GuideStar Expands Database to Include All Tax-Exempt Nonprofits

Release Date: 06/09/2005

Williamsburg, Va., and Washington, D.C.—GuideStar, the national database of nonprofit information, has expanded its database to include all tax-exempt organizations registered with the IRS.

Previously, GuideStar focused on charitable nonprofits-organizations eligible to accept tax-deductible contributions. Now the database contains every exempt organization in the IRS Business Master File, more than 1.5 million nonprofits in all. Nonprofits just added to GuideStar include membership-based organizations, political entities, non-exempt charitable trusts, civic leagues, and fraternal associations.

Through the generosity of GuideStar's funders, basic information on all of these nonprofits, including their Forms 990 as they become available, is accessible to GuideStar's users at no cost.

"This marks another milestone in GuideStar's history," stated Robert G. Ottenhoff, GuideStar's president and CEO. "In 1996, we put data about the programs and finances of thousands of charities on-line, the first time this information was available in an easily accessible, central location. In 1999, we began posting charities' Forms 990. Now we are making the entire nonprofit universe available to our users. We are proud to provide a platform where taxpayers can review the activities of exempt organizations and where the nonprofits can demonstrate their commitment to transparency by posting additional information on GuideStar."

About GuideStar

GuideStar, www.guidestar.org, offers information about the programs and finances of more than 1.5 million IRS-recognized nonprofits. GuideStar powers many on-line giving systems and distributes both free and subscription-based nonprofit data to grantmakers, nonprofits, donors, government charity regulators, and professionals serving the sector.

GuideStar has also developed NASCOnet, a Web application enabling state and federal regulators to track organizations and share information about them, for the National Association of State Charity Officials. NASCOnet's development is funded by a Department of Commerce TOP grant.

To find out more about GuideStar, go to www.guidestar.org.