Home to the richest billionaires in India, Mumbai is a city of contradictions, dreams, hopes and opportunities. With billionaires on one end, the city also harbours Asia’s biggest slum – Dharavi! One of the biggest cities in India, it has been romanticised through the glamour of Bollywood, side by side with problems that need to be addressed. From child labour to human trafficking, poverty to human rights, the issues are varied and need immediate attention. Several NGOs in Mumbai have taken up the cause of addressing these issues and providing solutions.
You can be a part of this change by volunteering or interning this summer with an NGO, already listed in our recent piece on NGO internships.
You can benefit from this experience in several ways –
- Determine your drive to create a change in society (be it a simple wish, or revolutionary)
- Experience social issues firsthand
- Understand the work culture of NGOs
- Understand ways in which you can change in society
- Explore social development sector as a possible career
Today, NGOs offer internships in several roles; it does not include just working directly with the benefactors. Some of the roles that are offered are –
- Digital Marketing
- Sponsorship & Fund Raising
- Public relations
- Communications & Design
- Event management
We have compiled a list of 12 NGOs in Mumbai where you can apply for internships; most of them have active internship programs. You can also contact them with your CV and statement of interest for volunteering or internship.
Door Step School
Focus – Primary Education
Door Step School is an NGO that focuses on providing primary education to underprivileged and marginalised sections of society. They take education right to the doorstep of these children, which are often pavements, slums or streets! They offer classes to all children between 3 – 14 years of age in flexible timings and convenient locations for the children.
Click here for more details for an internship with Door Step School.
CRY – Child Rights and You

Focus – Child Rights
CRY is an NGO that works towards children’s rights through various programs and initiatives. They have projects that deal with providing free primary education, primary healthcare, nutrition and safe houses away from violence and abuse. They do this by partnering with other grassroots NGOs and communities.
Click here for more details for an internship with CRY.
AAWC – Apne Aap Women’s Collective
Focus – Women Rehabilitation from Trafficking
AAWC is an NGO that focuses on rehabilitation of women and children who have been victims of prostitution and human trafficking. They primarily work with women from Kamathipura, which is Mumbai’s and in fact Asia’s largest and oldest Red Light Areas. The NGO has programs for these women and children through which they provide resources for education and job opportunities in other fields.
Click here for more details for an internship with Apne Aap Women’s Collective.
AASRA

Focus – Mental Health
Aasra is a crisis intervention centre for lonely, distressed and suicidal. They mainly work through a suicide helpline which has provided relief to over 3 lakh callers since their inception. The helplines are manned by highly trained staff who addresses the concerns of these callers. Mental health issues are gaining recognition throughout the world and Aasra has been a pioneer in addressing this issue in India.
Click here for more details for an internship with Aasra.
Paryay
Focus – Rural Empowerment
Paryay is an NGO which provides support and aid to rural communities in Maharashtra. They work on several issues and have programs running currently to address issues like Women empowerment, Rights to land, child education & rights, Village governance and Capacity building.
Click here for more details for an internship with Paryay.
ATMA
Focus – Accelerator for NGOs
ATMA is unique in the sense that it is an organisation that is an accelerator for NGOs who work in the sphere of primary education for children. They help in capacity building of these NGOs and act as partners and mentors in ensuring the NGOs fulfil their mission of providing quality education. They also have an extensive network with partners providing all the necessary support for these NGOs.
Click here for more details for an internship with Atma.
Fandry Foundation
Focus – Tribal Communities Empowerment
The story of Fandry Foundation started with the Marathi movie ‘Fandry’ which highlighted the plight of tribal communities in Maharashtra. Started in 2014, the NGO focuses on creating awareness for education among the tribal people as well as provides for resources like stationery, books and clothing for these children.
Click here for more details for an internship with Fandry Foundation.
India Cancer Society
Focus – Cancer Awareness
The Indian Cancer Society is India’s first voluntary and non-profit organisation for cancer awareness, detection and cure. It works on several levels to aid those suffering from cancer. It starts with the premise that Cancer is curable when it is detected early, it primarily works with underprivileged patients who do not have access to basic medical facilities. It conducts early detection camps, awareness programs and provides resources for cancer patients.
Click here for more details for an internship with India Cancer Society.
Lawyers Collective
Focus – Legal Rights
The Lawyers Collective is a rights group that works with several disadvantaged communities and provides legal recourse. It works on creating policy changes and formulating laws to support these communities. Currently, the NGO works with Women’s rights, HIV patients, Sexually Marginalised Groups and Rights to medicines.
Click here for more details for internship with Lawyers Collective.
Teach For India

