Nonprofit EIN Lookup: How to Find a Charity’s Tax ID Number

Where to look, in order

1. IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. The primary source. Search by name, city and state; the record shows the EIN, the subsection (501(c)(3) and so on), whether donations are deductible, and links to the determination letter and filed returns. It also lists organizations whose exemption was automatically revoked for not filing.
2. Form 990 databases. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and Candid (formerly GuideStar) index every filed 990 and put the EIN at the top of each profile. Better search and history than the IRS tool, same underlying data.
3. The organization’s own materials. Donation receipts, annual reports, grant applications and the footer of many nonprofit websites carry the EIN, because donors need it for their own records.
4. Ask for a W-9. Any nonprofit that receives payments or grants has one ready. It states the legal name, the EIN and the exempt status under signature.
5. State charity registries. Most states require charities that solicit donations to register with the attorney general or secretary of state, and many of those registries show the EIN.

Why a real nonprofit can be missing from the IRS search

Churches

Churches, synagogues, mosques and their integrated auxiliaries are exempt automatically and are not required to apply for recognition or file Form 990. Many never appear in the IRS search at all. They still have an EIN; it is simply not published. Ask the office.

New organizations

An organization appears in the search once the IRS issues its determination letter, which can be months after formation, and its first 990 appears a year or more after that. A charity founded this year may have an EIN and a pending application and no public record yet.

Small organizations that file the e-Postcard

Groups under the gross receipts threshold file Form 990-N, a short electronic notice rather than a full return. They are in the IRS search, but there is no 990 document to open, so the third-party databases show little beyond the name and EIN.

Groups that were never exempt

Booster clubs, PTAs, HOAs, sports leagues and community groups often operate for years with an EIN and a bank account but no exemption. They exist, and their EIN is real, but there is nothing for the IRS search to show. Donations to them are generally not deductible, which is the practical reason to check.

What the EIN does and does not tell you

The EIN identifies the organization; it does not by itself prove exemption or deductibility. A group can hold an EIN and no exemption, or an exemption that was revoked. For a donation you intend to deduct, the record you want is the IRS search result showing the organization is currently recognized and, for 501(c)(3)s, that contributions are deductible. The EIN verification guide covers checking numbers for other kinds of organizations.

Looking up your own nonprofit’s EIN

Officers land here too. If the organization has filed a 990 or holds a determination letter, the IRS search is the quickest place. If it is a church or a new group, the number is on the CP 575 notice from when the EIN was issued, on the bank account, and on the exemption application if one was filed. Failing all of that, an officer can call the IRS for a 147C letter; the 147C guide covers the call. Do not apply for a new EIN to replace a lost one; the organization would then have two.

Quick answers

Is a nonprofit’s EIN confidential?

No. It is on every public 990 and on the IRS search. Nonprofits publish it on donation receipts precisely so donors can use it.

Does a nonprofit need an EIN before it is tax exempt?

Yes. The exemption application asks for it, and the bank account needs it before that. The nonprofit EIN guide covers getting one.

The charity I want to support is not in the IRS search. Is it a scam?

Not necessarily. Check whether it is a church or a new organization, and ask for its determination letter or a W-9. A real organization provides one without hesitation. One that will not, or that gives an EIN belonging to a different name, is the case to walk away from.