How to Find a Nonprofit's EIN Number (3 Free Methods)

Every tax-exempt organization in the United States has an Employer Identification Number (EIN), a unique nine-digit number assigned by the IRS. Think of it as a Social Security number for organizations.

You might need a nonprofit’s EIN to verify their tax-exempt status before making a donation, complete a grant application, file paperwork that references a partner organization, or do due diligence research.

Whatever the reason, finding an EIN is straightforward once you know where to look.

What is an EIN?

An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is a nine-digit number formatted as XX-XXXXXXX. The IRS assigns one to every organization that applies for tax-exempt status. It’s sometimes called a Tax Identification Number (TIN) or Federal Tax ID.

The EIN is public information. There’s no reason an organization should refuse to share it, and there are several free ways to look it up yourself.

Method 1: Search on 501(see)

The fastest approach. 501(see) lets you search across 1.8M+ tax-exempt organizations by name, state, or category. Every organization profile shows the EIN prominently, along with financial data, officer information, and more.

Just type the organization’s name into the search bar. You’ll see the EIN in the results.

Method 2: IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search

The IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) is the official government source. You can search by organization name, EIN, city, state, or country.

TEOS is authoritative but bare-bones. It’ll confirm the EIN and tax-exempt status, but it won’t show you financials, officers, or any other useful context. For a simple EIN lookup, it gets the job done.

Method 3: Ask the organization directly

If you can’t find an organization through online search (maybe they’re very small, recently formed, or have a common name), you can simply ask them. Nonprofits are accustomed to sharing their EIN. It appears on every donation receipt, grant application, and official communication they send.

Check the organization’s website first. Many nonprofits list their EIN on their “About” or “Donate” page, often in the footer.

Common issues

The organization has a common name. If you search for “Community Foundation” you’ll get hundreds of results. Narrow your search by adding the city or state. On 501(see), you can filter by state and category to zero in on the right one.

The organization recently changed its name. The IRS database may still show the old name. Try searching by the previous name, or by city and state if you know those.

The organization is very new. It can take several months for a newly approved tax-exempt organization to appear in IRS databases. If the organization just received its determination letter, it may not be searchable yet.

You found the EIN but want to verify it’s legitimate. Cross-reference on the IRS TEOS to confirm the organization’s exempt status. If an organization claims to be tax-exempt but doesn’t appear in the IRS database, that’s a red flag.

What you can do with an EIN

Once you have the EIN, you can:

• Verify tax-exempt status. Confirm the organization is recognized as tax-exempt by the IRS before you donate
• Look up 990 filings. Use the EIN to find the organization’s annual tax returns, which contain detailed financial information
• Research financials. On 501(see), searching by EIN takes you directly to the organization’s profile with revenue, expenses, officer compensation, and grant data
• Complete grant applications. Many grant applications require you to list partner organization EINs

---

Finding a nonprofit’s EIN takes about 30 seconds with the right tool. The data is public; you just need to know where to look.

Search nonprofit EINs on 501(see), free, no account required.