CAFRDATA: A Searchable Database of Government Finances

How much money does your government have? How is taxpayer money used?

CAFRDATA provides financial data and related information culled from government financial reports ("Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports"). CAFRDATA is the ONLY searchable database where government financial data is derived from each jurisdiction's own CAFR that also offers insights, analytics, reports, and customized services in one single platform. CAFRDATA provides access to users on a subscription or custom access basis. Users do not need to be financial experts, ratings agencies, or Wall Street investors, although this is a useful product for these users, as well as for general users like Jane and John Citizen who care about taxes and government spending. 

CAFRDATA was created so you can KNOW NOW about your government's finances. CAFRDATA provides financial information, financial and descriptive trends, historical trends, and comparisons to other government entities that you care about. CAFRDATA offers you analytic power that comes from seeing the information in a simple, straightforward way that directly meets your needs.

As the CAFRDATA prototype evolves into a more comprehensive database with additional reporting and presentation features, we can work with you today to provide customized analysis, insights, educational overviews, advocacy consulting, and fact-checking so that you can KNOW NOW.

What is a CAFR?

A Comprehensive Annual Financial Report is required to be published by cities, counties, states, school districts, health care districts, and other taxing/government entities. The CAFR is published once per year, and is generally 200-500 pages long (or longer). CAFRs detail financial data such as assets, liabilities, revenues, expenditures, and statistical and descriptive information. CAFRs are customarily approved as the official record and official annual financial report by the elected officials who govern the entity. CAFRs comply with standards set forth by the Government Accounting Standards Board.

Who should use CAFRDATA?

Elected Officials, City Council Members, City Managers, City Chief Finance Officers, County Commissioners, Country Treasurers, Councils of Governments (COGs), State Senators, State Representatives, Economic Development Corporations, Association Executives, Financial Analysts, Budget Analysts, Academic Researchers, Business Intelligence Researchers, Advocates, Media, Journalists, Interested Citizens, and anyone who cares or needs to care about the financial condition of a city, county, school district, or other taxing jurisdiction. 

WHAT'S THE CAFRDATA PROMISE?

CAFRDATA will use financial data ONLY from the respective local government's own CAFRs. This offers accuracy and reliability. Other sources of government financial data, such as the U.S. Census Bureau, can be problematic because of different fiscal years and the need to aggregate and rename chart of account or balance sheet items. If you work with city budgets and use of public tax dollars, you know that timing is critical and fiscal years count.

CAFRDATA presents information on the basis of each entity's fiscal year from its own financial reports. We present entities, values, measures, and descriptive statistics that are meaningful to you.