Programs for Underprivileged Children - Many non-profit organizations in Kunming serve urban homeless children, children of migrant laborers and women of underprivileged families. Extending a helping hand in the field of education, health and improved living standards, these NGOs provide many amenities like self-study lounge for children, summer camp for children, holidays activities, health and hygiene promotion, job agent service for families, library facility etc. These children are nurtured to develop a wide range of skills like basic English communication, computer skills and vocational training like weaving and craftwork. Education is geared at making them capable of getting jobs or earning their own living in the future. In general, programs are aimed at:

- Leading and managing a street children center in Kunming
- Providing professional supervision & training to project staff
- Designing and providing casework, group work and informal education programs to help street children to change their behavior regarding their social and emotional problems
- Building the capacity of the local team
- Identifying, developing and overseeing the implementation of projects in assigned communities in the PRC
- Developing and maintaining working relationship with Chinese government officials and project partners
- Self-development through ethics training to help them to return back to the mainstream of social life

Programs in Healthcare support underprivileged communities and the local migrant population to achieve better health. Some NGOs of international repute like the Health Unlimited has its East Asia Program Office in Kunming, and this office is responsible for regional developmental work in China and Myanmar. A lot of NGOs have programs extending to other rural areas too. Healthcare volunteering requires some related experience or  academic degrees on public health or medicine.

Programs in Environmental Conservation support sustainable development as well as the protection of ecological and cultural resources in Yunnan. Activities include promoting corporate & grassroots volunteerism, providing consultation to volunteers, sapling planting programs, assisting the promotion and application of renewable energy for the rural poor. Spearheading public awareness drives programs to conduct campaigns increasing public awareness to preserve the local flora and fauna.

Programs in Culture Conservation and Sustainable Development – Several NGOs in Kunming and throughout Yunnan promote rural-urban cooperation through programs that market rural produce in the cities. The mission is to bridge the developmental gap between rural and urban areas and create a platform to address these issues. To achieve this goal, a number of NGOs take up projects to improve the livelihood of farmers by creating direct channels to sell fresh, green agricultural products to people in urban areas or introducing other mutually beneficial programs so that expenses on intermediaries can be avoided. All of this is aimed to enhance the relationship between rural and urban residents. There are also projects to endorse ethnic products through selling them in the larger urban market. Selling handcrafts like Ping Zhai handmade embroidery is a source of livelihood for farm women in the mountainous region of the Wulong Township.