Research Guides: LGLS 89A Law and Society: Sources to Assess NGOs

State Government

Massachusetts State Charity Search
From the MA Attorney General's office, search for information on nonprofits operating in Massachusetts.

IRS Tax Information for Nonprofits
Search for tax information and current federal status of charities and nonprofits.
Charity Watch
Independent group that evaluates hundreds of American charities on criteria including efficiency, accountability, and governance.

Foundation Directory Online Professional
Identify grantmakers and potential funding sources with this database from the Foundation Center. Updated weekly, it also provides keyword searching of IRS 990 filings.

GuideStar
Get financial data on nonprofits and foundations. Create an account and login for free access to information about 1.7 million nonprofits including mission statements, board info, and IRS tax documents.
ProPublica NonProfit Explorer
View summaries of 3 million tax returns from tax-exempt organizations and see financial details such as their executive compensation and revenue and expenses
Charity Navigator
Provides charitable givers and social investors across the country with every type of charitable interest the tools necessary to make informed giving decisions.

Mergent Intellect
Offers company overviews of well-known organizations including their histories, operations, and competitors. (formerly Hoovers)
IBISWorld
Collection of research reports containing key statistics, industry conditions, market characteristics, industry performance, external market drivers, key success factors, and 5-year revenue forecasts for each US industry. IBIS Covers over 700 US industries; 192 China Industries and 75 of the largest industries world-wide. Also contains business environment reports. Updated throughout the year.
ProSight Statement Studies
Provides access to industry norms (ratios and default probability/cash flow measures) for 600+ industries by year, asset range and region.