Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, sits in a valley that has lived through years of conflict and natural disasters, including the devastating 2014 floods. Its NGOs have grown up around those realities, with strong work caring for orphans, supporting people with disabilities, providing mental-health counselling and delivering relief. 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 Srinagar, 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 Srinagar and the Kashmir valley, 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.
CHINAR Kashmir
CHINAR (Child Nurture And Relief) Kashmir, registered since 2004 and active in Srinagar and Budgam, runs a home for orphans and provides education, women's and youth empowerment, skill development and disaster relief. Its long focus on orphan care and education meets a deep and continuing need in the valley. For donors who want to support a child's care and schooling, CHINAR is an experienced, trusted choice. Ask about the children it cares for and its programmes, and confirm its registrations before funding.
HELP Foundation
HELP Foundation, registered in 1997 and based in Srinagar, provides relief and rehabilitation to people challenged by physical disability and economic deprivation, with a strong focus on education, empowerment and mental-health counselling for women and children who have suffered most from the region's turmoil. Combining disability, education and mental health is rare and valuable. For donors and CSR teams interested in disability and mental health, HELP Foundation is a credible, experienced organisation. Ask about the people it supports and its counselling work, and confirm its registrations before funding.
Borderless World Foundation
Started in 2002, the Borderless World Foundation runs homes for orphaned and vulnerable girls across the Kashmir valley, including in Srinagar, providing shelter, education and counselling. By giving girls who lost parents in the conflict a safe home and an education, it changes the course of their lives. For donors who want to support orphaned girls' care and schooling, the foundation offers a focused, well-known programme. Ask about the girls in its homes and their education and outcomes, and confirm its registrations before giving.
Athrout
Athrout, founded in 2012 in Srinagar, focuses on healthcare and community development, supporting poor patients with medical help and running welfare programmes. Healthcare costs can push families into crisis, and Athrout helps people access treatment they could not otherwise afford. For donors interested in community health, it offers grounded, local work. Ask about the patients and families it supports, and confirm its registrations before donating.
SOS Children's Village Srinagar
SOS Children's Village Srinagar provides family-style homes, quality education and long-term care for orphaned and abandoned children, giving them stability rather than only institutional care. The family model helps children grow up with a sense of belonging. For donors who want to fund a child's whole upbringing, it offers a well-established structure. Ask about the children in its care and their education and outcomes, and confirm its registrations before giving.
Voluntary Medicare Society (VMS)
The Voluntary Medicare Society works in Srinagar on medical relief and healthcare for poor and underserved communities, including camps and support for patients who cannot afford treatment. In a region where good healthcare can be hard to reach, its medical work has real value. For donors focused on health, VMS offers local programmes. Ask about its medical work and the people it serves, and confirm its registrations before giving.
Goonj (Jammu and Kashmir)
Goonj is a national organisation known for turning urban material into a resource for rural development and for major relief work, with a strong record in Jammu and Kashmir, including after the 2014 floods and through harsh winters. It links everyday giving to dignity-based development rather than charity. For donors and CSR teams interested in disaster response and rural development, Goonj is well suited to the region. Ask about its current work there and how contributions are used, and confirm its registrations before giving.
Pratham (Jammu and Kashmir)
Pratham, one of India's largest education NGOs, runs programmes in Jammu and Kashmir 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 with a national partner, Pratham is reliable. Ask for its coverage in the region and learning data, and confirm its compliance before funding.
Smile Foundation (Jammu and Kashmir)
Smile Foundation is a national NGO running education, health and livelihood programmes in Jammu and Kashmir, including learning centres for underprivileged children and mobile health services. Its programmes are well documented and frequently funded through corporate CSR. For donors who want established systems and reporting, it is a dependable option. Ask for the specific programmes in the region and their results, and verify its registrations before giving.
HelpAge India (Srinagar)
HelpAge India works for the care, health and dignity of older people, running mobile healthcare, helplines and support programmes in Srinagar and across the union territory. 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 Srinagar
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.
Srinagar's NGOs do compassionate, resilient work in a region that has seen much hardship, from a home for an orphaned girl to relief after a flood. Choose the cause that matters to you, run the checks above, and give with confidence — and nearby, see our guide to the top NGOs in Jammu.
Find verified NGOs in Srinagar 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.