Information from Form 990 filings are an integral part of creating Instrumentl's cultivation capabilities & rich funder insights:
Instrumentl's Foundation Profiles use Form 990s, specific grant programs and deadlines, and other detailed information to give you a complete understanding of potential funders.
Our Advanced 990 Insights empower you to strategically assess new funders. You'll discover how open a funder is to new grantees, geographical giving, grant sizes, giving by category, and much more.
Learn how we gather and use the data from funder's 990 reports below.
Where do the data on the 990 Report pages come from?
All tax-exempt organizations (such as nonprofits) are required to file a Form 990 with the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) annually. The IRS publishes these filings to make them publicly available for anyone to search.
Instrumentl utilizes data from these 990 filings and the Exempt Organizations Business Master File (BMF) to power our 990 Report pages. The BMF is the IRS's basic record source for information about these tax-exempt organizations.
Instrumentl receives this data directly from the IRS. Therefore, if you see information on a 990 Report that may have changed recently, it is likely that the IRS has not published the most recent 990 filings yet.
You may refer to the IRS's "About 990s" page for further technical details about Form 990s, including filing instructions and updated copies.
How does Instrumentl use 990 filings and the BMF in the 990 Report Pages?
Instrumentl is able to automatically parse information into the 990 Report page when we receive e-filed 990 filings. This allows us to provide information and insights about giving amounts, past grantees, NTEE codes, and other relevant metrics. Instrumentl uses the BMF to help validate information and provide updates to names, assets, and other data points.
Why doesn’t this funder have 990 data and insights available?
Only tax-exempt organizations are required to file 990s with the IRS. Therefore, if the funder is a corporate entity or a government organization, they are not required to file 990s with the IRS, and Instrumentl will not have insights and data for these funders.
However, you can often find information about past grantees and other details by investigating the funder’s website! Although not required, these funders are by no means precluded from filing a 990 form.
Why don’t I see more recent 990 data?
We pull information from the IRS within a week of filings being made publicly available. The IRS makes 990s "Open to Public Inspection" for transparency.
However, there is often quite a delay between the end of a foundation's fiscal year, when it files its 990, and when that 990 is processed & actually released by the IRS. Historically, there can be up to a 1-2 year lag for the entirety of a new batch of filings to be published.
Due to these potential delays, 990 information available on Instrumentl may not represent the most recent 990s filed by the organization.
Why don’t I see a certain year(s) of data and insights?
When a 990 report is not e-filed, Instrumentl cannot provide data and insights in our reports. Therefore, if you see a 990 Report page with "missing" years or an entire page without any of these data points or insights, it’s because that organization did not e-file their 990s.
However, we always include PDFs of filings — whether they have been e-filed or not.
For tax years that begin after July 1, 2019, all tax-exempt organizations will be required to e-file — which means the data you see on Instrumentl’s 990 Report pages will only continue to improve!
Contact Us 
Have any questions about 990 reports or Instrumentl's 990 Insights? Get in touch with our friendly Support team via your account's chat bubble, or email us at hello@instrumentl.com.