How to Screen a Nonprofit Against the OFAC SDN List

Direct answer

To screen a nonprofit against the OFAC SDN list, send its EIN to Pactman Nonprofit Check Plus API and review ofac_status.

The supplied mapping defines ofac_status as indicating whether the organization is included on the OFAC Specially Designated Nationals list. Treat that result as a separate compliance signal from IRS BMF, Pub. 78 and automatic-revocation data. :::

Recommended verification flow

Normalize the EIN.
Send the EIN to the Nonprofit Check Plus API.
Confirm the organization identity.
Read ofac_status.
Preserve the returned OFAC text.
Apply your organization's OFAC review policy.
Keep bmf_status separate.
Keep pub78_verified separate.
Keep revocation fields separate.
Store the relevant returned signals for downstream compliance handling.

Example request(s)

curl --request GET \
  --url https://entities.pactman.org/api/entities/nonprofitcheck/v1/us/ein/YOUR_EIN \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'

Implementation note: The endpoint name above reflects the Pactman single-EIN Nonprofit Check endpoint used in Pactman's Production/Customer Environment.

curl --request POST \
  --url https://entities.pactman.org/api/entities/nonprofitcheckbulk/v1/us/eins \
  --header 'accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '[
    "YOUR_EIN_1",
    "YOUR_EIN_2",
    "YOUR_EIN_3",
    "YOUR_EIN_4",
    "YOUR_EIN_5"
  ]'

Implementation note: The endpoint name above reflects the Pactman bulk-EIN Nonprofit Check endpoint used in Pactman's Production/Customer Environment. You can have at most 50 EINs in a bulk-EIN Nonprofit Check endpoint request.

What your application should evaluate

Signal	Why it matters	Typical application decision
`ofac_status`	Indicates whether the organization is included on the OFAC SDN list according to the mapping.	Use as the organization-level OFAC screening result.
`ein` / `organization_name`	Identifies the organization being screened.	Confirm the OFAC result belongs to the intended nonprofit.
`bmf_status`	Provides IRS BMF context.	Keep IRS status separate from sanctions screening.
`pub78_verified`	Provides Pub. 78 context.	Keep contribution-list status separate from sanctions screening.
Revocation fields	Provides Automatic Revocation history.	Do not merge tax-status and sanctions decisions into one field.

Example decision logic

An OFAC screening layer might:

verify organization identity;
inspect ofac_status;
continue automatically only when the returned status satisfies your compliance policy;
route concerning results for review; and
preserve IRS and OFAC signals separately.

The supplied current examples return an ofac_status message stating that the organization was not included on the OFAC SDN list.

Important: IRS tax-exempt status and OFAC sanctions screening answer different questions.

Why use a consolidated nonprofit verification API?

A single workflow can evaluate nonprofit IRS signals and OFAC status without maintaining separate application integrations.

Pactman keeps the source signals distinct in the response.

One normalized response

Receive IRS verification and OFAC screening results together.

Separate source signals

Avoid treating tax status as a substitute for sanctions screening.

Reusable compliance rules

Apply consistent OFAC policy across donations, grants, onboarding and fintech workflows.

Developer-friendly automation

Route OFAC outcomes directly into application review logic.

Frequently asked questions

Which Pactman field contains the OFAC screening result?

Use ofac_status.

Does BMF or Pub. 78 status replace OFAC screening?

No. They are separate compliance signals.

Should I store the returned OFAC result?

If your compliance and audit policy requires it, preserve the returned source signal alongside the organization identity.

Next step

Use ofac_status as the OFAC decision input and keep it separate from the IRS-status signals in your application.

Ready to automate OFAC screening?

Use Pactman Nonprofit Check Plus API to retrieve OFAC status alongside IRS nonprofit verification signals.

Get an API Key →