ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Non-profit organizations and access to public information

So kiddo, you know how there are some groups of people who want to help others without making money? Those groups are called non-profit organizations.

Now, these non-profit organizations often work for a cause like helping people who are sick, protecting the environment or animals, or donating food to those in need. They need to find information to understand what's happening in the world and to make sure they are following the right laws and rules.

That's where the public information comes in. Public information is like a big library where you can find lots of information about things like laws, rules, statistics, and reports. Anyone can go to this library, including non-profit organizations, and take a peek at the information.

But sometimes, the public information may be too hard to find, too expensive, or too complicated. That's why non-profits can ask the government to help them get the information they need.

The government has a special law called the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that helps everyone, including non-profits, get access to public information. The FOIA says that the government has to share any information that it has with the people who ask for it, as long as it's not a secret or harmful to anyone.

So, in short, non-profit organizations have the same right as anyone else to access public information, and they can use the Freedom of Information Act to get the right information they need to do their amazing work.