Focus – Primary Education
Teach For India is a non-profit organisation working in the educational sector aiming at removing educational inequality and is a part of the global Teach For All network. The movement works on two levels, in the short term it places TFI Fellows at local government schools for a period of two years to create impact and in the long-term, it creates a community of these fellow alumni who go on to become advocates for the movement and participate in their various roles and capacity. Interns will work in several departments towards achieving these goals.
Click here for more details for an internship with Teach for India.
Jai Vakeel Foundation and Research Centre
Focus – Differently Abled Capacity Building
The Jai Vakeel Foundation is one of the first and largest organisations working with children and older individuals with mental challenges and other learning disabilities. It works especially with economically disadvantaged groups who cannot take care of these individuals effectively. They have a school in Mumbai as well as runs programs through Maharashtra to create awareness and provide support for these differently abled individuals.
Click here for more details for an internship with Jai Vakeel Foundation.
SNEHA – Society for Nutrition, Education & Health Action
Focus – Women’s Health
SNEHA is an NGO that works on the premise that investing in women’s health is essential to building viable urban communities. It targets four major public health care areas – Maternal and Newborn Health, Child Health and Nutrition, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Prevention of Violence against Women and Children.
Click here for internships with SNEHA.
So go on and volunteer and intern with these NGOs this summer! Also, do let us know of any other NGOs who are working for communities in Mumbai.
Hello Penny.
Have you found any NGO as per your requirement.
If not, you can contact Sevasahayog Foundation who works for children.
They provide entire school kits(Bag, books, compass etc) for around 1,00,000 underprivileged kids in Maharashtra and other states every year.
They have also sponsored Science laboratory to underprivileged schools around Mumbai.
They run Several Abhyasikas (Evening classrooms for kids) in underprivileged areas within Mumbai.
For further details, Aakash – 7506640161
want to job my cource msw
Hello I’m Penny Pais, Fashion Illustrator from Bombay
Firstly i would congratulate for you are doing phenomenal job
I would like to open one NGO for children workshop on painting drawing sculpturing etc
please let me know ASAP.
nice to know
your career support is inspire the peoples. your NGo’s work is nice. vtsbharath organization conducted many free detection camp.
Art Educational Project
Dear Sir/Madam,
We are Clown Science Dreams, a non-profit association from Barcelona travelling around the world with an Art Educational Project. We are building a network of artistic expression by doing workshops and Clown shows. We use theatre and clown exercises to improve communication skills, enhance and empower individual personality, group awareness and interaction, improve social abilities, and also connection with inner emotional state and memory. It is motivation, therapy, art, fun, sharing, creativity, imagination, challenging, empowering, and much more!!
We would love to collaborate with you doing workshops for children / teenagers / adults and Clown show for all the ages. The workshops are based on Theatre and Clown exercises to improve physical expression, group listening, communication skills, personal development and emotional contact through theatre and clown.
Find in the following link the website we are building explaining the experiences to the date. It is temporarily in Spanish, but you will find a google translation tab:
https://clownsciencedreams.wordpress.com
And find in the next link the teaser of our show. It is a naive non-spoken Clown show based in love, never to give up, and lots of laugh:
https://vimeo.com/219386621
We will visit India from December going from north to south. Please let us know if you would be interested for us to collaborate with you, it would be a pleasure to help!! Thanks a lot!!!!
Best wishes,
Mayra and Jaume
Clown Science Dreams
clw.science@gmail.com
WhatsApp (no calls): +34 616 026 837 or +34 617 758 951
http://www.yuvaparivartan.org is one of the largest NGO in India providing vocational skills and livelihoods to underprivileged. Feel free to check out the internship and volunteering options.
I am an energetic senior citizen, willing to lend my time for the education of the young, without any Remuneration.
My Expertise is in Science, Geography, History, English, Arts( Dancing, Singing, painting , theatre)
Please let me know whether there are opportunities for my service
I would prefer work places/schools in Mumbai Island City
i am looking for NGO who help me for my Daughtre treatment in Tata memorial hospital Mumbai i am from west bengal please help me
The Akanksha Foundation is also an NGO working for underprivileged kids