RESEARCHING CHARITIES

There are many resources on the Internet offering philanthropic information and guidance that can help you identify, research, and evaluate charitable organizations. Below is a brief list to get you started:

American Institute of Philanthropy
www.charitywatch.org
A nationally prominent charity watchdog service whose purpose is to help donors make informed giving decisions.

BBB Wise Giving Alliance
www.give.org/
A merger of the National Charities Information Bureau and the Council of Better Business Bureaus' Foundation and its Philanthropic Advisory Service.

Charity Navigator
charitynavigator.org/
An independent charity evaluator, Charity Navigator works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of America's 4,000 largest charities. The evaluations are freely available to the public. Charity Navigator is a non-profit organization and does not accept any contributions from the charities it evaluates.

Giving Wisely: The Internet Directory of Israeli Nonprofit and Philanthropic Organizations
www.givingwisely.org.il
A directory of 27,000 non-profit organizations registered with Israel’s Interior Ministry. The guide indicates which organizations are registered as tax-deductible for US donors.

Guidestar
www.guidestar.org/
Searchable database of more than 850,000 not-for-profit organizations. Includes financial return forms and balance sheets for approximately 280,000 charities required to file with the IRS.

Internal Revenue Service
apps.irs.gov/app/pub78
Searchable database of all tax-exempt organizations.

 

PHILANTHROPIC ADVISORS AND NETWORKS

There are many educational resources available that are dedicated to promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing about philanthropy. Here are just a few:

Archimede Philanthropy Partners
www.archimedephilanthropy.com
Archimede Philanthropy Partners is a consulting firm that helps increase the impact of charitable assets invested and the unique goals of individuals, families, foundations, and corporations. Their broad service offering includes philanthropic strategy, research, grant making, evaluation, foundation management, board development, technology, marketing, as well as identifying potential funding partners for projects and non-profit organizations.

Center for Entrepreneurial Jewish Philanthropy (CEJP)
CEJP@optonline.net
CEJP was established to support and advise philanthropists throughout North America, free of charge, in all aspects of considering major gifts of $100,000-$25 million to any charity within the Jewish community or Israel. For more, click here. Phone: 914-654-0008. Joseph Hyman, President and Founder.

Council on Foundations (COF)
www.cof.org
The Council on Foundations (COF) is a membership organization of more than 2,000 grantmaking foundations and giving programs worldwide. They provide leadership expertise, legal servicesand networking opportunities - among other services - to members and to the general public.

Donor Associates in Israel—DAI
www.donor.co.il
DAI enhances trust and understanding between donors and beneficiary organizations in Israel through ensuring due diligence, transparency, and mutual accountability that are the hallmarks of responsible philanthropy. DAI believes that this ultimately strengthens the relations between Israel and the diaspora.

Grant Craft—Ford Foundation
www.grantcraft.org
Grant Craft offers guides, videos, and case studies to make effective grants. The Ford Foundation, sponsor of the site, has sought out hundreds of grantmakers and grantees from other organizations to provide examples and insights, share successes and disappointments, and draw lessons from what they have done and observed.

Jewish Funders Network
jfunders.org
The Jewish Funders Network (JFN) is an international organization of family foundations, public philanthropies, and individual funders dedicated to advancing the quality and growth of philanthropy rooted in Jewish values. JFN’s members include independent philanthropists, foundation trustees and foundation professionals – a unique community that seeks to transform the nature of Jewish giving in both thought and action.

Israel Philanthropy Advisors
www.israelpa.org.il
Israel Philanthropy Advisors is a nonprofit consulting service that embodies a wealth of knowledge and expertise in philanthropic investment in Israel. IPA is dedicated to helping foundations and individuals implement effective and significant philanthropy in Israel. Israel Philanthropy Advisors serves as an independent, objective and highly professional agent for giving in Israel. For more information, please contact Yael Shalgi, President. Telephone in Israel: 972-3-6075437. yshalgi@israelpa.org.il

New York Regional Association of Grantmakers (NYRAG)
www.nyrag.org
NYRAG is a nonprofit membership organization for philanthropy in the New York metropolitan area. They strengthen philanthropy by offering programs and resources that support effective, strategic grantmaking. NYRAG facilitates collaboration and knowledge sharing, and communicates the value of the philanthropic sector in society. Family Foundation Trustees Peer Network (FFTPN)—a NYRAG program.

Philanthropy Advisors
www.philanthropyadvisorsny.org
Philanthropy Advisors designs philanthropic programs and strategies for clients and briefs them on issues of concern and personal interest. They work with families to address family-related philanthropic challenges and offer clients expert guidance on a variety of governance matters. Finally, they help make connections between clients’ charitable giving and the world and identify ways their philanthropy can make truly significant change. In every case, they work with clients and their advisors to determine how best to achieve their goals.

Richard A. Marker
Marker Goldsmith Advisors
www.wisephilanthropy.com
marker@markergoldsmith.com
212.585.3332
Dr. Marker advises with regard to succession, intergenerational and leadership transitions, mission setting, and planning for families, boards, and staff. He has experience with funding partnerships, exit strategies, venture philanthropy, and other innovative grant making approaches.

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
www.rockpa.org
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors helps donors create thoughtful, effective philanthropy throughout the world. Originally developed as the private philanthropy service of the Rockefeller family, they are now an independent, nonprofit service that represents the cumulative knowledge and experience of more than a century of high-quality professional service to America’s most philanthropic family.

Synergos Institute
www.synergos.org
Synergos works with partners to mobilize resources to bridge social and economic divides to reduce poverty and increase equity around the world.

The Philanthropic Initiative
www.tpi.org
A non-profit organization formed in 1989 to help donors increase their impact through the development of innovative and strategic approaches to philanthropy.

 

NEWS AND VIEWS ON PHILANTHROPY

American Philanthropy Review
www.charitychannel.com
An online forum discussing grants, foundations and fundraising; as well as reviews of nonprofit books, periodicals and software.  Offers an online bookstore.

AVI CHAI Foundation
www.avichai.org
A private foundation endowed by Zalman C. Bernstein that is committed to the perpetuation of the Jewish people, Judaism, and the centrality of the State of Israel to the Jewish people.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy
philanthropy.com
The newspaper of the nonprofit world. It is the No. 1 news source, in print and online, for charity leaders, fund raisers, grant makers, and other people involved in the philanthropic enterprise.

Planned Giving Design Center (PGDC)
www.pgdc.com/mlnyli
Articles, news stories, case studies, and discussion forums related to philanthropy and nonprofit management hosted by The Merrill Lynch Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Management.

Slingshot
www.2164.net/slingshot.html
In an effort to highlight Jewish innovations of today, the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies created Slingshot, a resource list of 50 creative and effective organizations and leaders across America, offering valuable projects with different perspectives, strategies and in different locales. This resource is meant to be used by funders of all sizes and ages who want to support innovative Jewish life.

Women & Philanthropy
www.womenphil.org
Advocates within the field of philanthropy for the full engagement of women and girls in society.