To be eligible for Google for Nonprofits, you will need to provide your charity number or nonprofit Tax Identification Number (sometimes referred to as an EIN in the US).
Why do I need to provide my nonprofit registration number or tax ID?
To confirm your organisation's nonprofit status, our verification partner, Goodstack, needs to match your application details with official records. This typically requires a unique identification number issued by your country's relevant government or registration body. This ensures that Google for Nonprofits accounts are granted only to eligible organisations. More information about specific country and region requirements can be found in our eligibility guidelines.
How can I find my nonprofit registration number or tax ID?
During the application process, you will be asked to provide specific details about your organisation, including its official registration or tax identification number.
- Search feature: You can often find your organisation by searching using its registered name or identification number directly in the application form.
- Manual entry: If your organisation isn't found via search, you may need to enter the details manually.
My organisation didn’t appear in the search results. How can I find my nonprofit registration number or tax ID?
The exact identification number required varies by country. It's crucial to use the specific number associated with your organisation's official nonprofit or charitable registration.
While registration documents vary greatly by country and even over time, the required ID number is typically found:
- Near the top of your official registration certificate or letter.
- Alongside your organisation's registered name.
- In official correspondence from the relevant government agency (e.g. tax office, charity commission, company registry).
Guidance for common countries below.
United States (US)
- Required ID: Employer Identification Number (EIN).
- Where to find it: Issued by the IRS. Found on your IRS determination letter, tax filings (Form 990) or official registration documents.
Canada
- Required ID: Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Business Number (BN) – specifically the 15-digit number that includes the 'RR' programme account identifier (e.g. 123456789RR0001). This confirms your status as a registered charity.
- Distinction: This is different to a provincial Corporation Number or an HST registration number. You must use the CRA BN ending in 'RR'.
- Where to find it: On your official CRA registration documents or correspondence related to your charitable status.
United Kingdom (UK)
- Required ID: Charity Commission number (for England and Wales), OSCR number (for Scotland) or CCNI number (for Northern Ireland).
- If below the registration threshold: See section What if my organisation doesn't have the standard ID? below.
- Where to find it: On your registration certificate or the relevant Charity Commission/OSCR/CCNI website.
Australia
- Required ID: Australian Business Number (ABN) AND confirmation of your organisation's registration with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). Goodstack typically verifies against the ACNC register.
- Where to find it: Your ABN is on official business documents. Check your ACNC registration status on the ACNC website.
Ireland
- Required ID: Registered Charity Number (RCN) issued by the Charities Regulator OR Companies Registration Office (CRO) number if registered as a CLG (Company Limited by Guarantee) with charitable status. Goodstack will verify your charitable status.
- Where to find it: RCN is on the Charities Regulator Register. CRO number is on your Certificate of Incorporation and searchable on the CRO website (www.cro.ie).
India
- Required ID: A FCRA registration number.
- Clarification: Goodstack requires the ID that officially establishes your organisation's nonprofit status with the relevant Indian authority. Ensure that you enter the number linked to your primary nonprofit registration.
- Where to find it: On your registration certificates, trust deed or PAN card associated with the organisation.
Germany
- Required ID: This depends on your organisation's structure. It could be Registernummer (Register Number), Steuernummer (Tax Number) OR Ordnungsnummer (Serial Number) from the Tax Office or local court.
- Where to find it: Registration number on your registry extract (Registerauszug). Tax exemption notice from the Finanzamt.
France
- Required ID: RNA number (Répertoire National des Associations) OR SIREN/SIRET number if registered as such, along with confirmation of status (e.g. 'reconnaissance d'utilité publique' or specific tax status).
- Where to find it: RNA number is provided upon registration. SIREN/SIRET is on official INSEE documents. Status confirmation is on official decrees or tax documents.
Spain
- Required ID: Número de Identificación Fiscal (NIF) AND registration number in the relevant national or regional registry (e.g. Registro Nacional de Asociaciones, Registro de Fundaciones).
- Where to find it: NIF card. Registration number on your inscription certificate from the relevant registry.
Switzerland
- Required ID: While registration in the Commercial Register (Handelsregister) is often not mandatory for basic associations (Verein/Association/Associazione), registration as an Association in the Swiss Civil Code, Foundation (Stiftung) in the Swiss Civil Code OR Tax Exempt organisation is required for Google for Nonprofits.
- If not registered: See section 'What if my organisation doesn't have the standard ID?' below. You may need to provide statutes (Statuten/Statuts/Statuti) and proof of tax exemption.
- Where to find it: Extract from the Commercial Register (Handelsregisterauszug/Extrait du registre du commerce/Estratto del registro di commercio). Tax exemption confirmation from cantonal tax authorities.
What if my organisation isn't listed or doesn't have the standard ID?
This can happen for several reasons:
- Newly registered: It might take time for your details to appear in official databases used by Goodstack.
- Below registration threshold: In some countries (like the UK), charities below a certain income threshold may operate legally without being registered with the main charity regulator.
- Different legal structure: Your organisation might be a recognised nonprofit type that doesn't use the standard registration pathway (e.g. certain associations in Switzerland).
- Data mismatch: Slight differences in name or address might prevent an automatic match.
Troubleshooting common issues
- My ID number isn't recognised
- Double-check: Ensure that you have entered the correct number exactly as it appears on your official documents, with no typos, extra spaces or hyphens unless specifically required.
- Correct ID type: Verify you are using the specific ID required for your country (e.g. CRA BN with RR designation for Canada, not just the BN; EIN for the US).
- Contact Goodstack: If you are certain the number is correct and it's still not recognised, contact Goodstack support for assistance. There might be a data lag or a specific formatting requirement.
- I entered my details and clicked Submit, but nothing happened
- Browser issues: Try clearing your browser's cache and cookies, or try using a different web browser (like Chrome, Firefox, Edge).
- Wait: Sometimes, there can be a slight delay. Wait a minute before trying again.
- Contact Goodstack: If the issue persists across different browsers after clearing cache, contact Goodstack support as there might be a technical issue with the form submission in their system.
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