State Puts Nonprofit and Charitable Groups' Reports Online

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Attorney General Martha Coakley
BOSTON — Wondering how well your favorite charity is doing? You can now check its annual filings online through the state attorney general's office.

"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.
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Former Harry's Supermarket Under Construction for Restaurant

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Construction is underway to transform the former Harry's Supermarket into a restaurant

Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building. 

"It's a substantial renovation that's currently underway here," Brent White of White Engineering said, speaking on behalf of the applicant and owner, Huajie Zhu. 

A fire gutted the longtime Wahconah Street supermarket in 2023, and the following year, Zhu purchased the property for $460,000 two years ago to build a restaurant with hibachi in the existing footprint of the more than 100-year-old building. 

White explained that the project has been ongoing for over a year, and the Community Development Board granted the property a waiver to reduce the minimum required number of parking spaces so that additional spaces aren't needed.  

He noted that, looking at the site plan, there is very little room to do so. A mirror will be installed near the sharp turn on Bel Air Avenue to alleviate traffic concerns. 

Pruning will be done on trees in the southeast corner of the existing paved parking lot, as a number of branches are hanging over. The new owners also intend to patch, sealcoat, and re-stripe the parking lot. 

A fire tore through the building less than an hour after the supermarket closed for the day three years ago. An automatic sprinkler system is required for the new use. 

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