What is the difference between an audit and Form 990?
Form 990 is a federal information return, while an independent financial-statement audit is an accountant’s examination under professional standards; they serve different purposes.
What this means in practice
Not every charity is required to obtain an audit.
A filed return is not described as audited merely because an accountant prepared it.
Donors should read the document title, period, opinion, and notes rather than assuming all financial PDFs provide the same assurance.
What responsible proof looks like at Famidi
Famidi separates financial records, operational records, and field evidence because they answer different questions. It favors precise claims and can document work through supplies, infrastructure, process, wide scenes, and source trails without demanding maximum exposure from recipients.
Evidence should be read for what it directly supports. Archive coverage is not automatically a beneficiary count, a fundraising appeal is not proof of completion, and one image rarely proves an entire project cycle.
Check the underlying information.
Editorial standard: This page is reviewed by a person, sourced to Famidi records or authoritative references, and revised when the program or underlying guidance changes. It does not replace legal, tax, medical, or financial advice.