Research, Citation, & Class Guides: Management 370: Nonprofits: Research Tools

Your Research Task:

Case study of a large, established, private organization.

Things to look for:

Goals & objectives? Leadership structure? Amount of money disbursed? On what causes? What sizes of grants? Mission or vision? Major milestones or landmark accomplishments? Consider all these elements both at its founding and currently, and note any major changes.

Information on the founder -- biography? When did s/he found the org? With how much money? What social/cultural/political forces in the U.S. influenced him/her? Philosophy of philanthropy? How does this compare to Carnegie's ideals?

Evaluate:

Do you think the founder would approve of the direction his/her foundation is taking today? Why or why not?

Key Database

Foundation Center Directory Online
Contact a librarian or the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (262-472-5212) for access. This provides information on more than 100,000 foundations, corporate giving programs, and grant making public charities in the US.
It also includes searchable databases of recently awarded grants, sponsoring companies, and recently filed IRS information returns (Forms 990 and 990-PF).

Foundation Center Directory Online is useful for accessing the following information:

How many grants, which size, to which organizations
Funding interests, priorities, similar organizations
990 Forms
People at the org (and possible connections to your network)

Books

Use Books for...

Detailed biographies, overview of his/her entire life
Long-term perspective on his/her legacy
Remember that books by the founder are considered primary sources -- these get you "inside their head" like no other source can, but keep in mind that they can also be shortsighted, self-glorifying, or otherwise limited by the perspectives of that era
Books by others are considered secondary sources -- these are (usually, not always) more independent and attempt to provide a well-rounded view of the person or foundation, with all their flaws

Remember that you don't have to read the whole book! Use the Table of contents, Index, introduction or conclusion, skim important sections -- you can get vital information about this person or foundation without having to read 100 pages!

As well, for e-books, you can jump to specific sections or use the "search within" function to search for certain keywords or topics.

All of our books (print and e-) are searchable from within Research@UWW on our homepage. Search for both your person's name and the foundation's name.

If we don't have many titles here, you can request items for free to be delivered from other libraries in the UW System. Watch the following video to learn more:

Finally, if you search Whitewater and the UW System and find no good titles, also search Worldcat (below). This searches 70K+ library catalogs at once. Most items there can be requested via Interlibrary loan, for free!

WorldCat.org
WorldCat.org is a database for searching 70K+ libraries' catalogs in combination.

Scholarly Articles

Use Scholarly Articles for...

Focused analysis on one very specific detail of your founder's life or organization
Study from one critical point of view -- a specific theory, philosophy, how did s/he impact XYZ, etc.

Business Source Complete
Business Source Complete, while smaller than Business Premium Collection, has similar coverage: business journals and analysis from a traditionally business perspective.
It can also be searched using Enhanced Interface Searching.
JSTOR
JSTOR has excellent historical content, especially in the humanities and social sciences. It has many journals and magazines going back 50 or even 100 years. Consider JSTOR for analysis of your organization from around the time of its founding.
TIP: Use Advanced Search and put each one of your search terms in its own row.
Coverage varies by publication but typically begins with volume one of each title and continues to within 3 to 5 years of the most current issue.

Partial funding for Collections V and VI from the Russell Moratz estate. Partial funding for Collection VII provided by Student Technology Fees.

Research Nonprofits and Grantors

Current News

Use Current News for...

Current funding or grants distributed by the organization
Current events related to the people on the board of directors -- what are their companies? affiliations? legal disputes? political involvement?
Occasionally, some long-view analysis, but usually not as in-depth as books

Chronicle of Philanthropy

Regional Business News
Regional business magazines, newspapers, and wires from Canada and all metropolitan and rural areas in the United States.
US Newsstream
Current and archival to 1980s U.S. news featuring key national and regional sources including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Newsday, and Chicago Tribune.
Access World News Research Collection
Database with global, national, and regional news, featuring newspapers, newswires, magazines, and video in English and many other languages.

Websites

Use Websites for...

Current events, breaking news
Social media, self-promotion, press releases
Opinion/advocacy pieces from the founders or board members
990s -- annual financial forms nonprofits must fill out with the IRS

Places to start:

RE:Source
Telling the stories of foundation histories. Use the Search magnifying glass in the corner. Search for only the significant word in your name -- e.g. Hilton, Kresge, Pew -- do NOT include Foundation, as that's too common of a word and returns too many results here.
Candid
Candid allows you to search for information on millions of non-profit organizations. You can access profiles and financial information, including information beyond the 990 form, leadership demographics, and more. Search by organization name, Employer ID Number (EIN), or keyword.
Charity Watch
Charity Watch provides rankings and publishes news about nonprofit organizations. Click the "Top Rated Charities" link at the top to get a list of "competitors" for your organization.
Note: Most information on Charity Watch is available to members only.

Management 370: Nonprofits

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