Siliguri is the gateway to North Bengal and the North East, a busy junction near the borders of Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. That location, together with the region's tea gardens and tribal communities, shapes its social challenges — human trafficking is a serious risk, and tea-estate families often live in poverty. The city's NGOs respond with strong work in anti-trafficking, child protection, tea-garden welfare and women's empowerment. If you live here and want to give, volunteer or run a corporate social-responsibility programme, this guide lists ten respected NGOs in and around Siliguri, 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 Siliguri and North Bengal, 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.
DLR Prerna
DLR Prerna, based in Siliguri, works on anti-trafficking and child protection across North Bengal, helping prevent trafficking, supporting survivors and protecting vulnerable children in a high-risk border region. Its frontline location makes its prevention and rescue work especially important. For donors and CSR teams focused on anti-trafficking and child safety, DLR Prerna addresses an urgent regional need. Ask about the children and survivors it supports and its prevention work, and confirm its registrations before funding.
Edith Wilkins Street Children Foundation
The Edith Wilkins Street Children Foundation works with street and at-risk children in the North Bengal hills, providing rescue, shelter, education, healthcare and reintegration. Many of the children it reaches are alone and exposed to exploitation, so its outreach is time-sensitive. For donors who want their gift to protect vulnerable children directly, the foundation offers focused, compassionate care. Ask about the children sheltered and returned to school or family, and confirm its registrations before giving.
Hayden Hall
Hayden Hall, rooted in the Darjeeling and North Bengal region, works on women's self-help groups, children's education, health and craft-based livelihoods, with a long history of supporting hill communities. Its women's collectives and education programmes have strengthened many families. For donors interested in women's empowerment and community development in the hills, Hayden Hall is an experienced, trusted organisation. Ask about the women's groups and children it supports, and confirm its registrations before funding.
VIHAAN
VIHAAN works at the grassroots in the region against human trafficking and other forms of abuse and exploitation, helping protect vulnerable people and connect survivors of trafficking to legal services. Access to justice is often the missing piece for survivors, and VIHAAN focuses there. For donors and CSR teams interested in anti-trafficking and survivor rights, the organisation does important, difficult work. Ask about the survivors it supports and its legal work, and confirm its registrations before giving.
SESSWS
SESSWS works for underprivileged communities in the tribal tea estates of North Bengal on education, rural development, food, health and sports. Tea-garden families are among the region's poorest, and the organisation's focus on them addresses a specific, long-standing need. For donors interested in tea-garden welfare and rural development, SESSWS offers grounded, local programmes. Ask about the estates and communities it works with, and confirm its 80G status before donating.
Women's Interlink Foundation
Women's Interlink Foundation works in West Bengal on the rehabilitation of trafficking survivors and the protection of vulnerable women and girls, including running homes under anti-trafficking schemes. Its work gives survivors a safe place and a path to rebuild their lives. For donors and CSR teams focused on women's safety and anti-trafficking, it is an experienced organisation in a difficult field. Ask about the women it shelters and supports, and confirm its registrations before funding.
Pratham (West Bengal)
Pratham, one of India's largest education NGOs, runs programmes in West Bengal to help children master reading and basic arithmetic, working with communities and government schools, including in tea-garden and rural areas. Its widely cited learning assessments keep its work measurable. For CSR teams that want learning outcomes at scale, Pratham is reliable. Ask for its local coverage and learning data, and confirm its compliance before funding.
Goonj (West Bengal)
Goonj is a national organisation known for turning urban material into a resource for rural development and for major relief work, with activity in West Bengal including flood-affected areas. 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.
SOS Children's Villages (West Bengal)
SOS Children's Villages provides family-based care, education and a stable home for orphaned and abandoned children, with programmes in West Bengal. 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.
HelpAge India (Siliguri)
HelpAge India works for the care, health and dignity of older people, running mobile healthcare, helplines and support programmes in Siliguri and across West Bengal. 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.
How to verify any NGO before you donate in Siliguri
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.
Siliguri's NGOs stand on a difficult frontline, from stopping a trafficker to supporting a tea-garden family. Choose the cause that matters to you, run the checks above, and give with confidence — and elsewhere in the state, see our guide to the top NGOs in Kolkata.
Find verified NGOs in Siliguri 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.