The Funding Research Center (FRC) assists nonprofits in their search for funding opportunities, as well as provides “how to” information about developing and administering a fundraising program and managing nonprofits.  The Funding Research Center includes print and online resources. All print materials are available in the collections at the Williamsburg Library (515 Scotland St, Williamsburg VA  23185).  Feel free to contact Library Development Officer Benjamin Goldberg with any questions.

The FRC includes selected links to many of the best online fund raising resources. You can access the online grant research database GrantStation from computers inside the library buildings.

Print resources available at the Williamsburg Library (515 Scotland St., Williamsburg, VA  23185) include books about writing proposals, NPO administration, and fundraising. In the online catalog you can find these books through a “series search” on the term “Funding Research Center”.

Digital titles supporting the Funding Research Center are available in Overdrive and through the Libby app. You can either use this link to take you directly to the titles in this collection available for checkout, or you can visit WRL’s Overdrive website or the main page for WRL in the Libby app and scroll down to the “Funding Research Center” book carousel. Clicking on this carousel will bring you to the titles in this collection available for checkout. A WRL library card is necessary to access these digital materials.

Events posted on the nonprofits-l email list (and others) are included on NetworkPeninsula’s monthly community events calendar.

Local Information

Biographical Information

Corporate Information

Statistical Information

More Tools

  • Department of Education Grant Opportunities – US Department of Education maintained site listing information about applying for their grants and what grants are available.
  • Department of Health and Human Services – US Department of Health and Human Services maintained site listing information about applying for their grants and what grants are available.
  • Grants.gov – Attempts to provide a simple, unified electronic storefront for interactions between grant applicants and the Federal agencies that manage grant funds.
  • Health and Human Services (U.S. Department of) – This portal page attempts to incorporate HHS opportunities from multiple web sites. Some hotlinks will cover more than one type of opportunity.
  • IRS’s cumulative information on exempt organizations. Downloadable by state and region. Updated monthly.
  • National Endowment for the Arts – Serves the public good by nurturing human creativity, supporting community spirit, and fostering appreciation of the excellence and diversity of our nation’s artistic accomplishments through grantmaking; leadership initiatives; partnerships with state arts agencies, regional arts organizations, other federal agencies and the private sector; research; and public information.
  • National Endowment for the Humanities – An independent grant-making agency of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, and public programs in the humanities. Humanities encompass the study of history, literature, history of art and science, philosophy, religion, folklore and other disciplines.
  • SAM.gov Assistance Listings (formerly cfda.gov) –  detailed descriptions of federal programs that provide grants, loans, scholarships, insurance, and other types of assistance awards. Browse assistance listings across all government agencies to learn about potential funding sources.
  • Virginia Commission for the Arts – The Commission distributes awards to artists, arts and other not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions, educators and local governments, and provides technical assistance in arts management.

General Resources

  • The Art of Grantsmanship – Proposal writing tips geared toward research grants, but applicable in general to all grant writing .
  • GrantCraft – develops and curates resources across different strategies, issues, languages, and formats.
  • Grantmakers For Effective Organization (GEO) – Powered by grantmakers striving to do better, our community turns a hunger for more effective philanthropy into clear pathways for achieving it.
  • GuideStar – Features a searchable database on over 850,000 tax exempt organizations. Includes IRS Form 990s for organizations that file them. Three levels of service: Basic access is free with registration; Select and Premium access are fee based.
  • Non-Profit Guides – Offers information on grant writing, plus tips and samples for letters of inquiry, cover letters, grant summaries, grant budgets and applications.
  • Point K Learning Center – Free registration required.  Offers free tools and resources for assessment, accountability, communication, and program improvement.
  • William Strunk’s Elements of Style – The classic book on grammar, composition, etc.

Outcome Evaluation

Sample Grants

The purpose of providing these grants is to give prospective grant writers an overview on the types of proposals submitted and how successful proposals are constructed and written. These applications and proposals are intended to foment ideas, help formulate concepts and act as general guides. They do not replace the grant writing process.

