How to Find a Charity's EIN Number Before You Donate
Search a charity's EIN before you donate to confirm its tax status and keep the right receipt.
To find a charity's EIN before you donate, ask the charity for its exact legal name and nine-digit EIN, then enter either in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. An EIN is an Employer Identification Number, the charity's unique nine-digit tax ID in the form XX-XXXXXXX, used on its Form 990 filings. The IRS assigns each tax-exempt organization a unique nine-digit EIN used as its single tax-account identifier on Form 990 filings, according to the Form 990 instructions.
Keep that number with your donation receipt. It helps you confirm you gave to the group you intended.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 03, 2026.
Ask the charity for its EIN
Contact the group raising funds and request its exact legal name, address, phone number, and EIN. The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection advises donors to make this request and then call back to confirm the solicitation is authorized, as described in the state charity-safety guidance. Use the legal name, not a nickname or campaign name.
Many local chapters share a similar public name while filing under a different legal entity. Writing down the EIN at this step makes later searches faster and more exact.
- Ask for the full legal name and nine-digit EIN
- Ask for mailing address and callback phone number
- Call back on a published number to confirm the request
Look up the EIN in the IRS search tool
Enter the name or EIN in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. The IRS notes the tool lets donors check exempt status, filings, and Publication 78 eligibility for tax-deductible contributions, as explained on the IRS charities page. Select Pub.
78 Data when you want to check deductibility. Save bank records or a written receipt from the charity. Those records support your deduction if you claim one.
Why search by EIN instead of name alone
Names alone can mislead because other groups may use closely resembling names. Searching by the nine-digit EIN points to one tax account. A charity reports its EIN in Item D of Form 990 and may use only one EIN.
If a flyer, call, or ad uses a familiar-sounding name, pause before you pay. Compare the EIN from the solicitor with the EIN shown for the intended charity in the IRS tool. A mismatch means you found a different organization.
Cross-check filings and nonprofit profiles
For more context, paste the EIN into other nonprofit filing databases. Candid's GuideStar search finds a nonprofit profile when the user pastes its EIN into the search bar, as described in the Candid search guide. You can also search ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer by organization, person, or full text of filings to see revenue, expenses, and compensation.
Match the EIN across sources before you donate. If the numbers and names do not align, contact the charity for clarification first.