Michigan State University Libraries

Charities

Table of Contents
Web Sites	Books	Michigan Attorney General's Office Info	U.S. Internal Revenue Service Info

For more information, consult Nonprofit Virtual Library.

Web Sites

American Institute of Philanthropy's Charity Watch
http://www.charitywatch.org/
Grades charities based on the percentage of contributions used for charity versus fund raising and administration.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

America's Charities
http://www.charities.org
A coalition of more than 80 health, education, environment, human-services, and civil and human-rights charities.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

Capital Area United Way
http://www.capitalareaunitedway.org/
(Last checked 06/19/07)

Charity Channel's Search Engine
http://charitychannel.com/publish/PPLsearch.aspx
Use the search engine to locate free articles about charity and philanthropy
Note: As of October 2003, CharityChannell has implemented a small subscriber fee so certain parts of the web page are restricted. Individuals are requested to pay $18 for 6 months access ($3 per month) or $24 for 1 year access ($2 per month). Organizations (same geographic location) are requested to pay $60 for up to 3-5 users to have one year's access ($5 per month), $96 for up to 6-12 users to have one year's access ($8 per month), and $180 for 13 or more users to have 1 year's access ($15 per month).
(Last checked 06/19/07)

Charity Choice: The Encyclopedia of Charities on the Net
http://www.charitychoice.co.uk/
Provides an online directory of charities in the United Kingdom.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

CharityChoices.com
http://www.charitablechoices.org/default.asp
Here are the inspiring stories of 300+ charities, all of which have met the Combined Federal Campaign's 10 accountability standards, including low overhead. You can make an online donation to many of them.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

Charity Navigator
http://www.charitynavigator.org/
Rates more than 1700 charities, using financial data to analyze the charity's health.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

Earth Share
http://www.earthshare.org
A coalition of over 40 environmental and conservation organizations.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

Ebase
http://www.ebase.org
Developed by Desktop Assistance, a non-profit group in Helena, Mont., Ebase is a free data base program that allows charities to keep track of such information as how much money donors have contributed to the group, the topics on which activists want information, and how people prefer to be contacted. Non-profit groups can also e-mail members and donors directly from the program. Ebase can be downloaded free, but to make modifications to the data base, charities must own FileMaker Pro.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

Give.org
BBB Wise Giving Alliance
http://www.give.org/
A merger of the National Charities Information Bureau and the Council of Better Business Bureaus' Foundation and its Philanthropic Advisory Service.
Check out the Charity Reports Index listing the current BBB Wise Giving Alliance reports on charities and other soliciting organizations.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

Global Impact: International Service Agencies
http://www.charity.org
A coalition of the nation's leading international relief and development organizations. ISA's mission is to help people overseas and in the U.S. who suffer from hunger, poverty and disease or from the ravages of war, oppression and natural disasters by raising awareness and funds in the workplace.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

GuideStar : Donors' Guide to Charities and Nonprofits
http://www.guidestar.org/
Donors and philanthropists can now more easily compare and monitor organizations to which they may contribute, while nonprofit organizations can perhaps spend less of their resources on fundraising. These are the goals of Philanthropic Research, Inc's GuideStar, a clearinghouse of information on more than 600,000 charities and nonprofit organizations. GuideStar hosts a searchable database, a newsletter, employment and volunteer opportunity listings, and valuable articles in addition to lists of links for both donors and nonprofit organizations. Database information includes brief descriptions of the charities/nonprofits and their programs, funding sources, geographic location(s), and income/asset statements. GuideStar derives its information from 990 tax submissions to the IRS as well as directly from the nonprofit organizations themselves. For more information, contact Kim Reardon, kreardon@seva.net; (804) 229-4631. [Also listed under Charities]
(Last checked 06/19/07)

Idealist.org
http://www.nonprofits.org/index.html
Try the organization search engine.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

Independent Charities of America
http://www.independentcharities.org/
This site will help you find organizations that meet your interests, present information about their missions and programs, and link you to their web sites and/or email. Postal addresses, telephone, and fax numbers are also provided here. Entries are sorted out into categories such as : Animal, Children, Education, Environment, Health and Medical Research, Human Rights, Human Service, International Relief, Military-Patriotic, and Women. The site also offers key word searching and an online secure giving if you wish to make a donation.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

