The Foundation Center

The Foundation Center is another resource for finding financial information about nonprofit organizations. While the main focus of the website is for grantmakers and grantseekers, they do provide a searchable database for finding organizations' Form 990 tax returns.

To do a Form 990 search, go to "Finding Funders" on the main page. You will be given a drop down menu with the option of a "990 Search." After selecting this search, the next page provides data entry boxes for name, state, zip and EIN (Employer Identification Number). You do not need to have the EIN, but the more information you provide, the more focused your search will be. The Foundation Center also provides a link to a guide called "How to Read the IRS Form 990 & Find Out What it Means" from the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York (NPCC). The guide discusses income an organization receives as well as revenues, expenses and net assets. An expanded version of NPCC's guide called "Form 990: A Detailed Examination" is also available.