To find a nonprofit’s EIN, start with the organization itself — its website, a donation receipt, or an annual report — then move to the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) or a Form 990 database such as ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer or Candid. The nine-digit Employer Identification Number is public information for tax-exempt groups, and knowing how to find a nonprofit’s EIN usually takes only a few minutes across these free tools.
Check the Nonprofit’s Website and Receipts
Most tax-exempt organizations publish their EIN somewhere on their own site. Common spots are the “About Us,” “Donate,” or “Financial Transparency” pages, and many groups place the number in the site footer so it appears on every page.
Past correspondence is the other quick source. Donation acknowledgment letters, annual reports, and fundraising mailings often print the EIN next to financial summaries. If you have ever given to the organization before, dig up the receipt before you go searching online.
Use the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search
The IRS runs a free lookup tool called Tax Exempt Organization Search that covers every registered tax-exempt group.1Internal Revenue Service. Tax Exempt Organization Search You can search by organization name or by EIN, and results show the matching organization’s EIN, name, city, and state.2Internal Revenue Service – IRS. Tax Exempt Organization Search
Use the group’s full legal name, the one on its articles of incorporation, not any brand or “doing business as” version. The IRS database indexes by legal name, so a well-known nickname may return nothing. If you are not sure of the exact name, try a partial-name search and filter by city and state.
TEOS searches across several databases at once, including Pub 78 Data (organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions), the Automatic Revocation List, determination letters, Form 990 filings, and Form 990-N e-Postcards. Determination letters issued from January 2014 onward can be downloaded directly through the tool.3Internal Revenue Service. Obtaining Copies of Exemption Determination Letter From IRS
Look Up the Form 990
Federal law requires most tax-exempt organizations to make their annual Form 990 returns public.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6104 – Publicity of Information Required From Certain Exempt Organizations and Certain Trusts Two independent platforms, ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer and Candid (formerly GuideStar), host these filings in searchable databases.5ProPublica. Nonprofit Explorer
Enter the nonprofit’s name, open the most recent Form 990, and look at the heading area on page one. The EIN appears as Item D.6Internal Revenue Service. 2025 Instructions for Form 990 These databases are also convenient if you want to pull several years of filings or compare organizations. Candid gives basic profile information and 990 access through a free account; deeper financial and compliance data sits behind a paid subscription.7Candid. Launch of Candid Search Unifies Nonprofit and Funder Data in One Place
When the EIN Is Hard to Find
Some legitimate organizations do not show up cleanly in the databases above. Knowing why keeps you from assuming a group is a scam when it is simply outside the usual filing rules.
Churches and Religious Organizations
Churches are automatically tax-exempt under federal law and are not required to apply for an IRS determination letter, though most obtain an EIN anyway. Churches are also exempt from filing Form 990.8Internal Revenue Service. Filing Requirements for Churches and Religious Organizations Because of that, a church’s EIN generally will not appear in a third-party 990 database. Ask the church directly or check its website.
Very Small Organizations
Tax-exempt groups with annual gross receipts normally at or below $50,000 can meet their filing requirement with Form 990-N, the e-Postcard.9Internal Revenue Service. Annual Electronic Filing Requirement for Small Exempt Organizations – Form 990-N (e-Postcard) The e-Postcard shows the EIN and basic contact information but none of the financial detail of a full 990. Search for it through TEOS by selecting the Form 990-N database.
Fiscally Sponsored Projects
Some charitable projects operate under a fiscal sponsorship arrangement instead of holding their own 501(c)(3) status. The sponsoring organization is the entity the IRS recognizes, and the sponsor’s EIN is the one that matters for a tax deduction. If the project you are checking works this way, the sponsor’s name and EIN should appear on any donation receipt; the project itself may have no separate EIN at all.
Confirm the EIN Is Still Valid
Finding a number is only half the job if you plan to claim a deduction. A group can lose its tax-exempt status, and donations made after that point are not deductible.
The Pub 78 Data list inside TEOS shows every organization currently eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions. An entry there means the status is active. Each listing also carries a deductibility code, such as “PC” for public charity or “PF” for private foundation, which tells you which percentage-of-income limit applies to your gift.
The IRS automatically revokes exempt status when an organization fails to file a required return or notice for three consecutive years.10Internal Revenue Service. Automatic Revocation of Exemption A group on the Automatic Revocation List drops off Pub 78, and contributions during the revocation period generally are not deductible even if the organization is later reinstated.11Internal Revenue Service. Automatic Revocation of Exemption for Nonfiling – Deductibility of Contributions Both lists are searchable through TEOS.
Ask the Organization
If nothing turns up online, call or email the nonprofit and ask. Every tax-exempt organization is required to have an EIN, even one with no employees.12Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number The number is public and appears on required filings, so a legitimate group has no reason to hold it back. If a charity refuses to share its EIN or cannot produce one, verify the group through the IRS tools above before you give.