Dalit NGO Federation (DNF), established in 1996, is an umbrella organization of all Dalit NGOs in the country. The main aim of DNF is fighting together against untouchability and all forms of caste-based discrimination. It is a common forum for raising collective voices of Dalit community to ensure their rights, dignity and opportunity through policy influencing, networking and alliance building.

Registered with District Administration Office (DAO-Government of Nepal) and affiliated with Social Welfare Council (SWC), DNF is an independent and autonomous organization governed by a central executive committee elected in every three years by its member organizations through a democratic process. There are 5 regional committees to work with its member organizations throughout the country.

DNF strives to protect and promote member organizations and supports them to reach and raise issues of Dalit community at grassroots level. Primarily, Dalit Non-Governmental Organizations including Dalit Civil Society Organizations and ultimately Dalit communities of Nepal are the target groups of DNF.

DNF is a member-based organization which represents all Dalit NGOs working in Nepal. Its membership is open to those NGOs in which Dalits representation is more than 75 percent in their executive board. So far, 344 Dalit NGOs have been affiliated with DNF Based on the recommendations of the Regional Committees. DNF’s membership is granted by the Central Executive Committee.

DNF, as a national umbrella network organization, has been focusing its key tasks on the elimination of caste-based discrimination and the protection and promotion of Dalits’ human rights, and strengthening of the capacity of Dalit NGOs. In the future too, it will continue such crucial tasks as a network and a federation organization rather than being seen/ perceived as a national NGO. The timely revisions from various donor/partner organizations (e.g. DANIDA, DFID etc.) and internal periodic reviews and reflections have also demanded a paradigm shift in DNF’s programmatic approach.