The district currently has 42 functional Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working in various parts of Mulanje and on diverse interventions spread across many sectors. The NGOs provide complementary services to government departments and sometimes provide rare skills that help people to access services that would not have been possible through the government service delivery system. NGOs also provide a real potential for service delivery partnerships with the council. There has been a high turnover of NGOs over the past five years largely due to short term project based funding. This has made some of the interventions unsustainable because of their short term nature and the absence of robust exit strategies.

The total funding investment of NGOs in the district is not known because a few of these NGOs provide such data. However as the council capacity improves it will soon be possible to proactively collect such data as part of the planning and coordination process.

NGOs in the district, activities and impact areas

1. Friends of Mulanje Orphans (FOMO) which focuses on supporting and training orphans in various skills and courses since 2012 in TA Mabuka and Chikumbu.
2. Family Life & AIDS Education Ministry which focuses on education and HIV/AIDS awareness in TA. Nkanda and Chikumbu but is not active recently.
3. Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust whose focus area is on awareness on conservation of biodiversity and sustainable utilization of natural resources since 2012 in TAs Njema, Mabuka and Nkanda.
4. National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM) which was established in 2012 and is active in the district. It focuses on farmer support services on production and marketing.
5. Likhubula CCAP House which has been active since 2012 and focuses on Church base youth organization in TA Nkands.
6. World Vision Malawi which has been active since 2012 in TAs Nkanda and Njema and is a faith based organization supporting the disadvantaged through multi sectoral approaches and child sponsored programmes.
7. Civil Liberties Committee (CILIC) whose focus area is on advocacy on human rights in the district. It has been active since 2012.
8. Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA) focusing on action for social change (advocacy and capacity building) women empowerment. It has been active since 2012 in the area of TA Juma and TA Chikumbu.
9. National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) which has been active since 2012 focusing strengthening the democratic process and good governance in Malawi. It‘s impact area is district wide.
10. Plan Malawi which focuses on promoting children development since 2012 in the areas of TA Juma and TA Nkanda.
11. Mulanje Renewable Energy Agency (MuREA) which focuses on the awareness on conservation of biodiversity and sustainable utilization of natural resources (District wide) and has been active since 2012.
12. Dignitas International which has been active 2012 focusing on health services in HIV and AIDS district wide.
13. Churches in action, Relief and Development (CARD) which has been active since 2012 focusing on relief and disaster management in the area of TA Njema.
14. Africare whose focus has been livelihoods projects since 2012 in the area of TA Nkanda and Mabuka , Mabuka and Njema.
15. Global Aids Interfaith Alliance (GAIA) which focuses on health related services since 2012. Its impact area is the district.
16. NAPHAM which is not active recently but focuses on HIV and AIDS related issues in the district.
17. CAMFED which has been active since 2012 focusing on Girls empowerment district wide.
18. GENET which is new and active focusing on girls empowerment in TA Chikumbu, Njema and Mabuka.
19. Catholic Development Commission (CADECOM) which has been active since 2012 focusing on food security and disaster district wide.
20. Malawi Union of the Blind which has been active since 2012 focusing on disabilities district wide.
21. Network for Youth Development focusing on youth empowerment district wide. It is new and active.
22. Oxfam which is active and focusing on sanitation/food security and relief in Nkanda and Juma.
23. Micro Loan Foundation whose activity is loan disbursement district wide. It is active.
24. Malawi Interfaith AIDS Association (MIAA) which is active and focuses on HIV and AIDS district wide.
25. One Community which is new and active focusing on HIV and AIDS and OVC district wide.
26. Story Workshop whose focus is on HIV and AIDS and nutrition district wide since 2012.
27. Habitat for Humanity which has been active since 2012 focusing on OVC support in TA Juma.
28. Advanced Girls Education in Africa (AGE Africa) which is new and active in promoting girl child education district wide.
29. Centre for development of People (CEDEP) which is active in human rights for minority groups district wide.
30. Development Aid from people to people which focuses on HIV and AIDS district wide but is not active.
31. Paralegal Advisory Institute-(PAI) which is a new organization that focuses on human rights district wide.
32. Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) that focuses on mining and energy advocacy district wide. It is a new and active NGO.
33. Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN) which is active and focuses on budget tracking district wide.
34. Vision Fund which focuses on loan disbursement district wide and is active.
35. One Acre Fund which focuses on agriculture in Chikumbu and is active.
36. Female Education Empowerment Centre (FEEC) which focuses on HIV and AIDS Nutrition, OVC and disability in Mthiramanja and is active.
37. Mulanje Children Rehabilitation Centre which is new focusing on OVC in Mabuka.
38. World Food Program which is active in focusing on food security/ disaster risk reduction in Nkanda.
39. Malawi Girl Guides Association (MAGGA) which is active in HIV/AIDS, Girl rights and sexual and reproductive health rights in schools district wide except Nkanda.
40. Youth Network and Counselling Centre whose focus is on HIV/AIDS, girl rights and sexual and reproductive health rights for out of school youth district wide. It is active.
41. Malawi Red Cross Society which focuses on nutrition and disaster risk management and is active district wide.
42. AFIKEPO and Kulima which is very new, focusing on nutrition and food security district wide.