Posted on 09/26/2005 7:21:29 AM PDT by libstripper
The article in the following thread, posted only a short time ago, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1491423/posts, contains a link to a remarkable website, guidestar.org. In return for free registration Guidestar provides links to the last IRS Form 990s filed by each 501(c)(3) public charity in the United States. The Form 990 is a public report roughly equivalent to an individual's Form 1040. This information can be used for many purposes, including challenging the tax exemption of a 501(c)(3) that engages in blatantly political activity, as so many 501(c)(3) organizations on the left do. Happy hunting!
They charge a fee.
For instance, There are about a zillion Planned Parenthood outfits. And they are not required to identify their donors! That means donors can take tax deductions by donating to PP anonymously, and PP provides lots of support to liberal pols. We need to change the laws to take the anonymity out of these nonprofits.
Looks like a $1000/year subscription, for unlimited Form 990 content.
If you know of anyone who is a bogus "philanthropist"--and I know a couple, it's a real hoot to pull up their statements of expenses.
When you search the GuideStar database without registering, you find a nonprofit by its name, city, and state. You'll see its NTEE (National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities) code, and whether contributions to it are tax deductible.
As a registered user, you get so much more, including:
Address Mission and program descriptions
Goals and results
Three most recent Forms 990 received from the IRS for an organization
Any documents a nonprofit has posted through our eDocs service
Why does GuideStar want me to register? GuideStar users are a diverse group. Your information helps us determine the needs of casual browsers, researchers, business users, and everyone in between. The more we know about you, the better we can serve your needs and improve our services.
If I register, am I going to be hit with a lot of spam?
No. GuideStar values your privacy. We will not share your e-mail address or other registration information with other organizations or individuals. The information we collect is used internally to improve the content and offerings of our Web site.
Still have questions? Our staff is always ready to help: customerservice@guidestar.org
See also http://www.charitynavigator.org/
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