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Nonprofit & Philanthropy Resource Center

National & Regional Resources

Fundraising
Grant Research & 990s
Corporate Giving
Prospect Research
Scholarships & Aid
Grants for Individuals
Fiscal Sponsorship
Federal Government Resources
State Government Resources
Program-Related Investments (PRIs)

Foundations
Nonprofit Organizations
Nonprofit Management
Volunteers & Volunteering
Charities Rating
Charitable Donations
Philanthropy
Social Entrepreneurship


Fundraising

Association of Fundraising Professionals
This professional association Web site is mostly for members but has a good list of links to other fundraising-type sites. Individual chapters of the Society also have Web sites.

Giving Institute
Includes information on how to choose a fund-raising consultant.

Grants & Funding
The University Libraries of the University of Washington have compiled an extensive list of Web sites regarding funding resources by subject area and by special population.

Internet Prospector
The Internet Prospector is a gateway for the nonprofit fundraiser providing links for prospect research. It features tools for accessing corporate, foundation, biographical, international and online news sources. It also includes articles on strategies and methods of prospecting.

National Network of Grantmakers
The national Network of Grantmakers is an organization of individuals involved in funding social and economic justice, not a funding group. It provides services to both funders and grantseekers. Their Web site includes a Common Grant Application (CGA) which is a labor-saving device for groups seeking grants for social and economic justice work and provides a set of guidelines for the creation of a proposal.

Partnership for Philanthropic Planning
Formerly the National Committee on Planned Giving, this organization strives to engage all constituents in the charitable gift planning process: planned giving and major gifts professionals, nonprofit managers and trustees, financial and estate planners, trust managers and administrators.

The Grantsmanship Center
TGCI offers training programs covering all aspects of researching grants, writing grant proposals and negotiating with funding sources. They also publish The Grantsmanship Center Magazine and archive its articles as well as booklets about those topics. There are also links to federal, state and international funding sources and community foundations around the country.

United States International Grantmakers
The purpose of this site is to facilitate international grantmaking by providing access to recommended forms with instructions, country reports and laws, and other informational materials and resources. It serves both grantmakers and grantseekers to support the process of making grants overseas.

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Grant Research & 990s

Economic Research Institute
Current and older IRS 990 PFs and IRS 990s are provided on this site. They can be searched by name, city, state, zip code, field of interest, type of organization and EIN.

Foundation Center
One of the premier sites for funding research and grant information. Provides links to private foundations, corporate grant makers, grant making public charities and community foundations. Has a foundation finder that includes IRS form 990-PFs. Includes statistics and highlights from the Center's research on foundation giving.

GrantStation.com
GrantStation.com includes 6,000 funders who have active grants available. They have contacted each one and only include organizations that are providing grants currently. They also include grants for all the States, although it is in the form of providing a link to the State agency that has grants available and they provide notices of federal grants that are pending. They also have some excellent articles about fundraising.

Guidestar
A comprehensive source of information about American nonprofit organizations that provides a searchable database with financial information. Obtains information from IRS forms 990 and 990-EZ and the IRS Business Master File of 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

NOZA

NOZA is an online database that indexes charitable donation records from foundations, companies and individuals. There are more than 900,000 grant records that can be searched for free although some of the more in-depth information is fee-based.

Nonprofit Guides
Nonprofit guides are designed to help people through the proposal writing process. The site includes commentary about the various steps involved along with samples of different components like an inquiry letter, cover letter and budget.

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Corporate Giving

Center for Corporate Citizenship
The Center for Corporate Citizenship provides research, executive education and meetings on corporate citizenship topics. This link includes standards of excellence in corporate community involvement, research reports and corporate citizenship links. You have access to many of the current and archived articles and tools, as well as the monthly newsletter, all free of charge but you must register.

Charities Aid Foundations CCInet
Corporate Community Involvement helps explore corporate giving programs, social responsibility sites and other Internet resources.

Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy
The Committee is an international forum of business CEOs and Chairpersons whose mission is focused on corporate philanthropy and aims to lead the business community in raising the level and quality of corporate philanthropy.

Fundsnet Services Online
FundsNetServices.com provides information on corporate philanthropy including corporate foundations. It lists organizations by category and gives the link to the corporate giving section of the corporation.

Gifts in Kind International
A leader in the field of providing an effective conduit for the donation of products from the private sector to the charitable sector.

Microsoft Corporate Giving
An example of a company's information about their corporate giving program.

ONE/Northwest
This Seattle-based nonprofit provides a list of major software donation programs with contact information and the requirements for each program.

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Prospect Research

Assoc. of Professional Researchers for Advancement
APRA is an organization for fundraisers who specialize in research and information management. Their Web site provides information on their chapters and publications and Advancement Research Standards including the Statement of Ethics and Donor Bill of Rights. They also have a collection of research links to Internet pages created by and for advancement researchers or their peers.

David Lamb's Prospect Research Page
David Lamb has served as the Director of Prospect Research at the University of Washington and Santa Clara University and has designed his Web site with links that that he recommends for prospect researchers.

Portico, Web Resources for Advancement Professionals
Portico is a collection of Web sites designed at the University of Virginia for the use of the advancement community. It includes links to many occupations, to biographical information, salaries for different professions and much more.

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Scholarships & Aid



101 Top College, University and Scholarship Pages
A site maintained by the American Educational Guidance Center with a descriptive list of links to major sources of college and scholarship information. The main site has a selection for retrieving college admissions postal and e-mail addresses by state, plus a few links to other financial aid sites. Otherwise, much of the scholarship information on this site is available only by fee.

College Answer: The Planning for College Destination
Wired Scholar describes itself as "the planning for college destination." It includes sections on preparing, selecting, applying, paying, deciding and financing. Information on how to succeed on admissions tests and a comparison of federal student loan programs is also given.

College Savings Plan Network
The official 529 plan site, sponsored by the National Association of State Treasurers, is the place to find links to plans in your state.

College Success Foundation
The College Success Foundation hopes to provide pathways for eligible students to succeed in college by providing college scholarships and mentoring to low-income, high-potential students. Their Web site helps students explore the wide array of financial aid and scholarship resources available, in addition to giving links to other scholarship resources and to college and community resources available to students across the state of Washington.

FAFSA on the Web
Information about federal student aid. An online application is available to complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid on the Web (FAFSA). You may complete and transmit this online form electronically.

fastWEB
Allows the user to set up a personalized profile that will match specific skills, abilities and interests to fastWEB's database of over 400,000 scholarships.

FedMoney.org
FedMoney.org is a comprehensive, free, full-text online resource on U.S. federal government student financial aid programs. It provides information about who can apply, how to apply, contact information and more for over 130 government loans and grants. Scholarships, fellowships and traineeships related to education are included.

FinAid
A comprehensive annotated collection of information about student financial aid on the web.

Financial Aid from the U.S. Dept. of Education
The 'Student Guide' is a comprehensive resource on student financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education that includes information on grants, loans and work-study programs. It describes the programs and tells how to apply for them.

Funding Resources by Subject Area
This is an extensive list of scholarship, fellowship and education-oriented funding Web sites compiled by the University Libraries of the University of Washington.

Hispanic Scholarship Fund
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) is the nation's leading organization supporting Hispanic higher education and awards scholarships to Latinos in all fifty states.

International Volunteer Programs Association (IVPA)
The International Volunteer Programs Association (IVPA) is an association of non-governmental organizations involved in international volunteer work and internship exchanges.   For students involved in internship exchanges, there is a section of fundraising tips.

Northwest Dollars for Scholars
The mission of the national Dollars for Scholars program is to help provide a college education for anyone who wants one. The Washington Dollars for Scholars is a network of community-based, volunteer-operated scholarship foundations in cities, towns and neighborhoods throughout the State.

Northwest Education Loan Association (NELA)
The Center for Student Success provides information and assistance on college admissions, financial aid and scholarship search resources.

