Each year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) releases tax returns from nonprofit organizations—specifically Forms 990, 990-EZ, and 990-PF. These returns offer a wealth of information about nonprofit financials, program activities, and fundraising. For community development professionals, watchdog groups, grant seekers, and policy advocates alike, this data is a goldmine. It can reveal who’s funding what, where gaps in service exist, and which organizations are making an impact.
But here’s the problem: it’s notoriously difficult to work with. Even if you manage to download the correct files from the IRS, transforming them into something usable can take weeks. As a result, many users turn to third-party vendors for cleaned-up versions. And even then, a question lingers: how do you actually put this data to work?
Too often, 990 data lives in its own silo, disconnected from the broader context of community needs. Not anymore.
Meet the Newest Addition to the mySidewalk Data Library
In early June, we added IRS 990 data to the mySidewalk Data Library—and we’ve already seen users start building compelling stories with it. But we believe this is just the beginning.
Let’s walk through a real-world example of how 990 data can take your analysis from informative to actionable.
CASE STUDY
Suppose you want to better understand food insecurity in Columbia, MO (Go Tigers 🐯). The mySidewalk Data Library includes dozens of relevant indicators. To start, I search “food insecurity” in the data catalog and find 26 dimensions to explore. But which ones matter most?
Thats where Sidekick, mySidewalk's AI assistant, comes in. It helps quickly surface the most relevant indicators, saving me time and offering thoughtful suggestions I might not have considered.
With the right indicators in hand, I ask Sidekick for data specific to Columbia or Boone County. From there, I can push the results to a Report or Seek to get a high-level overview of the issue.
What We Find:
Food insecurity in Columbia is more severe than in Boone County or Missouri as a whole. When we zoom in to the census tract level, the data reveals geographic concentrations of need—particularly in central and northeastern Columbia, flanking I-70.
Now we know where food insecurity is happening and how widespread it is. But that raises the essential question: what can be done about it?
Closing the Loop: Integrating 990 Data
Until now, a missing piece in mySidewalk’s library was information about the resources being invested in solving local problems. Who’s doing the work? How much are they spending? What kind of impact are they having?
Thanks to IRS 990 data, we can now fill in that picture.
In Columbia, seven nonprofits are actively addressing food insecurity, collectively raising over $61 million in 2021. That's a significant investment. However, in an era of uncertain federal funding, it's important to understand where that money comes from.
Only about $1.2 million originated from government sources. The rest—the overwhelming majority—came from public contributions. This tells us two things:
- Columbia's food insecurity efforts are community driven
- Even if federal programs like SNAP face cuts, local action is unlikely to stop
But what are these nonprofits doing with the funding?
Here's the fascinating part:
Over $53 million was spent on administrative expenses. While that might sound high, these expenses include essentials like food, facilities, and logistics—costs inherent to running food pantries and meal programs. According to the CEC BRFSS, Columbia's food insecurity rate is about 15%, and that level of need is being met with $53 million annually. In other words, it costs roughly that much to maintain the status quo.
Interestingly, only about $200,000 went toward "grants and benefits" distributed externally, signaling these nonprofits are not primarily grant-makers—they're operators. So if you're a public health official or an economic development practitioner, the strategy becomes clear: Encouraging more public giving may be the most effective way to amplify local impact.
Beyond Columbia: Expanding Possibilities with 990 Data
This case study is just one example. The applications of IRS 990 data are vast. mySidewalk 990 dataset includes 27 nonprofit activity types, categorized using NTEE codes—from food and housing to education, health, the arts, and beyond.
Whatever your area of focus, chances are there's a relevant nonprofit footprint you can analyze. Want to know who's working in early childhood education? The arts? Affordable housing? We've got you covered.
And you don't have to start from scratch. We've prepared a Data Guide and Report Template to help you hit the ground running.
If you're not yet integrating nonprofit investment data into your community analysis—but want to—let’s talk. Breaking down silos between financial activity and community needs is one of the most powerful steps you can take toward impact.
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