Your Librarian
Acknowledgement
Thank you to Alice Kalinowski for her permission to adapt her Nonprofit Research @ Pitt guide.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
What is a nonprofit?
A nonprofit is defined as:
A group, organization, institution or corporation formed to provide goods and/or services for a charitable, educational, religious, literary or scientific purpose. Nonprofits' assets are usually donated by companies, foundations or individuals who do not expect to be repaid. These contributions are tax deductible. If a nonprofit meets the requirements of the Internal Revenue Service's Code, section 501(c)(3), it can obtain tax-exempt status, and does not pay federal or state income taxes.
Starting Points
Article Databases
Article databases may contain trade and scholarly publications on nonprofits
- Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
- Business (Gale OneFile) This link opens in a new window
- SocINDEX with Full Text This link opens in a new window
- Environment Complete This link opens in a new window
- GreenFILE This link opens in a new window
- Sustainability Reference Center This link opens in a new window
Newspaper Databases
Newspapers are a great source of information on local nonprofits
- EBSCO News This link opens in a new windowSearches both Regional Business News and Newspaper Source Plus
- America's News This link opens in a new windowExplore local newspapers through this database, including the Berkshire Eagle, the North Adams Transcript, The Springfield Advocate, the Daily Hampshire Gazette, and more.
- New York Times This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Full text from the New York Times from 1985 to the present.
To access the NYT digital edition, see these instructions.
Key Journals
Use the library catalog to find online books, articles and more on what a nonprofit is, how it is formed, funded and managed. Use the Advanced Search to combine keywords in a search string. Here are some sample search terms :
- nonprofit organizations AND fundraising
- nonprofit organizations AND management
- nonprofits AND business models
Library Catalog
- The Attorney General's Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities DivisionThe Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division is responsible for overseeing more than 23,000 public charities in Massachusetts. It ensures appropriate application of charitable assets, investigates allegations and initiates enforcement actions in cases of breach of fiduciary duty, and supports transparency through publication of filed reports and forms. The Division also oversees paid fundraisers, including enforcement of registration and filing requirements and prosecution of solicitation fraud.
- Massachusetts Nonprofit NetworkThe Massachusetts Nonprofit Network is a statewide organization dedicated to uniting and strengthening the entire nonprofit sector through advocacy, public awareness, and capacity-building.
- Nonprofit Center of the BerkshiresSupporting nonprofit leaders is our primary activity. Every day the NPC fields requests for information and referrals, making life just a little bit easier for those on the frontlines of nonprofit work. Communication vehicles like a listserve, gala calendar, peer support group, and monthly newsletter help leaders stay in touch and on top of what’s going on in our vibrant sector.
- NonProfit Center BostonOwned and operated by TSNE (formerly Third Sector New England), the NonProfit Center is home to more than 50 nonprofits and welcomes visitors from thousands of organizations every year. The building is a hub of activity where people come to convene, connect, network, and learn together.
Ratings, Reports and Statistics
- The Foundation Center NOW CandidClick "Get Started" and then "Get Answers" to access the Reference Guide for Researchers, the Topical Resource Lists, or the Online Librarian feature to submit quesitons. Click "Gain Knowledge" to find nonprofit reports, research studies, statistics and trends.
- GuidestarRequires free registration. Financial information on nonprofits and about nonprofits' programs.
- Charity NavigatorThe premier independent charity evaluator, studied the 30 largest metropolitan areas and the financial health and efficiency of their charities to determine the rankings.
- National Center for Charitable StatisticsA project of the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy (CNP) at the Urban Institute, the NCCS provides brief information on nonprofit organizations including financial information, recent 990 forms and programming information. Search for nonprofits by name or by location or by National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) code.
Also find profiles of the U.S. and individual state nonprofit sectors and search for information on nonprofits by state, county or zip code.
Information Portals
- IRS- Starting a Nonprofitncludes links to IRS and tax information, disaster resources, and publications focused on management, operations grants and funding, like the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.