Pacific Northwest Scholarship Guide
A personal, free, step-by-step tool maintained by the nonprofit College Planning Network, serving students of the Pacific Northwest.

Saving For College
Different plans for saving for college can be sorted and compared side by side at this Web site. It includes 529 plans plus other ways to save and pay for college.

Scholarship Junkies
For those who are seeking scholarships, this useful site offers guidance about all aspects of the process plus the opportunity to ask questions of the Scholarship Junkies founder and learn from successful scholarship recipients.

Scholarships.com
The mission of Scholarships.com is to assist students and their families in finding college scholarships and to help them explore a variety of valuable financial aid opportunities. Students are connected with tools to aid in researching and finding college financial aid, as well as choosing a college.

U.S. Office of Postsecondary Education
Provides links to college and admissions information, and other higher education resources. This site also includes links to the FAFSA form, the Title IV School Code list, and HOPE Scholarship information.

 

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Grants for Individuals


4Culture Funding Programs
4Culture is King County's cultural services agency that provides financial support, technical assistance & resources for artists.

Artist Trust
Artist Trust is a not-for-profit organization dedicated exclusively to supporting Washington State artists working in all creative disciplines. It provides several grant programs.

Arts Resource Network
The Arts Resource Network is a service of the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs. It provides tools and information to help artists and includes information on competitions and funding. A variety of artistic disciplines are covered including film, video, media, literary, performing arts and visual arts.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
This is an online database of Federal programs that can be searched for those available to individuals. Select Search for Assistance Programs and then choose 'by applicant eligibility' and use the pull-down menu for applicant type.

The Fund for Women Artists
The Fund for Women provides services to help women artists raise money from other sources and to improve the working environment for all women artists.  In addition to providing free e-mail funding newsletters, they also provide lists of funding resources for women artists and lists of funders who make emergency grants.

Government Benefits
Search for government benefits you may be able to receive. This site includes links to both federal and state benefits.

Government May Owe You Money
There are many places that have unclaimed funds or property.  Links to such places allow you to check for yourself to see if anything belongs to you.

Grants for Individuals
A compilation of links maintained by Michigan State University Libraries that is sorted by subject, by population group and by academic level.

Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
Part of the role of the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is to assist individuals with disabilities. This Web site provides numerous links to funding resources for education, employment, assistive technology and many over topics.

No Free Money
There are many myths about obtaining “free money.”  This Web site is hosted by a Grantsmanship Specialist at Toledo-Lucas County Public Library and dispels the myths.  There is a Money Search Checklist and links to national programs and Web sites that are relevant.

Pacific Pioneer Fund
The fund supports emerging documentary filmmakers by giving to nonprofit organizations that will supervise any project for which individuals receive funds, and to control the selection of individual recipients of funds. The grants are limited to filmmakers or videographers who live and work in California, Oregon and Washington.

WA State Dept of Commerce
The WA State Dept of Commerce helps support dozens of programs in Washington's communities that provide services for families and individuals, from food bank funding to substance abuse programs, affordable housing options to employment assistance.

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Fiscal Sponsorship

Center for Independent Documentary
For independent documentaries, they may act as fiscal sponsor, manage project funds, provide creative or technical support or offer advice on fundraising and distribution.

Fiscal Sponsor Directory
The Fiscal Sponsor Directory is a tool for locating fiscal sponsors. It can be searched by state, province, service category or keyword.

Fiscal Sponsorship
Fiscal sponsorship enables individual and organizations to start new programs without establishing a new, separate nonprofit organization. This Web site defines the concept, answers questions about it and links to other relevant resources.

Fractured Atlas
Fractured Atlas is an organization of independent artists that provides their members with access to resources and tools that enhance their fiscal stability and creative autonomy. They allow unincorporated groups and independent artists without nonprofit status to apply for grants and solicit tax-deductible donations.

Independent Feature Project (IFP) 
IFP/Seattle makes fiscal sponsorship available to its members for raising funds for short films or documentaries.

