Engagement of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) with Corporate Sector in Implementing CSR Projects: Experiences from Karnataka, India

The introduction of mandatory CSR with the “Chatterjee Model” has provided the necessary fillip and visibility to the partnerships between the corporate sector and NGOs.  The development sector in India witnessed a significant change with the introduction of mandatory CSR. CSR funds became a major source of funding for the NGOs. In this context, the present study tries to understand the nature of emerging partnerships between NGOs and the corporate sector, the motivational factors and different dimensions from the NGO perspective. It is a descriptive exploratory study based on the purposively selected NGOs in Mysore and Bangalore districts of Karnataka. The study reveals that NGOs are engaging with companies mainly for accessing financial resources. Since the companies are having control over finances, companies lead the partnerships. There is good communication between NGOs and their business partners. Transformative changes are observed in some NGOs by improving their capabilities. Suggestions are made based on the study to realize maximum collaborative social value from the engagements.