Disclosure Requirements

Form 990-PF is public information. As such, private foundations must make the return available for public inspection. According to regulations, private foundations are required to provide, at a reasonable fee, photocopies of their three most recent tax returns to anyone who requests them in person or in writing. Requested copies of the Form 990-PF are required to be made available on a same-day basis for walk-in requests, and within 30 days for mail-in requests. Hard copies of 990-PFs may also be requested from the Internal Revenue Service, or from a state's charity office.

These disclosure requirements are waived, however, for private foundations that make the documents widely available through the Internet. Next we will explore sources for quickly finding these documents online.