Data Sources
FunderKit uses publicly available data from the Internal Revenue Service. Here are the specific sources we use and how we process them.
IRS TEOS (Tax Exempt Organization Search)
TEOS provides the core data for FunderKit. Each monthly release contains thousands of electronically filed returns in XML format. We primarily process Form 990-PF filings, which are required for private foundations and contain detailed grant information.
IRS Business Master File (BMF)
The BMF provides NTEE (National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities) classification codes that categorize organizations by their mission and activities. We use these codes to classify foundations into categories like Education, Health Care, Arts, and more.
Data We Extract from 990-PF Filings
| Data | 990-PF Section | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Grants Awarded | Part XV | Recipient name, address, amount, and purpose |
| Officers & Trustees | Part VIII | Names, titles, hours worked, and compensation |
| Financial Summary | Part I | Revenue, expenses, total assets, and giving |
| Organization Info | Header | Name, EIN, address, tax period |
What We Don't Use
- AWS S3 IRS bucket — The previously-available
s3://irs-form-990/bucket stopped receiving updates in December 2021. We use the newer TEOS system instead. - Paper filings — Only electronically filed returns are available in machine-readable format.
- Private or proprietary data — All data on FunderKit comes from public government sources.
Data Freshness
We process new IRS TEOS releases as they become available, typically monthly. There is an inherent lag in IRS data — most filings appear in TEOS 6-12 months after the foundation's fiscal year ends. This means the most recent data on FunderKit typically reflects giving from 1-2 years ago.
For details on how we process and analyze this data, see our methodology page.