Council on Foundations is the professional association of community, corporate, family and private foundations across North America. Not every foundation belongs to it, but many do.

Foundation Center maintains the most extensive database (other than the IRS) of foundations of all types in the United States. They offer a comprehensive search engine, but require payment for some of services.

GuideStar is the ultimate data source about nonprofits. With free registration, you can access organizations’ form 990, the special tax form nonprofits must file if they have revenue greater than $25,000. You can also purchase upgraded access and subscribe to an online newsletter.

National Center for Family Philanthropy provides a range of publications to families who give.

Keeping Wealth in Montana is a study commissioned by MCF to explore the enormous transfer of wealth occurring in Montana.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy is the newspaper of the nonprofit world. It covers virtually all the issues of the philanthropic sector on a biweekly basis. The website includes a searchable database.

GOOD Magazine, the mission of which is to “stimulate the culture of good by creating dialogue around things that matter.”

National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy works to make philanthropy more responsive to people with the least wealth and opportunity, more relevant to critical public needs, and more open and accountable to all, in order to create a more just and democratic society.

NonProfit Times Online features the web version of major news and information resources on the nonprofit sector.

Philanthropy.org maintains an impressive database of publications, digital texts and websites and is one of the best locations available for research on issues in multicultural philanthropy. It is produced by the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Philanthropy, a publication of The Philanthropy Roundtable, is an online publication for The Philanthropy Roundtable, which happen across the country.

Guide to Grantmaking is a document designed to help educate new fund representatives on the basics of grantmaking at Missoula Community Foundation.

The Inheritance Project explores the emotional and social impact of inherited wealth, an unprecedented $10 trillion of which is expected to be passed between generations in the next 20 years.

Charity Watch; American Institute of Philanthropy functions as a nonprofit watchdog and information service to maximize the effectiveness of every dollar given to charity. The site provides donors with an as-yet-limited directory to nationwide charitable organizations, with some very basic information on giving carefully.

BBB Wise Giving Alliance was formed in 2001 with the merger of the National Charities Information Bureau and the Council of Better Business Bureaus Foundation and its Philanthropic Advisory Service.

GuideStar: The Donor’s Guide to the Charitable Universe is a searchable database of extensive financial information on most of the nation’s nonprofit organizations. Find a specific charity by name, subject, state, zip code or other criteria. Determine what it spends on fundraising and administration, who sits on its board of directors and more by looking at Form 990s (see About Foundations).

There are hundreds of local nonprofits of every type. We want to help you find and support the causes that fit with your passions. We are currently developing a searchable database of local nonprofits. Please check back in late fall, when we will have the database up and running.