# Unofficial GuideStar / ProPublica Nonprofit Scraper (`parseforge/guidestar-scraper`) Actor

Access detailed nonprofit data from ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer. For grant researchers, fundraising teams, and due diligence professionals who need accurate nonprofit financials without manual lookup. Unofficial tool, not affiliated with or endorsed by Candid, GuideStar, or ProPublica, Inc.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/guidestar-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Other
- **Stats:** 20 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### GuideStar / ProPublica Nonprofit Scraper

**Scrape nonprofit profiles from GuideStar and ProPublica by keyword, state, or NTEE category, up to a million per run.** Every organization returns its EIN, revenue, assets, filing history, and GuideStar profile link. No login or API key. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer is the largest public database of IRS Form 990 filings, but searching it manually or through its API requires navigating rate limits and pagination. This Actor reads the public profiles directly, filtered by location, classification, revenue, assets, and filing status, and returns each match in one fixed schema.

| Who uses it | What they scrape GuideStar / ProPublica for |
|---|---|
| Grant makers and foundations | Find nonprofits by mission area and financial size to identify potential grantees. |
| Nonprofit researchers | Analyze the financial health and filing compliance of organizations in a specific sector or region. |
| Fundraising consultants | Build prospect lists of organizations with recent 990 filings and stable revenue. |
| Journalists and investigators | Scrape public charity data for stories on nonprofit spending, executive compensation, or sector trends. |

### What it does

This Actor collects nonprofit profiles from GuideStar and ProPublica by keyword, state, city, NTEE category, 501(c) subsection, revenue range, asset range, and filing year, and returns each one as a flat row.

- 🔍 **Keyword search:** Enter an organization name, alternate name, or city to find specific nonprofits.
- 📍 **Location filters:** Narrow results by two-letter state code and city name.
- 📂 **Classification filters:** Filter by NTEE category (Arts, Education, Health, etc.) and 501(c) subsection (charitable, social welfare, etc.).
- 💰 **Financial filters:** Set minimum and maximum annual revenue and total assets to target organizations of a specific size.
- 📅 **Filing filters:** Require a recent Form 990 filing (within 3 years) or a minimum filing year.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

### What you can do with GuideStar / ProPublica data

**📊 Build a grant prospect list.**

A foundation filters by NTEE category B (Education) and minimum revenue of $1M to find mid-sized educational nonprofits with recent filings.

**🔍 Research nonprofit financial health.**

A researcher collects all organizations in a state with assets over $10M and analyzes their revenue trends over time.

**📋 Monitor sector compliance.**

A journalist scrapes nonprofits in a city with no recent 990 filing to investigate lapsed reporting.

**📈 Identify fundraising targets.**

A consultant uses location and classification filters to find human services nonprofits in a specific region for a campaign.

### Why choose this scraper

|  | What you get |
|---|---|
| **EIN and IRS data** | Every row includes the organization's Employer Identification Number, tax-exempt status, and subsection code. |
| **Financial metrics** | Annual revenue, total assets, and income from the latest Form 990 filing. |
| **Filing history** | Year of most recent filing and a flag for recent 990 submissions. |
| **GuideStar profile link** | Direct URL to the GuideStar profile for deeper research. |
| **No API key needed** | Scrapes public ProPublica pages without registration or rate limits. |

### How it compares

This Actor is the only GuideStar/ProPublica scraper on Apify that combines keyword search with location, classification, financial, and filing filters in a single run.

| Feature | ParseForge | GuideStar / ProPublica Nonprofit Scraper |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword search by organization name | Yes | Yes |
| Location filters (state, city) | Yes | Not listed |
| NTEE category filter | Yes | Not listed |
| 501(c) subsection filter | Yes | Not listed |
| Revenue and asset range filters | Yes | Not listed |
| Recent 990 filing filter | Yes | Not listed |
| GuideStar profile link | Yes | Not listed |

### Configure the run

Drive the Actor from a keyword search, or combine location, classification, financial, and filing filters to narrow results. Filters run as each profile is read so only matches reach your dataset. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
  "maxItems": 10,
  "state": "CA",
  "nteeCategory": "B",
  "subsectionCode": "3"
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
  "maxItems": 200,
  "state": "CA",
  "nteeCategory": "B",
  "subsectionCode": "3"
}
```

### Pricing

Pay-per-result: **$0.1 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $10.00 |
| 1,000 results | $100.00 |
| 10,000 results | $1000.00 |

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

### Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. [Upgrade your Apify plan](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

### Run it

1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [GuideStar / ProPublica Nonprofit Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/guidestar-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp).
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the **Dataset** tab.

Run it programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) (`run-sync-get-dataset-items`) or the [ApifyClient](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js) for JavaScript and Python.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to GuideStar / ProPublica through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=parseforge/guidestar-scraper"
```

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting no results?**

Check that your filters are not too restrictive. Try removing location or classification filters, or expanding the revenue range. Also verify the state code is two uppercase letters.

