Finding and Evaluating Nonprofit Organizations
American Institute of Philanthropy An organization that provides information to help donors make informed giving decisions.
The Center for High Impact Philanthropy This site is a resource center for individual donors (and their advisors) who want to determine how their philanthropic funds can have the greatest social impact.
Charity Navigator This service provides information on over five thousand charities, evaluating the financial health of each.
Give.org — BBB Wise Giving Alliance This charitable organization, connected to the Better Business Bureau, provides evaluations of nonprofit organizations that solicit nationally or have national or international programs.
GiveWell This organization finds outstanding charities and publishes the full details of their analysis to help donors decide where to give.
GreatNonprofits This site is a place to find, review, and talk about great — and perhaps not so great — nonprofits.
GuideStar® An online database of all nonprofit organizations recognized by the IRS, it includes information on programs, assets, income, leadership, funding, geographic reach and Form 990 searches.
Independent Charities of America (ICA) This nonprofit organization prescreens charities according to its established quality criteria and provides an online listing of those that meet its standards.
Internal Revenue Service The IRS provides a searchable database of all tax-exempt organizations found in the Charities and Non-Profits section of the web site.
Philanthropedia This service ranks nonprofits based on experts' recommendations and offers "expert mutual funds", consisting of recommended nonprofits, to support social causes.
General Philanthropy and Grantmaking
Council on Foundations The Council is a membership organization of more than 2,000 grantmaking foundations and giving programs worldwide, providing leadership expertise, legal services, and networking opportunities to its members and to the general public.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy A newspaper with an accompanying web site, the Chronicle is a leading news source for those involved with philanthropy and the nonprofit sector.
Foundation Center The Foundation Center connects nonprofits and the grantmakers supporting them to tools they can use, including the most comprehensive database on U.S. grantmakers and their grants.
The Giving Forum This national network of local leaders and organizations provides a web site featuring a directory of regional associations to assist donors seeking local grantmaking resources.
Independent Sector Independent Sector is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of approximately 575 charities, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programs, collectively representing tens of thousands of charitable groups in every state across the nation. Its mission is to advance the common good by leading, strengthening, and mobilizing the nonprofit community.
Philanthropy News Digest A weekly news service of the Foundation Center, PND is a compendium, in digest form, of philanthropy-related articles and features culled from print and electronic media outlets nationwide.
Philanthropy News Network PNNOnline delivers news, information, and resources to all segments of the nonprofit world in order to help them better achieve their goals.
The Philanthropy Roundtable This national membership organization of donors and grantmaking professionals offers a bi-monthly magazine called Philanthropy.
Families and Giving
The Giving Book: A Young Person's Guide to Giving and Volunteering
This book teaches giving and community involvement through stories and hands-on activities. Available through the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.
The Giving Family: Raising Our Children to Help Others
By Susan Price
A how-to guide for parents with children ages five to eighteen. Highlights the importance of exposing children to philanthropy and volunteerism, and includes age-appropriate charitable activities.
Available through the Council on Foundations or at www.thegivingfamily.org.
National Center for Family Philanthropy This nonprofit organization focuses on matters of importance for families engaged in philanthropy.
Nonprofit Boards and Service
boardnetUSA This is a website dedicated to the purpose of connecting nonprofit boards and new leaders.
Board Source® This organization provides information, tools, best practices, training, and leadership development for board members of nonprofit organizations.
Inside the Nonprofit Boardroom
By Charles William Golding and Craig W. Stewart
A primer for nonprofit board members.