GuideStar

GuideStar is an information service specializing in reporting on US nonprofit organizations. GuideStar’s operations include data digitization, database management and development, nonprofit services, web site operations, research and verification of 501c3 public charity status. Those interested in reviewing a nonprofit’s recent Forms 990 can register at GuideStar.org and download them for free; additional information is available in various fee-based packages. With this grant, GuideStar will make improvements to its taxonomy of the target population(s) served by nonprofits and to its collection mechanisms for additional data from nonprofits about the composition of their populations served.

GuideStar works to "gather and disseminate information about every single IRS-registered nonprofit organization." As such it is potentially in a unique position to assess the increasingly important role that nonprofit organizations are playing in American politics -- both in serving as advocates for particular points of view and, more and more, as institutional entities serving to route contributions from individual and institutional donors to political campaigns. The purpose of this exploratory project is to ascertain whether and how GuideStar, working with other Madison Initiative grantees, could use its core capabilities to illuminate the origin, destination, intent of politically-oriented funds flowing through nonprofits.