Two different things are called “verified”
Most confusion about NGO trust comes from one word doing two jobs. On Mitr they are kept separate, and it's worth knowing which one you're looking at.
1. Registry-verified — true of every listing
The organisation exists on India's public record. All 1,61,203 organisations in this directory come from official registries — NITI Aayog's Darpan and state portals — not from self-submitted forms. That is a meaningful floor: it means the organisation registered itself with the government and can be looked up. It is not a judgement about whether it does good work, spends money well, or is still operating.
2. Organisation-verified — earned, and rare
The people who run the organisation have claimed the page, a reviewer has approved that claim, and the profile has been filled in and kept up. That is what the Verified level and above mean, and it is the difference between a record about an organisation and a record maintained by it. Most listings are not there yet — 16,795 have published a detailed profile, and far fewer have been claimed.
So when a page here says “verified NGOs in Lucknow”, it means sense 1 — organisations verified as present on the public registry. Sense 2 is always shown explicitly, as a level on the profile itself.
The five trust levels
Every organisation carries a trust score from 0 to 1000, and the score falls into one of five bands. The bands are fixed; the score is recalculated as things change.
On the public record and listed here. This is where every organisation starts, and where an unclaimed listing stays.
The organisation has claimed its page, a reviewer has approved the claim, and the basics of the public record are filled in.
Sustained, confirmed activity — work logged by real volunteers and confirmed by the organisation, not just a complete profile.
A substantial, documented track record: verified projects, a real community, and consistent operation over time.
The top band. Reached by very few, and only by sustained confirmed impact across many people.
Be aware: the overwhelming majority of listings sit at Registered— they were imported from a registry and nobody has claimed them, so there is nothing to score. Registered is the default, not an assessment. A low level means we don't know much about an organisation; it does not mean the organisation is bad.
What the score is made of
Five pillars, each weighted. Verification and impact carry the most because they are the hardest to fake.
Whether the organisation has claimed the page and had that claim approved by a Mitr reviewer, whether a registration number is on file, and whether the owner's account is confirmed.
Real work hosted — volunteer hours and contributions this organisation has confirmed, across distinct people, plus projects and events that have been verified.
Followers, confirmed team members and endorsements on the organisation's updates — each weighted by the individual trust score of the person involved.
How much of the public record is filled in: description, website, contact, location, focus areas, founding year, registration number.
Recent updates posted and volunteer opportunities currently open.
The complete rulebook — every weight, band and threshold, straight from the code that computes them — is public at /api/v1/scoring/ngo-methodology.
What stops it being gamed
- Pages cannot self-verify. The verification pillar only pays out once a Mitr reviewer approves the ownership claim.
- Followers, team members and endorsements are weighted by each person's own trust score, so bulk or low-trust accounts add almost nothing.
- An organisation logging its own owner's "volunteer" hours counts for a quarter. Real impact means work done by, and confirmed across, distinct people.
- A newly listed, unclaimed page ramps up over its first 30 days, so nothing can look established on day one. An approved claim removes the ramp.
- Recency decay means a burst of old activity fades. Sustained operation is what builds a level, not a good week.
What a trust level is not
A trust level is computed from registration status and activity on this network. It is not a legal certification, not an accreditation, and not an endorsement by Mitr. We do not audit anyone's books, we do not inspect anyone's work in the field, and we do not vouch for how any organisation spends money. A high level means an organisation has shown up, been claimed by real people, and built a confirmed record here. Treat it as one input to your decision, and do your own checks before you give.
How to check any Indian NGO yourself
You don't need Mitr for this, and you shouldn't need to take anyone's word for it. Five checks, in order of how much they tell you:
- 1
Find its Darpan ID
NITI Aayog's Darpan portal is the central public register of India's voluntary organisations. A genuine NGO working with government schemes will almost always be on it. Search the organisation there and note the unique ID.
- 2
Check its registration
Every NGO is registered under something — a Societies Registration Act, a Trust deed, or Section 8 of the Companies Act. Ask for the registration number and the registering authority, and check the number is real with that authority.
- 3
Check 12A and 80G
12A means the organisation is exempt from income tax; 80G means your donation is tax-deductible. Both are issued by the Income Tax Department and can be verified on the income-tax e-filing portal. An organisation that claims 80G should be able to give you its registration number.
- 4
Check FCRA if foreign money is involved
Any organisation receiving foreign contributions must be registered under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. The Ministry of Home Affairs publishes the full list of FCRA-registered associations at fcraonline.nic.in — it is searchable and authoritative.
- 5
Ask for accounts and look for a real footprint
A serious organisation can show you audited accounts and an annual report. Beyond the paperwork: does it have a working phone number, a physical address, photographs of actual work, and people who will talk to you? Documents prove existence. Activity proves operation.
Common questions
Does a listing on Mitr mean the NGO is endorsed?
No. A listing means the organisation appears on India's public registries — nothing more. Mitr imported 1,61,203 organisations from those registries; the vast majority have never interacted with us. A listing is a starting point for your own checks, not a recommendation.
What does the Verified badge actually mean?
It means the people who run the organisation claimed the page, a Mitr reviewer approved that claim, and the basic public record is filled in. It does not mean Mitr has audited the organisation's finances or inspected its work.
Is the trust score a certification?
No. It is a score computed from registration status and activity on this network, and it carries no legal or regulatory weight. It is a signal to help you ask better questions — not a substitute for your own due diligence, and not an accreditation.
Can an organisation pay for a higher trust level?
No. Levels are computed from the pillars below and cannot be bought, and Mitr does not sell placement or ranking. If anyone offers to sell you a Mitr trust level, they are not us.