I was told this week that non-profit financial data is obtainable on-line. Since many people are concerned about the Allied Arts Guild’s financial condition, I checked to see what information is available. A Google search for data on charity or non-profit financials listed many public websites. Two of the most easily used sites are:

Office of the Attorney General, State of California, Department of Justice

Web Link

A state site that provides links to California charity financial data and Form 990 tax filings using a Charities Search function and the non-profit’s Employer Identification Number (EIN).

GuideStar

Web Link

The intent of this site is to provide enough information for donors to make their own judgments of non-profit performance. The database includes all IRS-registered tax-deductible charities, comprising over 700,000 organizations. Some listings do not provide full data.

For most searches, the only thing an inquirer needs to know is the charity’s registered name and/or either its Employer Identification Number (EIN) or its Charitable Trust (CT) number. For the Allied Arts group, the name is “The Woodside-Atherton Auxiliary to L Salter Packard Children’s Hospital,” and the EIN is 94-0276076. The above searches are free of charge.

The financial data provided by the non-profit’s tax filings provide an accurate and objective picture of Allied Arts’ fiscal condition, and should correct any inaccuracies that have inadvertently appeared in press releases, articles or public postings on the Almanac’s Town Square website. See for yourself.