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Intermediate · Free · Signed certificate

Choosing NGO partners: due diligence for CSR teams

Check what matters, in proportion to the grant, and choose partners you can stand behind.

Free for everyone in the sector

Create an account to save your progress, take the chapter quizzes and earn the certificate.

Create a free accountPreview the first lesson

The courseCSR

Chapters
6
Lessons
15
Questions
98
Level
Intermediate
Duration
~3 hours
Valid as of
October 2026
Signed certificate

What you’ll be able to do

  • Explain what due diligence must show the board, and what it can't promise
  • Set checks in proportion to the size and risk of a grant
  • Check an NGO's registration, tax registrations, CSR-1, Darpan ID and FCRA status against public records yourself
  • Read audited accounts and governance for concentration, reserves, related parties and conflicts
  • Judge a programme's design, results and capacity, including through a respectful site visit
  • Score, write up and decide fairly, with conditions, a sound agreement and yearly re-checks

Syllabus

Every lesson ends with a quick check. Each chapter ends with a quiz you need 60% to pass, and the course ends with a final assessment (70% to pass).

  1. 1Chapter 1Why due diligence, and what it isWhat the law asks of the board and CSR committee, what due diligence can and can't tell you, and checks in proportion to the grant.
  2. 2Chapter 2Legal and registration checksLegal form, PAN and Darpan ID; tax registrations under the Income-tax Act, 2025; CSR-1 and the Rule 4(1) routes; FCRA; and checking every document at the source.
  3. 3Chapter 3Money and governanceReading audited accounts, boards and conflicts of interest, and the policies that protect people.
  4. 4Chapter 4Programme and track recordTheory of change, past results and capacity to absorb the grant; references and respectful site visits.
  5. 5Chapter 5Red flags, good signs and the decisionSpotting patterns, scoring and writing up for the CSR committee, conditions, the agreement and yearly re-checks.
  6. 6Chapter 6Small NGOs, fairness and collaborationsKeeping due diligence proportionate and fair to grassroots organisations, helping partners get CSR-ready, and checking collaborations.
  7. Final assessment and certificate24 questions · 70% to pass · unlocks when every chapter is passed