Websites | Databases | Reading List

Nonprofits are a large and important part of the U.S. economy. A great deal of information is to be found, whether you are starting or running a nonprofit, searching for nonprofit organizations, looking for nonprofit jobs, or researching the nonprofit sector as a whole.

Websites

• Directories
  
  The Foundation Center
  Includes a free Foundation Finder database that provides basic facts on foundations in the U.S.; also a paid subscription option to their online Foundation Directory.
• GuideStar
  Searchable database providing comprehensive information on the programs and finances of nonprofit organizations.
• Idealist.org
  Includes a searchable directory of nonprofit organizations around the world. Also provides links to all kinds of resources for nonprofit managers, job seekers, volunteers and others.
• OpportunityKnocks.org
  Searchable directory of nonprofit jobs and career opportunities for job seekers and nonprofit employers. Employers may also post jobs here.
• Starting and Running a Nonprofit Organization
  
  The Chronicle of Philanthropy
  Online version of The Chronicle of Philanthropy, the newspaper of the nonprofit world. Provides news for those involved with charities, grants, fundraising, and other aspects of philanthropy.
• FirstGov for Nonprofits
  Federal government site containing links to resources for nonprofits. Includes agency specific resources, fundraising and outreach, financial assistance, laws and regulations, management, online services, registration and licensing, and tax information.
• How to Start a Non-Profit Organization in Maryland
  The Charitable Organizations Division of the Maryland Secretary of State’s Office provides the basic steps needed to form a nonprofit organization in Maryland.
• Independent Sector
  Independent Sector is a coalition of nonprofits, foundations, and corporations engaged in philanthropy. Contains information about advocacy, public policy, and funding, and includes links to member organizations, jobs, and events.
• Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations
  Offers programs and services designed to help Maryland nonprofits.
• National Center on Nonprofit Enterprise
  Provides programs and services to help nonprofit managers make wise economic decisions.
• National Council of Nonprofit Associations
  Provides links to state nonprofit associations and other resources for nonprofits. Also discusses advocacy and policy issues and includes a calendar of events.
• Nonprofit Genie
  Directed at nonprofit managers, volunteers, and board members, this site includes answers to frequently asked questions about nonprofit management, arranged by category.
• Nonprofit Good Practice Guide
  Searchable web site that provides key information to help manage a nonprofit organization efficiently and effectively.
• The Nonprofit Times
  Web site of the semimonthly business publication that contains news and special reports focusing on nonprofit management.
• Philanthropy Journal
  Provides news, information and opinion about charitable giving, fundraising and management in order to help people understand, support and work in the nonprofit and philanthropic world.
• TechSoup.org: The Technology Place for Nonprofits
  Searchable site providing information on technology needs for nonprofits. Divided into 5 categories: how-to, community discussions, products, service directory, and news and views.
• Fundraising
  
  The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
  A database of federal programs that provide assistance to profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions, specialized groups, and individuals.
• Non-Profit Guides: Grant Writing Tools for Non-Profit Organizations
  Contains guidelines and samples designed to assist established non-profits through the grant-writing process.
• Statistics
  
  National Center for Charitable Statistics
  The Urban Institute’s national clearinghouse of data on the nonprofit sector. Includes U.S. and state profiles, statistical tables, and links to other sources for nonprofit information.

Databases

• Encyclopedia of Associations via the Gale Directory Library
  Information about national, international, and local nonprofit and membership organizations.
• The Foundation Directory Online (Professional) - Available only at the Rockville Library on Internet pc's. The Rockville Library is a Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center.
  Provides access to a wealth of comprehensive information on grantmakers and grants. Includes over 80,000 foundations, corporate giving programs, and grantmaking public charities as well as a searchable database of 500,000 recently awarded grants.
• Foundation Grants to Individuals Online - Available only at the Rockville Library on Internet pc's. The Rockville Library is a Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center.
  Detailed descriptions of more than 6,200 foundations and public charity programs that fund individual grantseekers for: scholarships & fellowships, writer residencies, composers, film, visual and performing arts, academic research and professional support, emergency medical and financial needs.
• Reference USA
  This large searchable database of business listings includes nonprofit organizations of all types and sizes.

Reading List

	Directories Annual Register of Grant Support by Information Today, Inc. (R 336.185 A615A38). A comprehensive guide to grant-giving organizations, arranged by subject. Includes eligibility requirements, application procedures, grant size or range, contact information, and more.
	The Foundation Directory by The Foundation Center. (R 061 FOU). Provides extensive coverage of foundations that provide support to nongovernmental, nonprofit organizations. Includes detailed information, including contact names and addresses.
	National Directory of Nonprofit Organizations by Taft. (R 361.76 NAT). Comprehensive three-volume guide to nonprofit organizations in the United States. Includes foundations, endowment funds, scholarships, research centers, trusts, religious organizations, associations, chambers of commerce, hospitals, universities and more.
	National Trade and Professional Associations of the United States by Columbia Books. (R 061.3 NAT). Lists some seven thousand trade associations, labor unions, professional, scientific, or technical societies and other national organizations.
	Washington: a Comprehensive Directory of the Area's Major Institutions and the People Who Run Them by Columbia Books. (R 917.3 WAS). A comprehensive guide to businesses, government offices, associations, cultural institutions, and non-profit organizations in the Washington area. Includes national associations, labor unions, medicine and health, foundations and philanthropy, science and policy research, education, religion, cultural institutions, clubs, and community affairs.
	Washington Information Directory by CQ Press. (R 975.30025 WAS). Provides contact information for Washington area organizations. Includes civil rights, consumer, philanthropy, religion, culture, recreation, education, energy, environment, government, health, housing, social services, transportation, and more.
	Starting and Running a Nonprofit Organization How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation by Anthony Mancuso. (346.064 MAN). Provides complete instructions on forming and operating a nonprofit corporation in all 50 states.
	Nonprofit Enterprises: Corporations, Trusts, and Associations by Marilyn E. Phelan. (R 346.064 PHE). Detailed coverage of the legal and tax information needed to create and manage a nonprofit corporation.
	Starting and Managing a Nonprofit Organization : a Legal Guide by Bruce R. Hopkins. (346.064 HOP). Written by a lawyer for non-lawyers, this book covers the legal aspects of starting and operating a nonprofit organization.
	Fundraising The "How To" Grants Manual : Successful Grantseeking Techniques for Obtaining Public and Private Grants by David G. Bauer. (001.44 BAU). Provides information for grantseekers on proposal writing, as well as identifying and applying for both government and private grants.
	Special Events : Proven Strategies for Nonprofit Fundraising by Alan L. Wendroff. (658.15224 WEN). A complete plan for a successful special event, including raising money, marketing, and administrative concerns.
	Webster's New World. Grant Writing Handbook by Sara D. Wason. (658.152 WAS). Thorough help for nonprofits in identifying funding opportunities, writing proposals, and following up. Includes examples and checklists.