CSR-1 registration: receiving corporate CSR funds

Large companies in India must spend part of their profits on social causes (CSR). Since April 2021, your organisation can receive this money only if it is registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. You register by filing Form CSR-1 online, after which you receive a CSR Registration Number that companies use to verify you.

1. Check eligibility: your NGO must be a Section 8 company, registered public trust, or registered society with valid 12A and 80G income tax registrations and a three-year track record of similar work. Entities set up by a company or by the government are exempt from the track-record condition.
2. Get your documents ready: your registration certificate or trust deed, the NGO's PAN card, the names and DIN or PAN of your board members or trustees, and a board resolution authorising one person to file.
3. Download Form CSR-1 from the MCA portal (mca.gov.in) and fill it in offline: your entity details, the CSR activities you plan to undertake, and your board members.
4. Have a practising chartered accountant, company secretary, or cost accountant verify and digitally sign the form (Part B). This professional certification is mandatory; you cannot file CSR-1 without it.
5. Upload the signed form on the MCA portal with your attachments and submit. On successful submission, the portal automatically generates your CSR Registration Number.
6. Share the registration number with companies that want to fund you. Registration makes you eligible; companies still choose their own partners, so keep your activity reports and financials ready.

Rules and the portal process change. Confirm the latest requirements on mca.gov.in or with the professional who certifies your form. If you do not yet have 12A and 80G, start there first; see our guide on 80G and 12A registration.