Do you or your organization work with non-profit organizations? Would you like to? If so, you may not know that many tax documents those organizations have to file are in the public record, available to any person who wants to review them.
Obviously, if you cater to, or want to cater to, the needs of such organizations, these documents can be a treasure trove of information. You can find find out who sits on the board of directors, who the officers are, and even who the key employees are. If they draw a salary of more than $50,000, you can find that information, too. You can see how much money the group took in over the past few years, how much cash they have on hand, and what their depreciable assets are - like computers, and computer software, often including brand names. (This can be especially helpful if you're trying to sell computer equipment or software to a group and you know that their last major purchase was several years ago and they are currently flush with cash.)
Ask yourself, why aren't these documents online? And why aren't they free? Good news. They are online, and they are free. Go to Guidestar.org and punch in the name of your favorite non-profit organization to see their information. You may be glad you did.
Posted by wasylik at August 23, 2002 03:26 PM