a wide rural district. Its NGOs are active in women's self-help groups, children's education, skills training and health awareness. If you live here and want to give, volunteer or run a corporate social-responsibility programme, this guide is a useful starting point. It lists ten respected NGOs in and around Bareilly, what each does, and the checks every donor and CSR team should run first.
How we chose these NGOs
We looked for organisations with a real presence in Bareilly and Uttar Pradesh, programmes on the ground and public information about their work. Preference went to NGOs that are clear about their compliance — 12A, 80G, CSR-1 and FCRA — and that put services to people first. Treat this as a shortlist to research, and confirm an NGO's current status before you give.
Aastha Mahila Vikas Samiti
Aastha Mahila Vikas Samiti is a leading women's-empowerment organisation in Bareilly, supporting thousands of women across many villages of the district with skills training, legal literacy and self-help group formation. Strong women's groups improve incomes, rights and confidence across whole communities. For donors and CSR teams interested in women's empowerment, it is an experienced local partner. Ask about the women's groups and villages it works with, and confirm its registrations before funding.
Pragati Shiksha Foundation
Pragati Shiksha Foundation runs free learning centres, digital-literacy drives and scholarship programmes for underprivileged children in the Bareilly area. Keeping children in school and giving them digital skills opens real opportunity. For donors and CSR teams focused on education, it is a focused local partner. Ask about the children it reaches and its results, and confirm its registrations before funding.
Bal Shakti Sansthan
Bal Shakti Sansthan works on children's education and development in the Bareilly region, supporting learning for children from disadvantaged families. Early support in education shapes a child's whole future. For donors interested in children's learning, it is a local organisation worth researching. Ask about the children and centres it supports, and confirm its registrations before funding.
SAKAR (Social Action for Knowledge Building and Awareness Raising)
SAKAR focuses on empowering women and protecting the rights of children in the Bareilly area through awareness and grassroots action. Building awareness of rights helps families claim entitlements and protect their children. For donors and CSR teams interested in women's and children's rights, it is worth researching. Ask about its programmes and the communities they reach, and confirm its registrations before funding.
Adarsh Shiksha Samiti
Adarsh Shiksha Samiti provides family counselling, legal and health awareness programmes and professional and skills training in the Bareilly region. Its mix of counselling, awareness and skilling supports families in several practical ways. For donors interested in skills and awareness work, it is a local option to research. Ask about its programmes and beneficiaries, and confirm its registrations before giving.
Pratham (Uttar Pradesh)
Pratham, one of India's largest education NGOs, runs programmes in Uttar Pradesh to help children master reading and basic arithmetic, working with communities and government schools. Its widely cited learning assessments keep its work measurable. For CSR teams that want learning outcomes at scale, Pratham is reliable. Ask for its coverage in the region and learning data, and confirm its compliance before funding.
Akshaya Patra Foundation (Uttar Pradesh)
Akshaya Patra runs one of the world's largest school lunch programmes, cooking and delivering mid-day meals to children in government and aided schools, with kitchens serving Uttar Pradesh. A hot, nutritious meal raises school enrolment, attendance and concentration. For donors who want a measurable, child-focused outcome, the programme is clear and proven, and its scale makes it a frequent CSR partner. Ask about meals served in the region and review its accounts, and confirm its registrations before funding.
Goonj (Uttar Pradesh)
Goonj is a national organisation known for turning urban material into a resource for rural development and for major disaster relief, with activity across Uttar Pradesh. It links everyday giving to dignity-based development rather than charity. For donors and CSR teams interested in rural development and disaster response, Goonj has a strong record. Ask about its current work in the state and how contributions are used, and confirm its registrations before giving.
HelpAge India (Bareilly)
HelpAge India works for the care, health and dignity of older people, running mobile healthcare, helplines and support programmes in Bareilly and across Uttar Pradesh. As families change and younger members migrate for work, support for the elderly is increasingly needed. For donors and CSR teams focused on older people, HelpAge is an experienced national partner. Ask about its local programmes and the elders it serves, and confirm its compliance before funding.
SOS Children's Villages (Uttar Pradesh)
SOS Children's Villages provides family-based care, education and a stable home for orphaned and abandoned children, with programmes in Uttar Pradesh. The family-style model gives children long-term security rather than only institutional care. For donors who want to fund a child's whole upbringing, it offers a well-established structure. Ask about the children in care in the state and their education and outcomes, and confirm its registrations before giving.
How to verify any NGO before you donate in Bareilly
Run the same short checklist before you give, whatever the cause:
- 12A — confirms registration for income-tax exemption as a charity.
- 80G — makes your donation eligible for a tax deduction; collect a valid receipt.
- CSR-1 — required before a company can route CSR funds to the NGO.
- FCRA — needed if the NGO accepts foreign contributions; confirm it is active.
- Reporting — read the latest annual report and audited accounts, and ask for concrete results.
You can browse NGOs whose compliance has been checked on NGOLists, and the compliance guide explains each registration in plain language.
Bareilly's NGOs reach women in its villages and children in its classrooms across Rohilkhand. Choose the cause that matters to you, run the checks above, and give with confidence — and elsewhere in western UP, see our guide to the top NGOs in Meerut.
Find verified NGOs in Bareilly on NGOLists
Every NGO listed on NGOLists is checked for 12A, 80G, CSR-1 and FCRA before it appears, so donors and CSR teams can give with confidence. List your NGO or fund a cause today.