NGOs & Implementation
How to Choose a CSR Implementing Partner: An NGO Due Diligence Checklist
A practical checklist for CSR teams selecting an NGO partner: legal eligibility, governance, finances, track record, field capacity and reporting.
Choosing the right implementing partner is the single biggest factor in whether a CSR programme succeeds. Here is a checklist that CSR teams can use.
1. Legal eligibility
- Valid CSR-1 registration number (see our CSR-1 guide).
- Current 12A and 80G registrations.
- Registration certificate, PAN and, if it receives foreign funds, FCRA status.
- At least three years of relevant track record.
2. Governance
- An independent board or trustees, with no family dominance.
- Conflict-of-interest, whistle-blower and child protection policies.
- Regular board meetings with minutes.
3. Finances
- Three years of audited accounts.
- Diversified funding, not dependent on a single donor.
- Reasonable overheads and clear financial controls.
4. Track record and results
- Evidence of outcomes, not only activities.
- References from other funders.
- Any independent evaluations of past projects.
5. Field capacity
- Staff on the ground in the target district.
- Relationships with panchayats and the district administration.
- Community trust: the most important factor, and best judged with a field visit.
6. Monitoring and reporting
- The ability to produce monthly progress reports and utilisation certificates.
- Data systems for tracking beneficiaries and outcomes.
Always visit the field
Documents tell part of the story. A day in the villages where the NGO works, talking to communities and frontline staff, tells the rest.
Orvys carries out field-verified due diligence on every implementing partner in our network. See our services.
