Information from Form 990 filings is an integral part of creating Instrumentl's cultivation capabilities & rich funder insights:
Instrumentl's Funder Profiles use Form 990s, specific grant programs, 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 data from funders' Form 990s below.
Where does the data in Instrumentl's 990 Reports come from?
All tax-exempt organizations (such as nonprofits) are required to file Form 990 with the 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 primary source of information on 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 yet published the most recent 990 filings.
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 automatically populates 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 validate information and update 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 on the funder’s website. Although not required, these funders are not precluded from filing Form 990.
Why don’t I see more recent 990 data?
We retrieve information from the IRS within a week of filings becoming publicly available. The IRS makes 990s "Open to Public Inspection" for transparency.
However, there is often a significant delay between the end of a foundation's fiscal year and when the IRS processes and releases its Form 990. Historically, there has been a 1-2-year lag before the entire batch of new filings is published.
Due to these potential delays, the 990 information available on Instrumentl may not reflect the organization's most recent filings.
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.