Nonprofits, Philanthropic Organizations and Grant Writing Resource Guide: Selected Print (and eReference) Resources

In this overview of the nonprofit sector, editor Salamon (director, the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies) unites contributors affiliated with the Aspen Institute's Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy Program. The first part of the book examines four forces shaping nonprofit organizations: voluntarism, professionalism, civic activism, and commercialism. In part 2, chapters are devoted to the present and future of 12 major fields of the nonprofit sector, including health care, housing, and environmental organizations. Part 3 looks at major challenges. (We also own the previous edition.)

A handy compendium of facts and figures produced by the Urban Institute Press, detailing "the nonprofit sector and its place in the national economy." A nice summary of selected data and information from the 2008 edition can be found at this page.

The Foundation Center's Directory is the best known national directory of funders. It is extensive, provides lots of useful indexing options, and is now published in three parts. The Foundation Center also publishes more specific directories like the following.

This fully indexed directory provides comprehensive profiles of more than 3,300 company-sponsored foundations and nearly 1,700 corporate giving programs. Nearly 4,400 company profiles include giving priorities, essential contact information, and web site links.

Formerly known as the Taft Foundation Reporter, this large volume provides "comprehensive" profiles and giving analyses of America's major private foundations. Grant award figures are given and there are various indexes for geography, grant type, recipient type, etc..

This directory provides substantive listings for "Massachusetts and New Hampshire Funders." It is your best print source for profiles of local foundations.

Self-describes as "Comprehensive Profiles of America's Major Corporate Foundations & Corporate Charitable Giving Programs." The 2011 edition of the the CGD includes over 1000 of the top programs.

Another printed directory of funding sources. It's subject-grouping approach can be useful for browsing. The 2011 Edition contains almost 3000 grant support programs of government agencies, public and private foundations, corporations, community trusts, unions, educational and professional associations, and special interest organizations.

A comprehensive source for information on nonprofit American membership organizations of national scope. Every entry typically includes the organization's complete name, address and phone number together with the primary official's name and title; fax number, when available; founding date, purpose, activities and dues; national and international conferences. Although not specific to granting foundations, it does include some of these types of organizations.

This private company directory from Hoovers primarily lists for-profit private companies. However, it does include a limited number of not-for-profits, charities, universities, and government-owned corporations.

"Giving USA, the Annual Report on Philanthropy, is published by Giving USA Foundation™ AAFRC Trust for Philanthropy, a public service initiatve of the Trust for Philanthropy of the American Association of Fundraising Counsel. The study is researched and written at The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University." Charts, statistics, and general information are provided in this annual. Although you used to be able to access a few free charts online, this is no longer the case. In 2009 they abandoned the print version. So we have purchased and bound the electronic version the last few years.

This guide doesn't provide extensive listings, but it can be useful in identifying local nonprofits and service agencies throughout Massachusetts. Once identified, these can usually be researched on the web.

Each chapter describes substantive governance issues, and includes a Practical Advice section that provides guidance on how to apply principles and addresses different substantive issues. The publisher describes this as "an indispensable tool for nonprofit board members, it is of particular value to executive officers and board chairs. It clearly spells out the responsibilities of these two roles...."

This work tackles issues and leadership topics for those seeking to understand more about this dynamic sector of society. A major focus of this two-volume reference work is on the specific roles and skills required of the non-profit leader in voluntary organizations.

This two-volume looseleaf set is designed to provide legal professionals with information on the formation, operation and legal compliance issues related to nonprofit and charitable organizations here in the Commonwealth.

This journal, formerly The New England Nonprofit Quarterly, provides useful features and news. Although we own paper issues, you can link to the website of the periodical from our catalog, too. The publisher says "Nonprofit Quarterly is a management journal which is research-based but geared to practitioner use."