Nonprofit eligibility requirements

More information about how nonprofits are determined to be eligible or ineligible for donations

Rachel Nersesian avatar
Written by Rachel Nersesian
Updated over a week ago

If you search for an organization and it is not eligible to receive donations, you may see a message stating: "Unfortunately this organization is not eligible to receive donations through Bright Funds." Learn more here.


Nonprofit eligibility within the United States

Within the United States, Bright Funds only permits donations to:

  • 501(c)(3) public charities as listed in the IRS database of tax-exempt organizations

  • Public schools

Nonprofits that are not eligible for donations include:

  • Nonprofit organizations that are not registered as 501(c)(3) public charities (for example, 501(c)(4) lobbying organizations)

  • Nonprofits that have lost their tax-exempt status with the IRS

  • Nonprofits that do not comply with Bright Funds' nondiscrimination policy

  • Nonprofits that do not process donations they receive from Bright Funds


Nonprofit eligibility outside of the United States

Bright Funds works with international vetting partners who provide the ever-growing list of eligible charitable organizations outside of the U.S.

  • The Bright Funds database includes eligible charitable organizations registered within a country's charity database for the countries listed here. An organization will be ineligible if it is not found in the charity database or if it has lost its registration status.

  • Organizations located in countries other than those listed here: The Bright Funds database includes organizations that have undergone a vetting process via third party vetting partners to ensure that they meet all regulatory requirements and standard best practices for international giving. An organization will be ineligible for donations if it was found to not meet applicable vetting standards, or if its eligibility has expired and needs to be re-vetted.


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