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Microlesson · 5-min read

Audit of NGO (Non-Governmental Organisations)

# Audit of NGO (Non-Governmental Organisations)

## Nature of Receipts in NGOs

Donations and grants received in the nature of promoter's contribution are treated as capital receipts and shown as liabilities in the Balance Sheet of the NGO.

### Types of Capital Receipts

1. Corpus Contribution

  • A contribution made towards the capital or corpus of the NGO
  • Not included in computation of total income

2. Revolving Fund

  • Objective: rotate amount by giving temporary loans from the fund to other NGOs/beneficiaries for projects, then recover the loan to lend again
  • Interest earned on such temporary loans may be:
  • Added back to the fund, OR
  • Credited to Income & Expenditure A/c
  • Treatment depends on restrictions laid down by the authority providing the contribution

## Appointment of Auditors

Type of NGOAppointed By
Registered under Societies Registration ActManagement of Society
Registered under Indian Trusts ActManagement of Trust
Registered u/s 8 of Companies Act, 2013Members of the Company

## Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 - FCRA

  • Prescribes the format of audit report
  • Audit report to be furnished to Ministry of Home Affairs
  • Due date: within 60 days from close of FY (i.e. by May 30 each year)

## Audit Programme - Items to Include

  • Corpus Fund
  • Reserves
  • Ear-marked Funds
  • Project/Agency Balances
  • Loans
  • Fixed Assets
  • Investments
  • Cash in Hand, Bank Balance
  • Inventory
  • Programme and Project Expenses
  • Establishment Expenses

## Preliminary Steps Before Audit

  • Examination of minutes of Board/Managing Committee/Governing Body to ascertain impact of decisions on financial records
  • Study accounting system, procedures, internal controls and internal checks
  • Setting of materiality levels for audit purposes
  • Nature and timing of reports / other communications
  • Involvement of experts and their reports

## Verification of Income (Receipt Side)

### 1. Contributions and Grants for Projects/Programmes

  • Check agreements with donors and grant letters
  • Ensure all foreign contribution receipts are deposited in the dedicated foreign contribution bank a/c

### 2. Receipts from Fund Raising Programmes

  • Verify Internal Control System (ICS) in detail
  • Ascertain persons responsible for collection and mode of receipt
  • Ensure collections are counted and deposited in bank daily

### 3. Membership Fees

  • Check fees received with Membership Register
  • Ensure proper classification between:
  • Entrance fees
  • Annual fees
  • Life membership fees

### 4. Subscriptions

  • Check with subscription register and receipts issued
  • Reconcile subscriptions with printing and dispatch of magazines/circulars/periodicals

### 5. Interest and Dividends

  • Check interest and dividends received AND receivable against investments held during the year

Worked example

### Example 1

Example - Treatment of Corpus Donation:

An NGO receives Rs 50,00,000 from a donor with a written direction that it shall be used only for the corpus of the trust. Treatment:

  • Shown as liability (Corpus Fund) in the Balance Sheet
  • NOT credited to Income & Expenditure A/c
  • NOT included in computation of total income
  • Only income earned by investing this corpus may be applied/utilised

### Example 2

Example - FCRA Compliance:

An NGO has FY ending 31st March 2026. Auditor must:

1. Audit the books and prepare report in FCRA-prescribed format

2. Furnish the report to Ministry of Home Affairs by 30th May 2026 (within 60 days)

3. Verify that all foreign contributions are deposited in the dedicated FC bank account only

⚠️ Common exam mistakes

  • Treating corpus contributions as revenue receipts and crediting them to Income & Expenditure A/c instead of showing as liability
  • Not segregating foreign contributions in a separate FC bank account
  • Missing the 60-day deadline (May 30) for FCRA audit report submission to Ministry of Home Affairs
  • Failing to classify membership fees between entrance, annual, and life membership categories
  • Auditing only receipts and ignoring receivables on interest/dividend
Bare-Act text FCRA Rules - Audit Report Requirement · FCRA, 2010 and FCRR, 2011 · click to expand
The audit report on receipt and utilisation of foreign contribution shall be furnished to the Ministry of Home Affairs in the prescribed format within 60 days from the close of the financial year.
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