--- displayed_sidebar: policyMakersSidebar --- # Nonprofit Data Sources & Reference Sites This document lists all nonprofit data sources and reference websites used by Open Navigator. --- ## 🏛️ Primary Data Source (Currently Implemented) ### ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer ⭐ **Source:** IRS Business Master File (BMF) **URL:** https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/tax-exempt-organization-search-bulk-data-downloads **What It Contains:** - **43,726 nonprofit organizations** (from 5 states with full IRS BMF data) - **IRS Form 990 data** - Complete financial disclosures - Revenue, expenses, assets, and liabilities - Executive compensation - Mission statements and program descriptions - NTEE codes for categorization **Why We Use It:** > "The IRS Business Master File provides the most authoritative, complete data on tax-exempt organizations directly from the IRS." **Coverage:** - ✅ **Volume:** 43,726 organizations from 5 states - ✅ **Free Access:** Public domain data - ✅ **Data Quality:** Direct from IRS filings - ✅ **Monthly Updates:** Refreshed regularly --- ## 📊 Reference Sites (Future Integration) These sites provide additional nonprofit evaluation and ratings. They are not currently integrated but are listed as important reference resources. ### 1. Charity Navigator - The "Star Rating" Site **Source:** Charity Navigator **URL:** https://www.charitynavigator.org/ **API:** Available for partners **Focus:** Financial Health & Transparency **What It Provides:** - **4-star rating system** (easy for citizens to understand) - Financial accountability scores - Transparency ratings - Impact measurements for large nonprofits - CEO compensation analysis **Coverage:** - ~200,000 rated charities - Focus on larger organizations (>$1M annual revenue) - Most popular among individual donors **Use Case for Open Navigator:** - Add "Charity Navigator Rating" badge to nonprofit profiles - Filter high-performing nonprofits by star rating - Show financial health scores alongside Form 990 data --- ### 2. Candid (GuideStar) - The "Volume" Leader **Source:** Candid (formerly GuideStar) **URL:** https://www.guidestar.org/ (now https://candid.org/) **API:** Available for partners **Focus:** Comprehensive Transparency Data **What It Provides:** - **Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze Seals of Transparency** - Self-reported program data (beyond Form 990) - Board composition and governance information - Demographic data (staff diversity, equity practices) - The industry standard for nonprofit verification **Coverage:** - 1.8M+ nonprofit profiles - Most comprehensive volume - Many nonprofits display "GuideStar Seals" on their websites **Use Case for Open Navigator:** - Verify nonprofit legitimacy with transparency seals - Show governance and demographic data - Link to detailed GuideStar profiles for more info --- ### 3. GiveWell - The "Impact" Authority **Source:** GiveWell **URL:** https://www.givewell.org/ **API:** No public API (data available on website) **Focus:** Cost-Effectiveness & Evidence-Based Impact **What It Provides:** - **Top Charity** recommendations (highly selective) - Cost-per-life-saved calculations - Evidence-based impact assessments - Program effectiveness research - Most influential for "Effective Altruism" movement **Coverage:** - ~10-20 "Top Charities" at any time - Focus on global health and poverty interventions - Extremely rigorous evaluation standards **Use Case for Open Navigator:** - Highlight GiveWell-recommended charities - Show cost-effectiveness metrics for top performers - Filter by "evidence-based impact" certification --- ## 🔗 Additional Reference Resources ### IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File (BMF) **Source:** IRS **URL:** https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organizations-business-master-file-extract-eo-bmf **What It Contains:** - Complete list of all tax-exempt organizations - EIN (Employer Identification Number) - NTEE codes (National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities) - Subsection code (501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), etc.) - Raw data (no ratings or analysis) **Use Case:** - Cross-reference EINs for data accuracy - Classify nonprofits by NTEE code (education, health, environment, etc.) --- ### National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) **Source:** Urban Institute **URL:** https://nccs.urban.org/ **What It Contains:** - Research on nonprofit sector trends - Data tools and visualization dashboards - Policy analysis and reports **Use Case:** - Background research on nonprofit sector - Trend analysis for advocacy strategies --- ## � Grant Research & Fundraising Platforms These platforms help nonprofits find grant opportunities and manage fundraising. They're built on open-source principles or community-funded models to keep data accessible. ### Grantmakers.io ⭐ - "The Gold Standard for Free Grant Research" **Source:** Community-supported open-source project **URL:** https://www.grantmakers.io/ **Cost:** 100% FREE, no login required **What It Provides:** - **Lightning-fast search** through IRS 990-PF data (private foundation tax returns) - **Foundation giving histories** - See who funded what organizations - **Grantee databases** - Find all grants made to specific nonprofits - **Geographic targeting** - Search by state, city, or region - **Year-over-year trends** - Track foundation giving patterns - **No barriers** - Zero account creation, API keys, or paywalls **Coverage:** - ✅ **75,000+ grantmaking foundations** filing Form 990-PF - ✅ **Millions of grant records** searchable instantly - ✅ **Full foundation financials** - Assets, officers, giving patterns - ✅ **Historical data** - Multi-year foundation trends **Why It's Special:** > "Grantmakers.io is the gold standard for 'free as in freedom.' It's community-supported to remain accessible forever, with no login walls or premium tiers." **Use Cases:** - **Grant Prospecting:** Find foundations that funded similar organizations in your area - **Relationship Research:** Identify foundations supporting oral health, public health, civic engagement - **Competitive Analysis:** See which nonprofits are getting grants in your field - **Foundation Vetting:** Review foundation assets and giving patterns before applying **Example Searches:** - Foundations that funded "fluoridation" or "oral health" projects - Grantmakers in Massachusetts supporting health policy advocacy - Foundations with >$10M assets funding civic engagement - All grants made by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to Alabama nonprofits --- ### Zeffy ⭐ - "100% Free Fundraising with AI Grant Matching" **Source:** Zeffy, Inc. **URL:** https://www.zeffy.com/ **Cost:** 100% FREE for nonprofits (donor-covered fees model) **What It Provides:** - **100% free fundraising platform** (no platform fees, ever) - **AI-powered grant matching** - Machine learning matches your mission to opportunities - **Grant alerts** - Email notifications for new matching grants - **All-in-one tools** - Donations, events, memberships, grant discovery in one system - **North America coverage** - U.S. and Canadian grant databases **Why It's Unique:** Traditional fundraising platforms charge 3-5% fees on donations. Zeffy's donor-covered model means **100% of donations go to your organization**, making it ideal for grassroots oral health advocacy groups. **Grant Discovery Features:** - **Mission-based matching:** Upload your mission, get matched grants - **Federal grants:** Monitors Grants.gov for opportunities - **Foundation grants:** Tracks private foundation RFPs - **Corporate giving:** Alerts for corporate philanthropy programs - **Local grants:** Community foundation and regional funder opportunities **Use Cases for Open Navigator:** - **Nonprofit fundraising:** Zero-cost donation processing for organizations - **Grant prospecting:** AI helps match oral health nonprofits to relevant grants - **Event fundraising:** Free ticketing for fundraising galas, community events - **Membership management:** Track supporters, volunteers, members at no cost --- ### Community Foundations - "Local Grants Often Overlooked" **Source:** Council on Foundations **Locator:** https://www.cof.org/community-foundation-locator **Coverage:** 700+ community foundations across the U.S. **What They Are:** Community foundations are public charities that pool donations from individuals, families, and businesses to support local nonprofits through competitive grants, scholarships, and donor-advised funds. **Why They Matter:** - 🏘️ **Local focus:** Prioritize organizations in their specific region - 💵 **Accessible grants:** $500-$50,000 range, ideal for grassroots groups - 🤝 **Relationship-based:** Know local issues and local leaders - 📋 **Simpler applications:** Less bureaucratic than federal grants - ⚡ **Faster decisions:** Quarterly or rolling deadlines - 🎯 **Mission alignment:** Support community health, civic engagement, education **Examples:** | Foundation | Region | Website | Grant Focus | |------------|--------|---------|-------------| | Central Alabama Community Foundation | Birmingham, AL | https://www.cacfbirmingham.org/ | Health, education, civic engagement | | Boston Foundation | Boston, MA | https://www.tbf.org/ | Health, housing, civic participation | | Community Foundation of Greater Memphis | Memphis, TN | https://www.cfgm.org/ | Health, youth, community engagement | | Silicon Valley Community Foundation | San Francisco Bay | https://www.siliconvalleycf.org/ | Health, education, environment | | Seattle Foundation | Seattle, WA | https://www.seattlefoundation.org/ | Racial equity, community health | **How to Find Your Local Community Foundation:** 1. **Council on Foundations Directory:** https://www.cof.org/community-foundation-locator 2. **Candid Foundation Finder:** https://candid.org/find-us/foundation-finder 3. **Google Search:** "[Your City] Community Foundation" **Grant Opportunities:** - **Competitive grants:** Open RFPs for nonprofits in specific focus areas - **Capacity building:** Support for operations, staffing, strategic planning - **Donor-advised funds:** Individuals/families make grants through the foundation - **Fiscal sponsorship:** Some sponsor projects for groups without 501(c)(3) status **For Oral Health Advocacy:** Many community foundations have health equity or preventive health focus areas that align perfectly with fluoridation advocacy, dental access programs, and oral health education. They're often the **best first step** for local grassroots campaigns. --- ## �📈 Integration Roadmap ### Phase 1: ✅ **Implemented** - ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (3M+ orgs via API) - Basic search by location and name - Form 990 financial data display ### Phase 2: 🔄 **In Progress** - Create nonprofit profile pages with financial summaries - Add "words vs money" accountability analysis - Show executive compensation comparisons ### Phase 3: 📋 **Planned** - Integrate Charity Navigator API for star ratings - Add transparency seal badges from Candid/GuideStar - Display GiveWell recommendations for top charities ### Phase 4: 🔮 **Future** - Real-time API integrations with all reference sites - Unified nonprofit scoring system - Automated alerts for rating changes --- ## 🎯 How to Use These Resources ### For Individual Users: 1. **Start with ProPublica** - See the raw financial data (Form 990) 2. **Check Charity Navigator** - Get the 4-star rating for financial health 3. **Verify with Candid** - Confirm transparency seal status 4. **Look for GiveWell** - If seeking highest-impact charities ### For Advocates: - Use ProPublica data to find inconsistencies ("words vs money") - Reference Charity Navigator ratings in advocacy materials - Cite GuideStar seals as proof of transparency - Highlight GiveWell recommendations for evidence-based giving ### For Researchers: - Download raw data from IRS BMF - Use NCCS for sector-wide analysis - Cross-reference multiple sources for data validation --- ## 📞 Contact & Support **ProPublica API Support:** - Email: data@propublica.org - Documentation: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/api **Charity Navigator:** - Partnership inquiries: https://www.charitynavigator.org/about-us/contact/ **Candid (GuideStar):** - API access: https://www.guidestar.org/api **GiveWell:** - General inquiries: info@givewell.org --- ## ✅ Data Quality & Updates - **ProPublica:** Updated annually when new Form 990s are filed with IRS - **Charity Navigator:** Ratings updated quarterly - **Candid:** Self-reported data updated by nonprofits continuously - **GiveWell:** Top Charity list updated annually (November/December) All data sources listed are **free and publicly accessible**. API access may require partnership agreements for commercial use.