Subscribe to Nonprofits-l email list (for NPOs serving the Greater Williamsburg area)

Management

  • The Alliance for Nonprofit Management – FAQs on board development, financial management, fund raising and strategic planning.
  • Boardsource – A premier resource for practical information, tools and best practices, training, and leadership development for board members of nonprofit organizations worldwide.
  • Free Management Library – Provides highly accessible and practical resources to managers throughout the nation. Explore the detailed index of library materials to find information on evaluation, fundraising, board resources, letter samples and more.
  • Nonprofit Expert – Categories cover many nonprofit topics including fundraising, nonprofit management, prospect research, grantwriting, nonprofit software, etc. Speciality is consultation for creating nonprofits organizations.
  • Nonprofithub – An educational community dedicated to giving nonprofits everything they need to better their organizations and communities.
  • Productive Fundraising Resources – Information related to volunteer board fundraising development, including templates for a simple elevator speech, board job description, updates to boards, board updates, and more.
  • Resources for Nonprofit Financial Management – Information and guides on budgeting, financial analysis, monitoring, and the role of boards in financial management.
  • TechImpact – A nonprofit organization that provides thoroughly researched, impartial and accessible resources about software to help nonprofits.  The site offers a mix of free resources and products for purchace.

Fundraising

  • GuideStar – Features a searchable database on over 850,000 tax exempt organizations. Includes IRS Form 990s for organizations that file them. Three levels of service: Basic access is free with registration; Select and Premium access are fee based.
  • NOZA – Features a searchable database of tax-related information for private foundations that file Form 990-PF with the (IRS). Also see Guidestar for additional charitable organization 990s.
  • ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer – Includes summaries of 3 million tax returns from tax-exempt organizations and see financial details such as their executive compensation and revenue and expenses.
  • SOFII – Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration. Working to provide charitable fundraisers with a comprehensive, easily accessible archive of the best fundraising creativity from around the world. Requires free registration.
  • Supporting Advancement – a collection of resources for “those supporting advancement and development organizations.” Maintained by submissions from professionals around the country. Categories include sample forms, policy examples, acknowledgment samples, grant writing advise, and many more topics.

IRS

  • Efile Form 990 – This web site and the Desktop 990 software can be used to complete IRS Form 990, 990-EZ, Schedule A, and Unified Registration Statement. Upon completion, the forms are sent electronically to this web site. The Forms can also be printed out from the Desktop 990 so that they can be mailed to the IRS. There is a fee for this service.
  • Life Cycle of a Public Charity – This resources is designed to help public charities understand the process for obtaining and maintaining tax-exempt status. Divided into five sections: Starting Out, Applying to IRS, Annual Filings, Ongoing Compliance, and Significant Events.
  • IRS Search for a Charity – Search for IRS designated charities through the online Exempt Organizations Select Check.
  • Stay Exempt Basics for 501(c)(3)s – IRS online training provides training  and information to help you keep an organization’s exempt status intact.

The following are selected links (not a comprehensive list) to companies that sell donor databases/fundraising software. Included are some of the leading fundraising software companies in the industry. Other options can be found by searching on the internet (for example this article discusses select donor databases) and through trade journals. You also may wish to seek out fundraising software advice from colleagues you know and other nonprofit organizations.

Fundraising software varies in features and cost. Exploring a hands-on demo of a program is strongly recommended and educational. Usually this is accompanied by a free phone tour of the software.  Keep in mind that today almost all donor databases are hosted online so strong internet connectivity is important. When narrowing the options the following measures of comparison might be helpful:

  • What are program features and could/would you use them?
  • What is the cost of basic program taking into account number of user licenses that come with it?
  • How much are additional user licenses (usually sold in groups)?
  • What is the cost of additional modules and which modules might be desirable (if applicable)?
  • What fees are there for the annual maintenance contract?
  • Are product updates included in the maintenance contract? If not, how much extra?
  • Are there data conversion and/or database setup fees (if applicable)?
  • How much is training, including potential travel and accommodation expenses?
  • What are the training options (locations, schedules)?

Select Software Companies

  • Chronicle of Philanthropy – Offers fund raising articles, grantmaking information, resources. Access to parts of this site is now available only to Chronicle subscribers.
  • Foundation News and Commentary – A Council of Foundations publication. Offers fund raising articles, grantmaking information, resources.
  • Grantsmanship Center Archives – Contains Grantsmanship Center archived publications. Offers fund raising articles, grantmaking information, resources.
  • Issuelab – IssueLab is an online publishing forum for nonprofit research. Our mission is to more effectively archive, distribute and promote the extensive and diverse body of work being produced by the third sector.
  • Nonprofits-l Email List Community Calendar – Events posted on the nonprofits-l community calendar via NetworkPenisula.org.
  • NTEN Articles – Offers NPO articles, fundraising advice, other resources.
  • The Nonprofit Times – Offers fund raising articles, nonprofit news, resources.
  • Philanthropy News Digest – A Foundation Center publication. Offers fund raising articles, grantmaking information, resources.

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