Are nonprofit audits public record?
Partly. A single audit reporting package is public in the Federal Audit Clearinghouse (FAC search), and Form 990 is public (IRS). A financial statement audit with no federal money behind it is not federally public — you ask the organization or check your state registry.
Last verified: 2026-09-20 · Every figure links its source.
How to find out if a nonprofit has been audited
| Where | What you get | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Audit Clearinghouse | The full single audit reporting package, including findings | The organization expended enough federal money to require a single audit |
| Form 990 | Whether the statements were audited, plus financial totals and the accounting fee | The organization files a full Form 990 |
| The organization's own site | Often the audited statements as a PDF | Voluntary publication |
| Your state charity registry | Filed audited statements where state law requires them | The organization is registered and above the state threshold |
In our data 18,518 of 20,193 parsed Form 990 filings (91.7%) report that the statements were audited — so the return is a reliable first check on whether an audit exists at all (data as of 2026-09-20).
Source: FAC search · IRS, public disclosure of exempt organization returns · IRS, About Form 990 · Last verified: 2026-09-20
Are nonprofit audits public record?
Single audits are: the auditee certifies on submission that the Federal Audit Clearinghouse may make the reporting package publicly available (2 CFR 200.512(b)), and Indian Tribes may opt out of that public posting. A plain financial statement audit carries no such federal publication requirement. Separately, the IRS requires exempt organizations to make their annual returns and exemption application available for public inspection, with contributor names and addresses excepted (IRS).
Source: 2 CFR 200.512 · IRS, public disclosure of exempt organization returns · Last verified: 2026-09-20
How to get audited financial statements from a nonprofit
- Check the Federal Audit Clearinghouse first — if a single audit exists, the whole package is already there.
- Check Form 990 Part XII to see whether audited statements exist at all.
- Look at the organization's site, usually under About or Financials.
- Check your state charity registry for filed statements.
- Ask the organization in writing. There is no federal right to a financial statement audit, so this is a request rather than a demand.
Source: FAC search · IRS, public disclosure of exempt organization returns · Last verified: 2026-09-20
Where to find nonprofit financial statements from a single audit
Inside the reporting package: the financial statements and the schedule of expenditures of federal awards are part of what is submitted (2 CFR 200.512(c)). That is why the Clearinghouse is often the fastest route to a nonprofit's audited statements even when you were not looking for federal compliance at all. Our single audit lookup explains how to search it.
Source: 2 CFR 200.512 · Federal Audit Clearinghouse · Last verified: 2026-09-20
Questions and answers
Are nonprofit audits public record?
Single audit reporting packages are public in the Federal Audit Clearinghouse. A financial statement audit without federal funding behind it is not federally public.
Can I see a nonprofit's audit?
If it filed a single audit, yes — search the Federal Audit Clearinghouse by name or EIN. Otherwise check Form 990, the organization's website or your state charity registry.
How to find out if a nonprofit has been audited?
Form 990 states whether the financial statements were audited, and the Federal Audit Clearinghouse holds the package for any organization that filed a single audit.
How to get a nonprofit's audited financial statements?
Check the Clearinghouse and Form 990 first, then the organization's website and your state registry, then ask the organization in writing.
Where to find audited financial statements for nonprofits in bulk?
The Federal Audit Clearinghouse publishes bulk data and an API for single audits; the IRS publishes Form 990 e-file data in bulk.
How to state that financials are audited for a nonprofit?
Form 990 asks the question directly in Part XII, and the audited statements themselves carry the independent auditor's report.
Start with the filings: single audit lookup.
Questions this page answers
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This is public-record information, not accounting or legal advice.