International Documentary Association
Provides fiscal sponsorship for IDA members.

New York Foundation for the Arts
Fiscal sponsorship provides individual artists, artists' collaborative projects and emerging arts organizations in all disciplines with the ability to apply for funding and other resources usually available only to organizations with 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. This site also includes a list of other fiscal sponsorship programs.

Northwest Film Forum
Provides fiscal sponsorship for film productions but not financing.

Women Make Movies
Women Make Movies provides a fiscal sponsorship program for women filmmakers who are actively fundraising for their film, video or multimedia project and need 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.

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Federal Government Resources

Accessing Resources for Community & Faith-Based
This Website is "focused on delivering training and technical assistance on the Federal grants process to community-based, faith-based, and nonprofit organizations to enhance their capacity to compete for Federal funding, form partnerships, and ultimately transform American communities." It is funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, and operated by the National Training and Technical Assistance Center.

AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is made up of three main programs: AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps). Their Web site details information about all of the programs, how you can relate to them and includes sections about their programs in each state.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Federal programs, projects, services, and activities which provide funding assistance.

Center for Faith-Based & Community Initiatives
The U.S. Department of Education maintains a Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. This site answers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), includes a guide to grant programs and shows how to apply for a grant. It also provides access to faith-based and community centers at other Federal agencies.

Community of Science
Community of Science (COS) is the leading Internet site for the global R&D community. It enables you to research and track information on funding and award histories at leading research facilities around the world. It features data from National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), and Medical Research Council, UK (MRC) and can be searched many different ways.

Federal Assistance Programs
Firstgov.gov has linked federal assistance programs on such topics as disability resources, food assistance, legal assistance, mortgage assistance programs, renter's assistance, temporary assistance to needy families and veterans benefits.

Federal Cultural Funding Opportunities
A National Endowment for the Arts online resource of Federal funding available for arts initiatives through national, state and local funding programs.

Federal Register
The Federal Register is the official daily record of the federal government. It can be searched for grants, requests for proposals, NOFAs, proposed regulations and agency meetings.

Get Involved
Get Involved is sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service and provides access to hundreds of thousands of real-time volunteer opportunities that are tailored to the skills and experience of those age 55-plus. It can be searched by your interest area and zip code or state.

Government Benefits
Search for government benefits you may be able to receive. This site includes links to both federal and state benefits.

Government Funding Resources
This list of federal government funding resources also includes links to resources for several states.

Grants Information
This is a guide to the U.S. Department of Education's programs and resources. It includes information on student financial assistance, a grants forecast, grant application forms and an overview of the discretionary grants process.

Grants.gov
Grants.gov is the official Federal government Web site where applicants may find and apply to funding opportunities from all 26 Federal grant-making agencies. One can research an opportunity, download a grant application package and also check the status of an application submitted this way.

The Grantsmanship Center GrantDomain  
The Grantsmanship Center was founded to offer grantsmanship training and publications to nonprofit organizations and government agencies.  They also maintain a database of federal, foundation and corporate funding.

GrantsNet (Department of Health & Human Services)
This site provides information about HHS and other Federal grant programs. It includes an excellent Electronic Roadmap for Grants.

HUD Grants
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urgan Development maintains information regarding how to participate in their grants program and provides lists of funds available.

Library of Congress Thomas
Congress directed the Library of Congress to make federal legislative information freely available to the public and they did that with Thomas. “In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, legislative information from the Library of Congress.”  There is a wealth of information about legislation at the home page and this section provides the status of appropriations bills for those who are seeking federal funding or have received it.

Murray's Grant Gateway
Senator Murray has an excellent site for people considering federal grants. She includes myths about getting government grants, understanding those grants, looking for grants and the steps for applying for a grant. The site also includes a many links to resources for federal grants.

Office of Management and Budget
Though the OMB does not award grants, they work cooperatively with the grantmaking agencies and the grantee community leading development of government-wide policy to assure that grants are managed properly and the Federal dollars are spent in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. This site includes circulars, grants management forms, current policy documents and useful grant links.