IRS Charities and Nonprofits Page
http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/charities/index.html
The IRS provides all kinds of tax information. Be sure to type in "78" to retrieve Publication 78, Search for Exempt Organizations. This online version of Publication 78, Cumulative List of Organizations, is intended to assist you in learning if an organization is exempt from federal taxation and, if so, determining how much of your contributions to that organization are tax deductible.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

JustGive.org
http://www.justgive.org
Useful tool for identifying charities working in various states or on international basis. Note browse category.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

Michigan Licensed Charities and Their Fundraisers
http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,1607,7-164-17278-45043--,00.html
Courtesy of the Office of the Attorney General.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

The National Center for Charitable Statistics, or NCCS
http://nccs.urban.org
Sponsored by the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute, this new web site offers a wealth of practical resources: summaries of national and state tables on the number, size and scope of charitable organizations; a database of 164,000 public charities with public support, total expenses and total assets for 1992 (the database is searchable by state and NTEE organization classification code, and up to 1,000 records can be extracted in a single query); and a selected bibliography, links to other sites and data dictionaries for other files available from NCCS. Within the next couple of months, NCCS plans to expand the site to include more summary tables, more financial variables, all databases as well as additional resources for nonprofit researchers and policymakers. For more information, contact Tom Pollak, Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at 202-857-8536 or send e-mail to tpollak@ui.urban.org.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

Charitable Donations: Give or Take?
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/tmarkg/charity.htm
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/tmarkg/charity.shtm
Your charity dollars are an investment in your community, the nation and the world. It’s wise to use just as much caution when making your charitable giving decisions as you do when making other decisions affecting your overall financial picture.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

Hey You, Deep Pockets. Do You Know Who You're Helping?
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9612/19/site.seer.charities/index.html
Reviews major sources for checking up on nonprofits. Source: CNN Interactive, Site Seer Review, December 19, 1996.
(Last checked 06/19/07)

Books

Annual Charity Index. Arlington, Va. : Council of Better Business Bureaus, Philanthropic Advisory Service, annual. HV85 .A73
Latest edition in Main Library Reference Funding Center ; earlier editions in Main Library Stacks.

A Guide for Giving 250 Charities and How They Use Your Money. Howard Gershen. New York, N.Y. : Pantheon Books, 1990. 341pp. HV97 .A3 G47 1990
Main Library Reference Funding Center.

Michigan Attorney General's Office Information Resources

Michigan Attorney General's Office: Charitable Giving
http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,1607,7-164-17334_18095---,00.html
Provides an overview of the Attorney General's legal responsibilities concerning charities in the state of Michigan and how to go about registering a charity in the state of Michigan. The web site also includes a number of informational brochures, including:

Charitable Solicitations in Michigan: Your Guide to Informed Giving
Alternate Source from MSU Library
How and Why the Attorney General's Office Supervises Charitable Trusts
Attorney General Tips for Hiring a Professional Fund Raiser

(Last checked 06/19/07)

For more information about charities or other nonprofit organizations in Michigan, contact:
Consumer Protection & Charitable Trusts Section
Office of the Attorney General
P. O. Box 30214
Lansing, MI 48909
Telephone: (517) 373-1152
Fax: (517) 335-1935

The Charitable Trusts Section can provide copies of nonprofit or charity tax returns for a fee. Call to Find out the cost.
Charitable Trusts Section
Office of the Attorney General
P. O. Box 30214
Lansing, MI 48909
Telephone: (517) 373-1152
Fax: (517) 335-1935

U.S. Internal Revenue Service Information

How to Apply to the IRS for Charity Certification
http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/irscert.htm
(Last checked 06/19/07)

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Ownership Statement Jon Harrison : Page Editor Funding Center Supervisor Social Sciences Collections Coordinator Michigan State University Libraries 100 Library E. Lansing, MI 48824-1048 Last revised 06/19/07

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