How TruthMark covers nonprofits and NGOs

The 990 search is the only module on TruthMark with a real upstream data integration. We chose it because ProPublica's API is free, comprehensive, well-documented, and returns links straight back to the IRS PDF of each filing. The data integration adds value without re-hosting records: every result shows the EIN and links to the authoritative IRS / ProPublica source.

Everything else is the standard TruthMark directory + deep-link pattern. State charity registries point at each state's authoritative registrar (AG, SOS, or consumer-protection agency, depending on the state). FARA points at DOJ's registry. USAID and SAM.gov are federal grant / contract systems. Candid / Charity Navigator / GiveWell are third-party platforms with their own editorial framings.

The terms overlap heavily, especially in U.S. usage. For TruthMark's purposes:

• U.S. nonprofit — typically a 501(c)-classified entity registered with the IRS. The Form 990 data and IRS TEOS cover this.
• NGO— broader umbrella term for nongovernmental organizations, including international charities, advocacy groups, and quasi-governmental orgs (GONGOs). Many U.S.-based NGOs are also 501(c)s; many international ones aren't. Federal sources (USAID, SAM.gov, FARA) cover the non-U.S.-tax-status side.
• Charity — colloquially, any organization soliciting donations for a charitable purpose. State charity-registration systems regulate this, not the IRS.

A search starting at “is this org legit” usually wants (1) tax-exempt status from IRS TEOS or ProPublica, (2) state registration confirmation from the state charity registry, and (3) sanctions check via OFAC. The methodology directs you through all three.

Charity Navigator, GiveWell, and Candid's Platinum Seal all rate nonprofits. They each disclose their methodology publicly and stand behind their scores as editorial products. TruthMark doesn't compete with them; we deep-link to them and let the reader pick the framing.

The same reasoning that keeps politician scoring off TruthMark applies here: scoring is editorial work that requires owning your methodology, and mixing it into a directory dilutes both. If you want a rating, use Charity Navigator or GiveWell. If you want the authoritative records, use TruthMark.

~40 states require general charitable-solicitation registration. Roughly 10 states (AK, DE, ID, IN, IA, MT, NE, SD, TX, WY) have no general registration system. The directory honestly says so when a state has no registry — those states still have AG consumer- protection units that handle fraud, even without a registration system.

The agency that runs charity registration also varies:

• State AG — most common (CA, NY, IL, MA, MI, MN, OH, OR, others). The AG has both registration and enforcement authority.
• Secretary of State — second most common (CO, GA, KS, MD, MS, NV, NC, ND, OK, PA, SC, TN, WA, WV). Registration with the SOS; enforcement still typically with the AG.
• Consumer-protection agency— FL (FDACS), CT (DCP), NJ (DCA), RI (DBR), UT (DCP), VA (VDACS), WI (DFI), DC (DLCP). Often hosts the most searchable databases (FL's Check-A-Charity is a standout).

The Foreign Agents Registration Act requires anyone representing a foreign government, political party, or other “foreign principal” in the United States to register with DOJ and file periodic disclosures. NGOs doing lobbying, PR, or policy-advocacy work for a foreign principal must register under FARA — and many fail to.

FARA matters when verifying claims of independence. An NGO presenting itself as an independent research organization that turns out to be funded by a foreign government's influence-operations arm has a FARA disclosure obligation. The presence (or absence) of a FARA filing is not by itself proof of anything — but it's a fact worth knowing.

When an NGO claims to do international development, humanitarian, or public-health work, the federal grant trail is often the biggest line item in their budget. Two complementary federal sources:

• ForeignAssistance.gov / USAID Foreign Aid Explorer — search by country, sector, or implementing partner. Returns funding amounts, project descriptions, obligation / disbursement timelines. Authoritative for the “who got USAID money for X” question.
• SAM.gov + USAspending.gov — federal contractor and grantee registry (SAM) paired with the award-disbursement record (USAspending). Use SAM to confirm an entity is registered for federal awards, and USAspending to see what they actually received.

Cross-checking these against the org's Form 990 finances surfaces discrepancies: federal grants reported on the 990 should show up on USAspending, and vice versa. Material gaps are a legitimate research signal.

• Whether a specific nonprofit is “effective.” That's an editorial / advocacy question. GiveWell and Charity Navigator make that judgment publicly, with their methodology disclosed; we point at both.
• Internal grant-making between nonprofits. A donor-advised fund or pass-through 501(c)(3) can grant to other nonprofits in ways that obscure ultimate use. The 990 Schedule I lists grants; following the chain often requires multi-hop research across modules.
• Foreign NGOs without U.S. operations. We cover U.S.-tax-status nonprofits and U.S.-registered foreign agents. A foreign NGO with no U.S. presence isn't in any of our sources.
• Pending IRS audits or unreleased 990s. 990 filings can be ~12-18 months behind the org's fiscal year. The most-recent year is often unavailable.