Here's How To Support The Community Through These 15 NGOs In Bangalore

A non-profit dedicated to providing quality education, Akshara works with schools in Karnataka across a range of programmes, variously focusing on supporting English teaching, reinventing Maths education, or encouraging reading. Volunteers can participate in their events, help connect Akshara to a potential supporter, aid fundraising, and more.

How To Volunteer: Reach out to them through their website or DM them on Instagram for being up to date with their events and initiatives.

The well-established animal welfare organisation runs seven centres in Bangalore, including a veterinary hospital and a geriatric centre. How can you possibly say no to them cute puppies? They have a Corporate Social Responsibility programme under which you can help with donations, sponsorships or passive adoption of their shelter animals, employee volunteering activities or group visits at their shelters along with hosting awareness programmes, fundraisers or adoption drive for employees or on corporate campuses.

How To Volunteer: Their website says, for internship opportunities, send your resume to communications@cupaindia.org or reach out to the CUPA Instagram for more information.

There’s no getting around the fact that Bangalore has a pretty stinking garbage problem, which is closely linked to the lack of recognition of the work of waste-pickers. Hasirudala is one of the organisations that tackles this head-on, by aiming to improve living conditions for the city’s unorganised workers (waste pickers) as well as provide waste management, recycling, and training services to the city at large.

How To Volunteer: They invite volunteers who would like to help set up Hasirudala-enabled waste-management solutions in homes or workplaces, or support their Dry-Waste Collection Centres.

Pratham Books wants every child to have access to good, relevant, relatable books, and, to that end, have published books in 18 Indian languages. They also conduct regular events featuring book readings, storytelling sessions, and more. Volunteers from a range of backgrounds are welcome. You can contribute to app/video development, help with communication activities such as their newsletters and press releases, or participate at book fairs. Or if you’re happy to just tell stories, you’re more than welcome here.

How To Volunteer: Their website has a 'Get Involved' section wherein one can enroll to volunteer or intern with them.

The child-rights organisation, started by seven volunteers, has a thriving volunteer program, reporting a count of over 3,500 volunteers across its centres in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, and Kolkata. CRY volunteers can contribute through a range of campaigns, raising awareness, and contributing skills and expertise.

How To Volunteer: Check out the different volunteering programs on their website which range from community volunteering, remote volunteering, student volunteering and a few more options. 

People for Animals rescues injured animals, including endangered species, in and around Bangalore. You can volunteer in the rescue node; in awareness-raising; in administrative tasks such as the maintenance of their website; in fundraising, grant-writing, fostering, and more. They require a minimum commitment of six months, as well as one shift per week.  

How To Volunteer: Drop them a message on Instagram to get more information.

The community project built to address street harassment grew out of our own city, and is entirely volunteer-run. You can sign up to be an Action Hero, making you a proactive participant in ending sexual violence.

How To Volunteer: Blank Noise Internship is for a total duration of four months. (3 months at Bangalore office and 1 month independent). A Blank Noise Volunteer position is a 3 month commitment, which can be renewed. All Action Hero Volunteers must attend weekly Work Jams every Saturday, in addition to other days they may choose to volunteer on. Head to their website for more information. 

Started by youth, for the youth, Make A Difference (MAD), is a non-profit organisation which started in 2006. All they ask is that you spend anything between two and 10 hours to help children in orphanages and street shelters. Reaching out to about 4,000 kids across 23 cities as of now, volunteering is rather fulfilling — mentoring, teaching and interacting with the kids to build a support system for them during their childhood.

How To Volunteer: Enroll through the link on their website here.

Different strokes for different folks is what Headstreams believe in, as they work with vulnerable communities in urban Bangalore. Focusing especially on children, adolescents and women, their program helps provide a safe space to promote mental health through play. So, if teaching children isn’t your ballgame, volunteer to play with them maybe?

How To Volunteer: Their website has a 'Get In Touch' section through which you can volunteer or intern or partner with them.

Enfold is an outreach program that promotes personal safety and sexual awareness among children, enfold works with educational institutions, work spaces, and residential communities. Their programs range from conducting gender sensitisation programs to delivering restorative justice. Help build a better, safer world for children by educating adults to facilitate such an environment either as a volunteer or intern.

How To Volunteer: Interns can apply through the registration link on their website. Do make a note that their internships require field days and being present for the sessions/workshops they hold.

Tired of complaining about our problems and waiting for change? Youth For Parivarthan is your answer as they’re proactive in efforts to make a ‘Swacch Bharat’ in all senses of the term, no strings attached. Involving other aspects of self-reliance, you’ve probably seen the fruits of their labour on many illegal dumping spots, and flyover pillars. They spruce up the area with some art as well, so if you’ve always wanted to paint walls, here’s your calling.

How To Volunteer: Head to the link in bio on their IG for filling out the registration form.

Started as a one person effort, and not restricting themselves to the formal category of an NGO, The Ugly Indian questions the premise of what we think is the root cause of trash in the city. From spot fixing pain stained walls to cleaning up entire illegal dump yards, the Ugly Indian operates on the beliefs that change comes with us citizens. Take ownership of keeping the streets and city clean. 

How To Volunteer: Follow their Facebook community for updates.

Requiring only two and a half hours of your time per week, U&I has mentoring and non-formal education (tutoring post school,computer skills, communication skills) programs for underprivileged women, school going children who are mentally challenged or come from low-income backgrounds. Or you can teach them English to empower and equip them with communication skills to help them become independent and self-reliant. 

How To Volunteer: Head to the volunteer page on their website. Do make a note that you are required to give 2.5 hours a week to help a child.

A wildlife conservation non-profit, the environmental education organisation at the fringe of Bannerghatta National Park is heavily research based. Recognising the need to educate and inform communities that share borders with wildlife, A Rocha conducts outreach and sensitisation programs in schools and community centers around the park borders. 

How To Volunteer: They presently have volunteers from India and abroad actively participating in research surveys, elephant censuses and other programs. If you are a graduate, post-graduate or a professional interested in conducting research on an area of your interest, they provide the opportunity for you to do so. Their research team will help guide you on your research and can be reached out at india@arocha.org.

Aravani Art Project is a woman and transgender collective NGO that facilitates, encourages and helps them create public art, wall art. Through public/wall art they help create awareness about the transgender community and the relationship between a woman and transgender. They also conduct panel discussions, meet-ups and participate in theatre festivals and perform street theatre. These women and the transgender community creates beautiful pieces of art that one can buy and add it to their living space. You can also volunteer with them by contacting them through Instagram.

How To Volunteer: Fill out your details and message here on their website.