# Is there a way to find out who is on the board of a non-profit organization? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2007, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-out-who-is-on-the-board-of-a-non-profit-organization/392225 "2007-02-14T17:30:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-out-who-is-on-the-board-of-a-non-profit-organization/392225/1 "2007-02-14T17:30:35Z")
A friend of mine (really!) wants to write a letter to the board of directors of a non-profit organization his wife used to work at. Basically it’s one of those “you really screwed up” type letters that probably shouldn’t be sent, but he’s adamant and as I’m in the area and he’s not, he’s asked me to see if I can find out names and contact addresses for the board. Their web site doesn’t list them. Given that they’re a non-profit organization, is there some sort of state or federal agency that has that information? Is it publicly available at all? Any hints? ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-out-who-is-on-the-board-of-a-non-profit-organization/392225/2 "2007-02-14T17:40:57Z")
I am the President of a non-profit corporation, and I’m not aware of anything that requires us to report the names of our board members to any state or federal agency. We do have them on our website, but that’s our choice. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-out-who-is-on-the-board-of-a-non-profit-organization/392225/3 "2007-02-14T17:52:19Z")
Director at large non-profit here - as **anson2995** said, we are not required to list them on anything but Business plans and grants and the occasional fundraising campaign…It is public info unless the board is a private / quiet board. You should be able to call and get the list… Is it a national NP? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-out-who-is-on-the-board-of-a-non-profit-organization/392225/4 "2007-02-14T18:36:46Z")
[QUOTE=Athena] A friend of mine (really!) wants to write a letter to the board of directors of a non-profit organization … is there some sort of state or federal agency that has that information? Is it publicly available at all? Any hints? [/QUOTE] Information available on various non-profits here : [http://www.guidestar.org/](http://www.guidestar.org/) _Some_ information available with free subscription. You should at least be able to see a recent IRS 990 form, which lists the officers, directors and key employees. More detailed info available if you get a paid membership. Does that help? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-out-who-is-on-the-board-of-a-non-profit-organization/392225/5 "2007-02-14T18:58:10Z")
You can try to look them up at [http://www.guidestar.org/](http://www.guidestar.org/) Might not find board members, but they should at least have their Form 990, (assuming the group is required to file a 990 with the IRS) which will be signed by an officer of the organization, as well as their business address and phone. Oops… Peter beat me to it! ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-out-who-is-on-the-board-of-a-non-profit-organization/392225/6 "2007-02-14T19:12:33Z")
Thanks all! I found the info by a little more googling, but good to have that guidestar web site available as well. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-out-who-is-on-the-board-of-a-non-profit-organization/392225/7 "2007-02-14T21:31:04Z")
Umm… his wife _worked there_ and he doesn’t have the contact info for the BODs? This sounds (possibly) like she might not have been consulted on (or aware of) his cunning plan to send a bridge burning letter. ---
**Author:** ![Chum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@Chum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chum)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2007, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-out-who-is-on-the-board-of-a-non-profit-organization/392225/8 "2007-02-15T02:01:58Z")
You might try contacting the Secretary of State of your own state to request copies of their corporate file. Once in a while, non-profits (in MN, at least) decide to file info about their board of directors, even though they don’t have to do so. Usually, you’ll just find incorporator names and addresses, though. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2007, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-out-who-is-on-the-board-of-a-non-profit-organization/392225/9 "2007-02-16T05:52:33Z")
Section V-A of IRS form 990 requires entry of information on Current Officers, Directors, Trustees, and Key Employees. This includes their name and address. And each non-profit is required to keep a public file copy of their Form 990 in their office, and make it available to anyone who asks to see it. So he could just go to their office, and ask to see their file copy of Form 990. They **must** show it to him. Then he can copy down the info he wants. Small non-profits do not have to file a form 990. It used to be those with an annual income of less than $25,000. But if this one was big enough to have had a person working there, they were probably bigger than that.