SRA International Grants Web Resources
The Society of Research Administrators is the national association for grant writers that write, manage or administer grants from the federal government, state governments and some private source grants. Their Grants Web includes material on applying for federal grants, grant forms and aids, and links to information about funds available from different levels of government. Some international links are included.

USA.gov for Nonprofits
Official information and services from the U.S. government regarding nonprofit organizations is included in this site. Such topics as grants, loans, management and tax information are covered.

Volunteer.gov
This site is maintained by the Federal Interagency Team on Volunteerism (FITV) and provides a way to search for service opportunities by zip code or state. The Portal also has links to both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) volunteer programs sites.

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State Government Resources


Access Washington
Access Washington is the Official State Government Web Site. You can search for 'grants' to find the grants available from many different departments of the state.

Grant Resources for Washington Local Governments
The Municipal Research & Services Center of Washington maintains a list of Washington State Departments and Programs that have grants and loans.

The Grantsmanship Center
Much federal funding for services is passed on to states and counties for their use or redistribution. This site includes links to state home pages and you can search for agencies that relate to your need.

WA State Dept of Commerce
The WA State Dept of Commerce invests in Washington's communities, businesses and families. This site provides a guided search for their services, grants and loans.

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Program-Related Investments (PRIs)

A program-related investment (PRI) is a tool foundations can use to leverage their philanthropic dollars. Unlike grants, however, foundations get a return on their investment, through either repayment or return on equity.

Nonprofit Finance Fund
The Nonprofit Finance Fund helps nonprofits strengthen their financial health and improve their capacity to serve their communities. More than 200 financial institutions, corporations, nonprofits and individuals have supported them in the form of loans, program-related investments, and grants. They also provide workshops and are the only national community development financial institution (CDFI) focused exclusively on nonprofits.

PRI Makers Network
PRI Makers Network is a national association of grantmakers that use program-related and other investments to accomplish their philanthropic goals. Their Web site includes a PRI Primer, links to relevant books, articles and to other networks.

Shorebank Capacity Plus Loan Program
ShoreBank offers a range of innovative PRI options and helps nonprofits access affordable credit. They have offices in Ilwaco, Seattle and Portland, Oregon.


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Foundations

 

Association of Small Foundations
ASF is committed to building and strengthening small foundation philanthropy by providing quality programs, products and services to foundations with few or no staff. They include links to ASF members' Web sites and links to other resources.

Council on Foundations
Links member foundations & corporations' web sites. Grantseekers should use the Foundation Center's web site.

National Center for Family Philanthropy
This nonprofit organization focuses on issues important to families engaged in philanthropy.

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Nonprofit Organizations

 

990online.com
This site was established to assist tax-exempt organizations that wish to fulfill the requirements of the new IRC Section 6104(d) regulations through online publication of their completed annual information returns and application for exempt status.

Executive Service Corps of Washington
There is an excellent document at this web site entitled : “Guide to Starting a Nonprofit.” It takes one from whether and why to start a nonprofit through all the legal steps and includes links to many of the organizations that one must deal with to start a nonprofit organization.

How to Read the IRS Form 990
The IRS Form 990 gives public information about nonprofit organizations. This Web site helps you understand how to read the form and find out what it means.

Internal Revenue Service - Charitable Organization
Information regarding requirement for tax-exemptions, how to apply for tax-exempt status and annual filing requirements are included on this site.

IRS - Topics for Charities & Nonprofits
This section of the Internal Revenue Service's Web site lists frequently asked questions (FAQs) about such topics as the exempt organization application process, their public disclosure requirements and the different types of tax-exempt organizations. It also includes an electronic version of the IRS Publication 78, 'Cumulative List of Organizations.'

IRS Form 1023 Help
Based on a free class taught by a former IRS agent, this Web site is designed to help you complete the form necessary to becoming a nonprofit organization. It contains practical advice and descriptions and links to IRS fill-in forms.

