Nonprofit Entities
Researching the Tax-Exempt Organization
The tax-exempt sector is one of the most frustrating areas for corporate researchers. The main source of information for these organizations is the 990 form which they are required to file with the Internal Revenue Service. This Web site provides information on these forms.
GuideStar
This Web site offers a searchable database of more than 850,000 tax exempt organizations. Full reports, not available for every organization in the database, give a description of the organization, the IRS employer identification number (EIN), financial information from the 990 filing and the board of directors. GuideStar derives its information from the 990 forms and from information submitted directly to GuideStar by the tax exempt organizations.
Charity Navigator
Database of over 1,100 major charitable entities. Can be searched by name, region, or category of activity. Records show a brief financial statement, CEO compensation, and rate the charity according to a variety of financial criteria relative to other similar organizations. Basic contact information and a link to the charity's Web site are also given.
Give.org Charity Reports Index
A joint project of the Better Business Bureaus and the National Charities Information, this Web site contains reports in PDF format on hundreds of nonprofit organizations that solicit nationally or have national or international program services. It routinely asks such organizations for information about programs, governance, fund-raising practices and finances when the charities have been the subject of inquiries. Reports provide program, financial and governance information, and rate organizations on their compliance with the Council of Better Business Bureau’s Standards for Charitable Solicitation.
National Center for Charitable Statistics
The National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), part of the Urban Institute, is the national repository of data on the nonprofit sector in the United States. Its mission is to develop and disseminate high-quality data on nonprofit organizations and their activities for use in research on the relationships between the nonprofit sector, government, the commercial sector and the broader civil society. NCCS collects and maintains aggregate state data on the nonprofit sector as well as an organization database. The NCCS maintains a good list of links to Internet sites on nonprofits.
State Charity Regulatory Divisions
This site lists contact information for state agencies responsible for regulating charitable solicitations with links to the agency Web sites where available. Some states require charitable organizations to file financial reports and/or their 990s with the state and some have put part or all of that information online.
