To do a nonprofit EIN lookup, go to the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search at irs.gov, enter the organization’s legal name and state, and the results will show the Employer Identification Number along with whether donations to it are tax-deductible.1Internal Revenue Service. Tax Exempt Organization Search For most donors that single search answers both questions at once. The rest is knowing how to read the results and what to do when the organization doesn’t show up.
How to Search the IRS Database
The Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) connects to several federal datasets in one interface. The one that matters for most people is the Pub 78 Data, which lists organizations qualified to accept tax-deductible contributions.2Internal Revenue Service. Tax Exempt Organization Search Bulk Data Downloads Choose that database, enter the organization’s legal name, and select the state where it’s based. The results show the name, EIN, city, and deductibility status.
One thing catches people constantly: the name they know isn’t the name the IRS knows. Many nonprofits operate under a “doing business as” name that differs from their registered legal name.3Internal Revenue Service. Using the Correct Name Control in E-Filing Corporate Tax Returns A charity called “Feed the Valley” on its website might be registered as “Central Valley Food Assistance, Inc.” with the IRS. Check the website footer, donation receipts, or “About” page for the formal legal name before searching. A single misspelling or dropped abbreviation can return zero results.
If you already have an EIN and want to confirm who it belongs to, the same tool searches by EIN directly.
Reading the Results
If the organization appears in the Pub 78 data, its tax-exempt status is currently active and it can receive deductible donations. The deductibility status column tells you what type of contributions qualify. If the organization is absent, that’s worth investigating, though there are a few legitimate reasons for absence covered below.
Before donating, check one more dataset inside TEOS: the Automatic Revocation List. Federal law requires the IRS to revoke tax-exempt status for any organization that fails to file a required annual return for three consecutive years.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6033 – Returns by Exempt Organizations The list shows each organization’s name, EIN, last known address, effective date of revocation, and any reinstatement date, and the IRS updates it monthly.5Internal Revenue Service. Automatic Revocation of Exemption
Once an organization is revoked, it’s removed from Pub 78 and donations to it are no longer tax-deductible, even if the organization is still operating and still soliciting money.5Internal Revenue Service. Automatic Revocation of Exemption If a charity shows up on the revocation list, ask whether it has applied for reinstatement before contributing.
When TEOS Doesn’t Have What You Need
Form 990 filings are the next place to look. Most tax-exempt organizations must file an annual Form 990 or a variant, and these are public records by law.6Internal Revenue Service. Annual Form 990 Filing Requirements for Tax-Exempt Organizations7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6104 – Publicity of Information Required From Certain Exempt Organizations and Certain Trusts The EIN sits in the header of page one of every 990. Free platforms like Candid (formerly GuideStar) and ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer host searchable archives of these filings.
The 990 gives you more than an EIN. Executive compensation, program spending, revenue sources, and total assets are all disclosed. If you’re evaluating whether an organization deserves a donation, the 990 is the closest thing to an X-ray of how it spends money.
Very small organizations, with annual gross receipts of $50,000 or less, file the simplified Form 990-N (e-Postcard) instead.8Internal Revenue Service. Form 990-N (e-Postcard) The e-Postcard shows only the name, EIN, principal officer, and a confirmation that receipts are under the threshold, but the EIN is there. These filings are also searchable through TEOS.
You can also pull the IRS determination letter for organizations that received one in 2014 or later, directly through TEOS.9Internal Revenue Service. Obtaining Copies of Exemption Determination Letter From IRS Older letters have to be requested by submitting Form 4506-B. The determination letter carries the EIN and cites the exact section of the tax code granting the exemption.
Organizations That Legitimately Won’t Appear
Not every tax-exempt organization shows up in IRS databases. Churches, their integrated auxiliaries, conventions of churches, and exclusively religious activities of religious orders are exempt from filing Form 990 at all.10Internal Revenue Service. Annual Exempt Organization Return – Who Must File Donations to them are still deductible, but they won’t appear in TEOS unless they voluntarily filed or requested a determination letter.
Nonprofits that aren’t private foundations and have annual gross receipts of $5,000 or less are also excused from filing.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6033 – Returns by Exempt Organizations To verify a church or a very small nonprofit, ask directly for the EIN or determination letter, or check whether the group is affiliated with a recognized denomination or umbrella body that can confirm status.
Tax-Exempt Isn’t the Same as Tax-Deductible
This distinction catches donors off guard. An organization can be tax-exempt without being eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions, and the two are separate under federal law.
Donations to 501(c)(3) organizations, the most common type of charity, are deductible.11Internal Revenue Service. Charitable Contributions Contributions to 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations, 501(c)(6) trade associations, and most other tax-exempt categories are not, even though those organizations pay no federal income tax themselves. Give $500 to a 501(c)(4) advocacy group and you cannot deduct it on your return, no matter how worthy the cause.
The Pub 78 search is built to answer this specific question. If an organization appears in Pub 78, your contribution is deductible. If it doesn’t, and the organization isn’t a church or other filing-exempt entity, either it doesn’t qualify for deductible contributions or its status has been revoked.1Internal Revenue Service. Tax Exempt Organization Search
For tax year 2026, even donors who don’t itemize can deduct up to $1,000 in cash contributions to qualifying organizations, or $2,000 for joint filers.11Internal Revenue Service. Charitable Contributions So verifying deductibility matters even if you’re taking the standard deduction.
Asking the Organization Directly
The simplest step is often overlooked. Most nonprofits will share their EIN over the phone or by email without hesitation. It’s printed on every Form 990 they file and on every determination letter the IRS issues.
If the organization hesitates, the law is on your side. Federal law requires tax-exempt organizations to make their three most recent annual returns and their original exemption application available for public inspection at their principal office.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6104 – Publicity of Information Required From Certain Exempt Organizations and Certain Trusts In-person requests must be fulfilled immediately. Written requests must be fulfilled within 30 days. The organization can charge a reasonable copying and mailing fee, nothing more.
An organization that refuses to share its EIN or its filings is waving a red flag. Before giving any money, check the Automatic Revocation List.
Fiscal Sponsorship Can Explain a Missing EIN
Some grassroots groups and new projects don’t have their own 501(c)(3) status. They operate under a fiscal sponsor, an established nonprofit that accepts donations on their behalf. In that setup the sponsor’s EIN is the one that matters, because the sponsor is the legal recipient of the donation.
If you look up the project itself and find nothing in TEOS, that’s expected. Search for the fiscal sponsor’s name and EIN instead. Donation receipts and acknowledgment letters should come from the sponsor and carry the sponsor’s EIN. A project that claims sponsorship but can’t name its sponsor or produce the sponsor’s EIN isn’t worth donating to.
State Charity Databases
Many states require charitable organizations to register before soliciting donations within their borders. These registries are run by the Secretary of State’s office or the Attorney General’s charitable trust division, and they often include the federal EIN in the public record.
State databases work as a secondary confirmation layer, especially for organizations registered locally that are harder to find in federal data. Most state registries are free to search online and may include state-specific registration status and filing documents.
One caveat: state registration and federal tax-exempt status are separate. An organization can be registered with a state charity office and still lack valid federal tax-exempt status, or the reverse. For deductibility purposes, verify through the IRS TEOS tool before relying on a state registry.