National Center for Charitable Statistics
The Center gathers statistics nationally concerning nonprofit organizations. Some state data is available.

Nonprofit Online News
This is a free weekly source of information relevant to nonprofit organizations that is published by Michael Gilbert of The Gilbert Center in Seattle.

Opportunity Knocks
This Web site lists nonprofit jobs and career opportunities as well as provides a site for registering nonprofit job postings.

Prepare Your Own 501(c)(3) Application
Written by a former IRS agent, this Web site refers to an ebook designed to help you complete IRS Form 1023, the application to become a nonprofit organization. It contains comments on the proposed revision of the form.

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Nonprofit Management

 

Alliance for Nonprofit Management
Information on board development, financial management, strategic planning, fundraising & risk management.

Association for Research on Nonprofit Organization
Contains electronic forum to facilitate rapid sharing of issues concerning nonprofit organizations.

BoardSource
Formerly called the National Center for Nonprofit Boards, this is a source of excellent information to help develop effective nonprofit boards. They publish extensive books, booklets, videos, CDs, and audiotapes. They also provide workshops, training and consultants.

Charity Channel
CharityChannel is a volunteer-driven community of nonprofit-sector professionals throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia and many other countries. This Web site features more than 50 free discussion forums that are organized by subject. It also includes a section of reviews of books, periodicals and software of interest to the nonprofit community and current charity news.

Coyote Communications: Technology Tip Sheets
The Director of the Virtual Volunteering Project offers charities suggestions on how to use technology to improve their operations. Free tip sheets are posted that include links to other appropriate Web sites.

Innovation Network, Inc
'Innovation Network, Inc. (InnoNet) is a 501(c) 3 organization dedicated to enabling public and nonprofit organizations to better plan, execute, and evaluate their structure, operations, and services.'

Leader to Leader Institute
Site includes book recommendations, full text of relevant articles & descriptions of innovative nonprofit programs.

Nonprofit Good Practice Guide
This is a project of the Philanthropic & Nonprofit Knowledge Management (PNKM) Initiative at the Dorothy A Johnson Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership. The Nonprofit Good Practice Guide includes widely-accepted & innovative nonprofit practices offering Preferred Practices & Pitfalls, Glossaries, Resources, Trends & Web site Profiles within ten topic areas. It also contains a focus on raising awareness of the need for funder effectiveness, especially through education for grantmakers.

Nonprofit National Resource Directory
This directory includes listings of those who specialize in assisting the nonprofit sector. You can browse or search by function. New listings are added regularly.

Nonprofit Resource Center
A directory of Internet links to sites of interest to nonprofit organizations set up by a law firm.

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Volunteers & Volunteering

AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is made up of three main programs: AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps). Their Web site details information about all of the programs, how you can relate to them and includes sections about their programs in each state.

Catholic Community Services (CCS).  Volunteer Opportunities
Lists of volunteer opportunities available through CCS and searchable by county.

Get Involved
Get Involved is sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service and provides access to hundreds of thousands of real-time volunteer opportunities that are tailored to the skills and experience of those age 55-plus. It can be searched by your interest area and zip code or state.

Global Volunteers
“Global Volunteers is a private, non-profit, non-sectarian, non-governmental organization engaging short-term volunteers on micro-economic and human development programs in close partnership with local people worldwide.”  They work with local leaders and provide volunteers from all over to assist with projects around the world.

Idealist.org
Idealist.org maintains a list of international volunteer opportunities. You can search by city, state or country and by area of focus.

Independent Sector’s Value of Volunteer Time
Volunteers are important to all nonprofit organizations. Independent Sector, an organization of charities, foundations and corporate giving programs, has calculated a dollar value for volunteers for many years with both a national average figure and individual figures for each state. Information is given for how the number is calculated and some ways that it can be used.

Points of Light Foundation
Founded in 1990, the Foundation is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization devoted to promoting volunteerism. It is based in Washington, D.C. and works in communities throughout the United States through a network of over 500 Volunteer Centers.

