State Puts Nonprofit and Charitable Groups' Reports Online
"Increasing public access to information about the thousands of public charities that operate in our state has been and continues to be a priority of this office," said Attorney General Martha Coakley, in a statement. "Residents seeking information about charitable organizations that serve them, or which seek their support, will now be able to rapidly and efficiently access reports filed with us from wherever they have Internet access."
The "Public Charities Annual Filing Document Search" is part of a comprehensive effort by the attorney general's office to provide more online capabilities for both non-profit professionals and the donors who support them.
The new online search function launched today contains annual financial reports filed with the Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division by the more than 22,000 charitable organizations operating in Massachusetts.
Those annual reports provide a valuable source of information regarding a charitable organization's programs, activities and finances, according to Coakley's office. Annual filings typically include a Form Public Charity (Form PC), a copy of the organization's federal tax filing and financial statements.
"This new online capability is only a first step in an ongoing process of developing a more robust information system," said Coakley.
Coakley's office, through its Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division, is responsible for overseeing the public's interest in the state's charitable organizations. Massachusetts general laws require public charities to register and file annual reports with the division and copies of these reports are available to the public.