**The search by name returns zero matches.**

Try a broader keyword or a partial name. The search is case-insensitive but may not match exact phrases if the organization uses an alternate name.

**Why are some fields empty?**

Not all organizations have complete data in ProPublica. Financial fields like revenue and assets may be missing if the organization has not filed a recent 990.

**The run is taking too long.**

Reduce the maxItems limit or narrow your filters. Large runs over millions of records can take time due to pagination.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need a GuideStar or ProPublica API key? | No. This Actor reads public ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer pages directly, no registration or API key required. |
| What data does each row contain? | Each row includes the organization's EIN, name, address, NTEE category, 501(c) subsection, annual revenue, total assets, most recent filing year, and a link to its GuideStar profile. |
| Can I search by organization name? | Yes. Enter a keyword in the searchQuery field to find organizations by name, alternate name, or city. |
| How do I filter by state? | Enter a two-letter US state code (e.g., CA, TX, NY) in the state field. Leave empty for all states. |
| What is an NTEE category? | The National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities classifies nonprofits by mission. Common codes include A (Arts), B (Education), C (Environment), E (Health), and P (Human Services). |
| What does the 'Has Recent 990 Filing' filter do? | When enabled, it returns only organizations that filed a Form 990 within the last three years. |
| Can I set a minimum or maximum revenue? | Yes. Use the minRevenue and maxRevenue fields to filter by annual revenue in USD. |
| How many nonprofits can I scrape in one run? | Up to 1,000,000. Set the maxItems field to your desired limit. |
| What is a 501(c) subsection? | It indicates the specific IRS tax-exempt classification. Common values: 3 for charitable, 4 for social welfare, 5 for labor/agricultural. |
| Does this scrape GuideStar directly? | It scrapes ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer, which aggregates IRS 990 data and includes links to GuideStar profiles. |

### Related actors

Browse the full [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp) for more scrapers.

🆘 **Need help?** Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ **Disclaimer.** This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ProPublica, Inc. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.

# Actor input Schema

## `searchQuery` (type: `string`):

Keyword search for organization name, alternate name, or city. Leave empty to search all organizations using letter-based enumeration for maximum coverage.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of nonprofits to collect per run.

## `state` (type: `string`):

Two-letter US state code (e.g., CA, TX, NY, FL, IL, PA, OH, GA, NC, MI). Leave empty for all states.

## `city` (type: `string`):

City name to filter results (e.g., New York, Los Angeles, Chicago). Leave empty for all cities.

## `nteeCategory` (type: `string`):

National Taxonomy category letter (A-Z). Examples: A=Arts, B=Education, C=Environment, D=Animal, E=Health, P=Human Services. Leave empty for all categories.

## `subsectionCode` (type: `string`):

Tax-exempt subsection. Common values: 3=Charitable, 4=Social Welfare, 5=Labor/Agricultural, 6=Business Leagues, 7=Social/Recreational.

## `minRevenue` (type: `integer`):

Minimum annual revenue in USD. Filter organizations by revenue size. Leave empty for no minimum.

## `maxRevenue` (type: `integer`):

Maximum annual revenue in USD. Filter organizations by revenue size. Leave empty for no maximum.

## `minAssets` (type: `integer`):

Minimum total assets in USD. Filter organizations by asset size. Leave empty for no minimum.

## `maxAssets` (type: `integer`):

Maximum total assets in USD. Filter organizations by asset size. Leave empty for no maximum.

## `hasRecentFiling` (type: `boolean`):

Filter to only include organizations with recent Form 990 filings (within last 3 years).

## `minFilingYear` (type: `integer`):

Minimum year of most recent filing (e.g., 2020). Leave empty for no minimum.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "maxItems": 10,
  "state": "CA",
  "nteeCategory": "B",
  "subsectionCode": "3",
  "hasRecentFiling": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

Overview view of nonprofit organizations with key fields displayed in a table format

## `nonprofitRecords` (type: `string`):

Complete nonprofit organization dataset with all fields including financial statements, revenue/expense breakdowns, classifications, and filing history

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "searchQuery": "",
    "maxItems": 10,
    "state": "CA",
    "nteeCategory": "B",
    "subsectionCode": "3"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/guidestar-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "searchQuery": "",
    "maxItems": 10,
    "state": "CA",
    "nteeCategory": "B",
    "subsectionCode": "3",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/guidestar-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "searchQuery": "",
  "maxItems": 10,
  "state": "CA",
  "nteeCategory": "B",
  "subsectionCode": "3"
}' |
apify call parseforge/guidestar-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/guidestar-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/kJUWFBFByp1O9XpP1/builds/2MPSf0E4csg0BvPd9/openapi.json