To look up a nonprofit in California, run its name or ID through four free databases: the Secretary of State’s bizfileOnline portal, the Attorney General’s Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, the Franchise Tax Board’s entity status letter tool, and the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Each one answers a different question about the organization, and a nonprofit can be in good standing with one agency while suspended or revoked by another. Running all four takes about ten minutes.
Gather a Few Identifiers First
Searching by name alone often turns up dozens of similarly named organizations. Two numbers make the search precise:
- The entity number, a seven-digit code starting with “C” that the Secretary of State assigns when a nonprofit files its articles of incorporation. It’s unique to the organization and doesn’t change if the name does.1California Secretary of State. Business Search – Frequently Asked Questions
- The EIN, the nine-digit federal Employer Identification Number the IRS uses as the tax ID.
Also note the exact legal name from the organization’s articles of incorporation and any registered “Doing Business As” names. If you don’t have a number, name searches still work in all four databases.
Secretary of State: Does the Nonprofit Legally Exist
The Secretary of State’s bizfileOnline portal confirms whether the organization is a registered California corporation. Enter the name or the entity number (drop the leading “C”) at the search page.2California Secretary of State. Search | California Secretary of State – bizfile Online You can filter by entity type, such as “Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation” or “Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation.”
The results page shows current status, formation date, and jurisdiction, plus downloadable PDFs of the Statement of Information and other filings. The Statement of Information lists current officers, including the chief executive officer, secretary, and chief financial officer. California nonprofit corporations must file the first Statement of Information within 90 days of incorporating and every two years after that.3California Legislative Information. California Code, CORP 6210 A most-recent filing that’s several years old is worth investigating through the other three databases.
Attorney General: Is the Charity Authorized to Solicit Donations
The California Attorney General’s office runs a separate Registry of Charities and Fundraisers under the Supervision of Trustees and Fundraisers for Charitable Purposes Act, codified in Government Code sections 12580 through 12599.8.4California Legislative Information. California Government Code 12580 Search by name or EIN on the Attorney General’s charities page.5California Department of Justice. Registry of Charities and Fundraisers
This registry shows whether the organization is current on its Annual Registration Renewal Fee Report (Form RRF-1), which every registered charity must file each year. It also tracks professional fundraisers and the contracts they hold with nonprofit clients. Those filings can show how much of each donated dollar actually reaches the charity, and sometimes reveal campaigns where telemarketers keep most of what’s raised while the charity receives only a small share.
A “Delinquent” status means the organization has failed to submit required financial reports. It doesn’t automatically mean fraud, but it does mean the state can’t verify how the charity is spending money. Repeated delinquency is a serious warning sign.
Franchise Tax Board: Is State Tax-Exempt Status Active
This is the step most people skip, and it’s often the most revealing. The California Franchise Tax Board keeps its own records on every entity in the state, including whether a nonprofit’s state tax-exempt status is active or suspended. Check for free using the entity status letter tool at ftb.ca.gov.6California Franchise Tax Board. Entity Status Letter
California tax-exempt organizations must file Form 199 with the FTB if their gross receipts normally exceed $50,000. Smaller organizations can file the simpler FTB 199N electronic postcard. Private foundations must file Form 199 regardless of size.7California Franchise Tax Board. 2025 Form 199 California Exempt Organization Annual Information Return
When a nonprofit falls behind on state filings, the FTB can suspend it. A suspended entity loses the legal right to conduct business in California, including entering contracts, filing lawsuits, or defending itself in court. The FTB check often catches this problem faster than the Secretary of State’s database, which may lag behind an FTB-initiated suspension.
IRS: Is the Nonprofit Federally Exempt and Are Donations Deductible
A nonprofit can be in good standing with California and still have lost its federal tax-exempt status, so this is a separate essential step. The IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search lets you search by name, EIN, or location.8Internal Revenue Service. Tax Exempt Organization Search Four categories of data matter most:
- Pub 78 Data confirms whether donations qualify as tax-deductible. If the organization isn’t listed, donors can’t claim a charitable deduction.
- Form 990 series returns show the organization’s revenue, expenses, executive compensation, and program spending.
- Auto-Revocation List identifies organizations that automatically lost their exempt status for failing to file required returns for three consecutive years.
- Determination Letters are the original IRS letters granting tax-exempt status and confirming the classification.
Most California charities hold 501(c)(3) status, but the IRS recognizes many other categories: 501(c)(4) for social welfare organizations, 501(c)(5) for labor unions, 501(c)(6) for business leagues and chambers of commerce, and 501(c)(7) for social clubs.9Internal Revenue Service. Publication 557 Tax-Exempt Status for Your Organization Only 501(c)(3) organizations can receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. Donations to a 501(c)(4) or 501(c)(6) are generally not deductible.
An organization that failed to file Form 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, or the 990-N electronic postcard for three consecutive years automatically loses federal tax-exempt status under IRC Section 6033(j).10Internal Revenue Service. Automatic Revocation of Exemption Once the IRS publishes the organization on the Auto-Revocation List, that listing is public notice that contributions are no longer deductible.11Internal Revenue Service. Automatic Exemption Revocation for Nonfiling – Effective Date of Loss of Status as Charitable Donee
Reading the Status Labels
Each database uses its own vocabulary, and the labels don’t always line up.
Secretary of State
“Active” means the entity has filed its formation documents and is authorized to operate in California. “Dissolved” means the organization filed a certificate of dissolution or a court ordered it dissolved, and all corporate powers have ceased.1California Secretary of State. Business Search – Frequently Asked Questions “Surrender” applies only to foreign corporations that gave up the right to do business in the state. “Suspended” or “FTB Suspended” means the Franchise Tax Board suspended the entity for failing to file returns or pay taxes; people who conduct business on behalf of a suspended organization risk personal liability for its obligations during the suspension.
Attorney General
“Current” or “Active” means the charity is registered and up to date on its filings. “Delinquent” means it has fallen behind on required financial reports. An organization can be delinquent with the Attorney General while still showing as active with the Secretary of State, because the two agencies track different obligations.
IRS
The two things to check are whether the organization appears in the Pub 78 data (donations deductible) and whether it appears on the Auto-Revocation List (federal exempt status lost). An organization can hold a determination letter but still show up as revoked if it later stopped filing.
You Can Also Request Documents Directly
Federal law gives you the right to inspect key documents at the organization itself. Every exempt organization must make its exemption application (Form 1023 or 1023-EZ for 501(c)(3) organizations) and its annual returns (Form 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, and any Form 990-T filed after August 17, 2006) available for public inspection, including all schedules and attachments filed with the IRS.12Internal Revenue Service. Public Disclosure and Availability of Exempt Organizations Returns and Applications – Documents Subject to Public Disclosure
Two limits: with the exception of private foundations, a nonprofit does not have to disclose donor names and addresses, and political organizations don’t have to share their Form 1120-POL income tax return. Refusing to provide the required documents carries a $20-per-day penalty on the responsible individuals, up to $10,000 for each failure to provide an annual return; the penalty for refusing to provide the exemption application has no cap.13Internal Revenue Service. Public Disclosure and Availability of Exempt Organizations Returns and Applications – Penalties for Noncompliance Most organizations post their Form 990 on their own site or through services like Candid’s GuideStar, but you can request the documents whether or not they’re online.