Seattle Works
The mission of Seattle Works is "to foster in young adults a lifetime commitment to community involvement through innovative volunteer activities and educational opportunities." Their Web site lists a wide variety of volunteer opportunities and nonprofit organizations can list their opportunities on the site. Their EXCEED Program is a program in which Seattle Works volunteers serve as interns on local nonprofits boards of trustees for one year.

Serve.Gov
On April 21, 2009, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act to expand the opportunities for all Americans to serve their communities and our country. This Web site is a new portal to help people find their own ways to serve in their communities.

Taproot Foundation in Seattle
The Taproot Foundation has an award-winning Service Grant program that provides millions of dollars worth of pro bono services to help local nonprofits increase their effectiveness.

United Way - Volunteering
United Way of King County maintains a listing of volunteer and board opportunities for the local area. Each can be searched by area and/or interest.

Volunteer.gov
This site is maintained by the Federal Interagency Team on Volunteerism (FITV) and provides a way to search for service opportunities by zip code or state. The Portal also has links to both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) volunteer programs sites.

Volunteer Match
VolunteerMatch  is an online matching service for volunteers and nonprofits.  Volunteer opportunities can be found by zip code, interest, and age group. 

Volunteering in America
Volunteering trends, statistics, tools, resources, and information for the nation, regions, states and major cities are included here.  There are also state and city rankings on different factors related to volunteering.


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Charities Rating


Charity Navigator
This site "provides in-depth, objective analysis of the financial health of more than 1,700 of America's largest charities." It can be searched alphabetically, by keyword, by category or by region.

Give.org - Charity Reports
The BBB Wise Giving Alliance was formed with the merger of the National Charities Information Bureau and the Council of Better Business Bureaus Foundation and its Philanthropic Advisory Service. They list reports on charities and other soliciting organizations that solicit nationally. There are also reports on some local charities that solicit regionally.

Great Nonprofits
As they say on their Web site, GreatNonprofits is a place to find, review, and talk about great -- and perhaps not so great -- nonprofits. It also allows nonprofits to create a free profile.

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Charitable Donations

CharityWave
CharityWave is a free online contribution service, which makes it easy and safe to give 100% of your donation to worthy causes.

Igive.com
A place to shop and donate to a worthy cause simultaneously.

Network for Good
Network for Good is a nonprofit organization that connects individuals with their favorite charities. Network for Good is the place to make secure online donations, explore volunteer opportunities, and learn more about different causes.

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Philanthropy

Community Wealth
Topics such as nonprofit/for-profit partnerships, cause-related marketing, social entrepreneurship, venture philanthropy and nonprofit business ventures are covered at this site.

Independent Sector
A coalition of charitable, educational, religious, health and social welfare organizations.

National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
This organization promotes philanthropy that addresses the unmet needs of disadvantaged populations. It conducts action research, provides technical assistance to nonprofits and engages in policy advocacy.

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Social Entrepreneursip

Social Edge
This site indicates that it is “by social entrepreneurs, for social entrepreneurs.” It includes blogs, experts' responses to questions and “issue areas” on such topics as microfinance, youth social entrepreneurship and hybrid business models for nonprofits. Also included is information about the pros and cons of hybrid business models, private/public partnerships, earned income strategies, cause-related marketing, venture philanthropy, and social capital markets.

Social Enterprise Alliance
Social enterprise describes any non-profit, for-profit or hybrid corporate form that utilizes market-based strategies to advance a social mission. This site provides links to funding sources, blogs and listservs, case studies, training opportunities and includes a way to ask a question of their experts.

Free Management Library
The Free Management Library provides access to resources on nonprofit, and also for-profit, organizations. Many topics are covered and social entrepreneurship is one of them. Such things as basics and definitions, the types of social entrepreneurship and relevant organizations are included.

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Return to the Nonprofit & Philanthropy Resource Center home page

Last Updated: September 15, 2009