In most instances, the time between filing Form 990s and posting them on the Center's Web site is 5-7 months. We receive the latest Forms 990-PF from the IRS every few weeks and add them to our collection, accessible through our various databases.

However, the total lag time between the end of a foundation's fiscal year and the point when its IRS filing is publicly available can be anywhere from 12 to 18 months. Foundations have 4 1/2 months to file, and they can request filing extensions. Also, not all foundations end their fiscal year on December 31.

You can see when a foundation usually files its return by looking at "Date Received" stamp on past years' returns. This filing pattern may help you estimate when a funder's latest IRS filing will be publicly available online.

To help shorten the lag time, grantmakers can send us information on grants electronically as they are awarded. We then add this information to our searchable grants database in Foundation Directory Online. Please see our eGrant Reporting Program page for a list of participating grantmakers.

See also our related Knowledge Base articles:

- Where can I find an organization’s Form 990 or 990-PF?

More articles about Forms 990 and 990-PF»