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Impala MCP Connector App Setup Guide

Learn how to add the Impala MCP app to your existing AI workspace.

Impala connects directly into the Claude interface you're already using. Once the MCP is set up by your AI admin and you add the connector to your own account, you can ask Claude about any U.S. nonprofit or foundation: a profile, a 990, who funds them, or what a foundation has funded. Answers pull live, structured data from Impala's database of 2M+ nonprofit profiles, 250K+ grantmakers, and 25M+ grants, built from IRS filings, verified nonprofit registries, government databases, and direct partnerships, instead of a general AI guess. Every result traces back to the full record on Impala, so you can always check the filing year and underlying source.

All tools are read-only. Connecting creates a free Impala account (no subscription required). Some tools require a premium subscription for use.

 

Claude Setup Instructions

The following instructions are based on Claude Team and Enterprise plans on the Claude desktop app. See the plan notes at the end of this section for individual plans.

Claude Admin Setup (about 2 minutes)

On Team and Enterprise plans, an admin needs to add Impala before team members can connect to it.

  • In Claude, go to Organization Settings → Connectors.
  • Click “Browse connectors.”
  • Search “Impala,” select it from the list, and review its description and capabilities.
  • Click “Add to your team.”
  • Optional: open the connector and review its Tool permissions. Each permission can be set to “Always allow,” “Needs approval,” or “Blocked.”
  • Your team members are now ready to add the Impala MCP. Each person authenticates with their own Impala account.

Plan notes:

  • Team and Enterprise: Admin approval is required before team members can authenticate. Admins control availability and tool permissions from Organization Settings → Connectors.
  • Individual plans (Free, Pro, and Max): There is no organization admin, so each person adds Impala for themselves from the connectors directory using the user setup below.

Claude User Setup (about 2 minutes)

Note: If you do not yet have an Impala account, we recommend first signing up at impala.digital/app/login#signup

  • In Claude, go to Customize → Connectors.
    • Note: You can also get here from a conversation by clicking the “+” button, hovering over “Connectors,” and selecting “Manage connectors.”
  • Search “Impala.”
  • Click “Connect.”
  • A new browser tab will open with an authorization screen for Claude to connect to Impala.
  • Click “Authorize.”
    • If you are already logged in, your connection will be confirmed and you will be prompted to return to Claude.
    • If you are not logged in, you will be taken to the login screen. Once you log in, you will be prompted to return to Claude.
  • You are now ready to use the Impala MCP.

Available on claude.ai, Claude Desktop, and the mobile app. Connect once and it works everywhere you use Claude.

Getting Started: A Quick Walkthrough

Once connected, run through these five prompts in order. It's a fast way to see the full range before you use it for real research. Swap in organizations you actually care about.

Ask

What it does

Try it

Find organizations

Search nonprofits or foundations by cause, location, type, or size.

“Find nonprofits doing affordable housing in Connecticut.”

Organization profile

Mission, programs, leadership, how to apply, IRS status.

“Give me an overview of [foundation].”

990 financials

Income statement, balance sheet, ratios, multi-year trends.

“Summarize the latest 990 for [org]. What are their top revenue and expense drivers?”

Who funds them

The institutional funders behind a nonprofit.

“Who are the major funders of [nonprofit]?”

What they fund

The organizations a foundation has supported, and their giving pattern.

“What cause areas does [foundation] focus on, and who have they funded?”

After that, just use it naturally as part of your work. Ask Claude about the organizations you're actually researching. Where connectors already exist, ask questions that rely on your GMS or CRM and how these combine with your Impala data.

The Impala MCP is read-only. It can look up records in Impala's database, but it cannot change anything in your Impala account, and it never writes data back to Impala. Your conversations stay with Claude; the only thing sent to Impala is the specific lookup or search each tool call needs, which is treated like any other query to the Impala platform.

To remove the Impala MCP at any time: in Claude, go to Settings → Connectors, find Impala, and choose Disconnect. Your Impala account is unaffected; you can reconnect whenever you like.

 

 

Troubleshooting

I can't find Impala in the Connectors list (Claude)
Your organization's admin needs to add the Impala MCP first (see Claude Admin Setup above). If you're on a personal Claude plan, you can add it yourself under Settings → Connectors using the same steps.

The authorization tab never opens when I click Connect
Your browser may be blocking pop-ups. Allow pop-ups for claude.ai (or chatgpt.com) and click Connect again.

Authorization fails or hangs on the login screen
Log in to Impala directly at impala.digital/app/login in the same browser first, then return to Claude and click Connect again. Make sure you authorize with the Impala account you intend to use, especially if you have more than one.

Claude answers without using Impala
In Claude, check that the Impala connector is toggled on for that conversation (via the tools/connectors menu in the chat input). You can also ask Claude to "Use the Impala MCP". If it still doesn't trigger, start a new conversation; connectors added mid-conversation aren't always picked up.

Tools were working but now return errors
Your authorization may have expired. Disconnect and reconnect: in Claude, go to Settings → Connectors, find Impala, and choose Disconnect, then Connect again.

I can't find an organization I know exists
Impala covers U.S. nonprofits and foundations. Try searching by EIN instead of name, or check for an alternate legal name (many organizations operate under a DBA). Very new organizations or those not required to file with the IRS may have limited records. Additionally, fiscally sponsored organizations do not file separately from their sponsors, and so do not have profiles on Impala.

The numbers look off or outdated
Financial data comes from an organization's most recent IRS filings, which can lag by a year or more. Every result links back to the full record on Impala, so open the record to see the filing year and underlying source.

Still stuck?
Email support@impala.digital and we'll help you out.