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Foundations and Charities
Foundations
The Foundation Center, which was set up in 1956, is a national, nonprofit organization providing information on corporate and foundation philanthropy. The Center's standard reference source, The Foundation Directory, lists most of the major foundations in the U.S. The Directory is available by subscription online, or may be purchased in CD or book form. It may be possible to consult this publication in a good reference library in the United Kingdom.
Details of the Directory and the Foundation Center's many other specialized publications are available in the Center's Marketplace.
Some inquiries for specific information may be made to the Foundation Center Online Librarian and it is possible to look for contact details of a named foundation in the Foundation Finder.
Charities
As charities register in individual states it can be difficult to access a complete list of such groups in the U.S. The Internal Revenue Service maintains a list of tax exempt organizations which it is possible to search online.
However very few contact details for the groups are given and a much more useful source, based on the IRS list, is the National Directory of Nonprofit Organizations published by the Taft Group. Details of the current edition are:
National Directory of Nonprofit Organizations, 2004
Approx 6,000 pp. in 2 vols. 2002
ISBN: 1-56995-453-4
Price: $590.00/2-vol. set.
The BBB Wise Giving Alliance, formed by a merger of the National Charities Information Bureau and the Council of Better Business Bureaus' Foundation and its Philanthropic Advisory Service, provides a Charity Reports Index to many charitable organizations and also provides links to the appropriate 50 state Government Officials responsible for regulating charities. It is also possible to email the alliance with an inquiry or complaint about a charity.
Charitable organizations in the U.K. that would like to raise money in the U.S. or to establish an American branch might find it helpful to contact the Charities Aid Foundation's CAFAmerica which describes part of it functions.....
"CAFAmerica works with UK charities to assist them with their US activities. It runs seminars on fundraising from the US, offers consultancy in the design and implementation of US fundraising schemes, and helps with the establishment and maintenance of 501(c)(3) 'Friends of' organisations."
The Charities Aid Foundation also hosts CharityNet, an online service providing information on resources, finance and newsworthy developments in funding. This service is free but new users must register.
The Internal Revenue Service has a number of web pages relevant to charities and tax status. Among these is Tax Information for Charities & Other Non-Profits
Grants & Scholarships
In addition to researching the Foundation Center's publications, individuals wishing to apply for a grant or scholarship from a U.S. organization should consult Macmillan Reference Limited's Grants Register which is widely held by British academic libraries. This directory provides a comprehensive international list of postgraduate and professional awards. For students seeking financial assistance to study in the U.S. probably the best starting point is the Fulbright Commission which provides information on many aspects of study in America including funding.
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