Frequently asked questions
What Mitr is, how verification works, and what to do if something here is wrong.
About Mitr
What is Mitr?
Mitr (Hindi: friend) is India's verified NGO directory — an independent, free platform that lists every organisation on India's official non-profit registries and lets each one claim and verify its own profile. It currently lists 1,61,203 organisations. More about Mitr.
Is Mitr a government website?
No. Mitr is independent and has no official status. The registries it draws on — NITI Aayog's Darpan, FCRA, and income-tax 12A/80G records — are run by the Government of India. Mitr points at those sources but does not speak for them.
Is Mitr free?
Yes. Searching the directory, listing an organisation, claiming a profile and the verification badge are all free. Mitr does not sell placement, ranking or trust levels, and there is no paid tier.
Can I donate through Mitr?
Not today. Mitr is a directory, not a donation platform — you cannot give money through this site. When you decide to give, you do it with the organisation directly, using the contact details on its profile.
For donors and citizens
How do I check if an NGO in India is genuine?
Start with the public record: look for a Darpan ID, a registration number with the registering authority, 12A and 80G certificates for tax status, and an FCRA registration if foreign money is involved. Then look for a real footprint — working contacts, an address, audited accounts and evidence of actual work. We wrote the full five-step guide here, and it works with or without Mitr.
Does a listing on Mitr mean the NGO is recommended?
No. A listing means the organisation appears on India's public registries — nothing more. Most organisations here have never interacted with Mitr. A listing is a starting point for your own checks, not an endorsement.
What does the trust level on a profile mean?
Every organisation carries a score from 0 to 1000 built from five weighted pillars — verification, impact, community, transparency and activity — which falls into one of five levels: Registered, Verified, Trusted, Premier or Exemplary. It is a signal computed from registration status and activity on this network, not a certification or an audit. The full methodology is public.
Why are most organisations only 'Registered'?
Because nobody has claimed them. Registered is the default for a listing imported from a registry — there is simply nothing to score yet. A low level means Mitr doesn't know much about an organisation; it does not mean the organisation is bad.
How do I find NGOs near me?
Browse by city or state from the directory. Every city and state page lists the organisations with published profiles in that area, and you can narrow further by cause.
How do I volunteer with an organisation?
Organisations post volunteer openings on Mitr, and you can browse them by cause. You can also contact any organisation directly using the details on its profile. Hours you log against an organisation only count once that organisation confirms them.
For NGOs
Why is my NGO on Mitr without my permission?
Because it is on the public record. Mitr imported organisations from India's official registries, which are public by design. We didn't create information about your organisation; we made the existing public record easier to search. Claiming the page is how you take control of what it says.
How do I claim my organisation's profile?
Find your organisation in the directory, create a free account, and use Claim this page. You'll be asked for your role and for documents showing you represent the organisation. A reviewer checks them, and once approved the page is yours to edit. Full walkthrough.
The information about my NGO is wrong. Can I fix it?
Yes — that's the main reason to claim the page. Registry data is often years out of date. Once your claim is approved you can edit the description, contact details, focus areas, address, founding year and registration number yourself.
Can I have my organisation removed from Mitr?
Get in touch and tell us why. The underlying data is a public government record, so removing the page doesn't erase the organisation from the registries — but we would rather you claimed the page and corrected it than left a stale record standing.
How long does claim approval take?
A reviewer looks at every claim by hand, so it isn't instant. You'll be emailed when it's approved, or told what's missing if it isn't.
Can an organisation pay for a higher trust level?
No. Levels are computed from the published methodology and cannot be bought. If anyone offers to sell you a Mitr trust level, better placement or a verified badge, they are not us.
Data and corrections
Where does Mitr's data come from?
Every listing originates in an official source — principally NITI Aayog's Darpan register and state government portals. Nothing here started life as a marketing submission. Of 1,61,203 listings, 16,795 carry enough detail to be published as a full profile. More on provenance.
How current is the information?
It depends on the listing. Registry data goes stale — addresses move, phone numbers stop working, and an organisation that wound up years ago may still appear. Claimed pages are the most reliable, because a real person at the organisation maintains them.
I found an error or a duplicate. How do I report it?
Every organisation page carries a Report control for flagging wrong, misleading or duplicated information. Duplicate records across sources are merged when detected. If it's your organisation, claiming the page lets you fix the record yourself.
Why isn't every organisation's page in Google?
Because most listings are still just a name and an address. Mitr deliberately keeps thin listings out of search engines until there is something substantive on them — fewer, better pages rather than a padded index. A page graduates automatically once it has a real description or is claimed.