Investigating nonprofits and charities: Where to find internal data, public records - Journalist's Resource Journalist's Resource

Nonprofit organizations perform some of the most vital work in the United States, often serving the needy and filling gaps where society does not, or cannot, deliver services or provide safety nets. The word “charity,” often applied to such institutions, can have the ring of altruism and irreproachable motives. But nonprofits are some of the nation’s largest, most powerful organizations such as hospitals, foundations, universities and churches. Like any other set of institutions, they are susceptible to corruption, waste and abuse. Journalists should know that nonprofit groups are subject to government rules that regulate the activities, finances and operations that justify their ongoing receipt of tax-exempt, “501(c)(3)” status — effectively, a government-endorsed subsidy. Further, many nonprofits depend on donations from the public, giving them a special obligation to allocate these collective resources efficiently and effectively and uphold the public’s trust, especially when money is designated to help vulnerable populations. via Investigating nonprofits and charities: Where to find internal data, public records - Journalist's Resource Journalist's Resource.