Library
Services
The Donors Forum Library is the Midwest's
largest collection of resources on philanthropy, nonprofit
management and fundraising. A cooperating collection of The
Foundation Center, the Library holds more than 3,000 volumes
focused on grantmaking, fundraising and nonprofit management
in the Chicago area and throughout the United States.
About
the Collection
The Library's collection includes:
- extensive
materials on proposal writing, fundraising, board governance
and all aspects of nonprofit management
- private
and corporate foundation directories
- grants
lists
- foundation
annual reports
- giving
guidelines
- periodicals
on philanthropy and nonprofit management (see
our current list of holdings)
- grantmaker
files, including press releases, application guidelines,
newsletters and press clippings
- videotapes
about nonprofit organizations, grantmaking and fundraising
- access
to databases that
can help with fundraising
- a
job binder containing open positions in nonprofit organizations
Library
materials do not circulate. You may make photocopies of any
information you wish. A small selection of popular materials
is for sale.
Online
Library Catalog
Donors Forum offers an online, searchable
database of the Library’s collection. Because Library
materials do not circulate, we provide call number and location
information for all search results so you can find the resource
during your next visit. The Library uses a modified Library
of Congress classification scheme. Click
here to begin your search.
Other
Collections
The Literature
of the Nonprofit Sector is the Foundation Center's searchable
bibliography of selected literature, including articles with
abstracts held by the Donors Forum Library and other libraries.
Researchers
seeking older historical foundation materials should contact
Indiana
University-Purdue University Indianapolis, which houses
the Ruth Lilly Special Collections and Archives and the Joseph
and Matthew Payton Philanthropic Studies Library, or the Chicago
History Museum.
Preserving
the Public Trust Initiative Annotated Bibliography
This bibliography
supports the Preserving
the Public Trust Initiative which is designed to help
nonprofit organizations - including grantmakers - take specific,
concrete steps to ensure adherence to high ethical standards
and strong governance principles. All titles are available
in the Donors Forum Library.
Resources
for Individuals
Because relatively few foundations fund
individual grantseekers directly, most of the materials in
the library relate to the information needs of representatives
of nonprofit organizations. If
you are looking for grants as an individual, we recommend
you review that section of in the Grantseekers
Toolbox to get started.
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New
Arrivals
Here's a sampling of the latest books we've added
to our collection in February, 2009):
Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits
Undermine Their Potential, by Dan Pallotta. Lebanon, NH:
Tufts University Press, 2008. This provocative manifesto argues
that the nonprofit model is fundamentally flawed, and that
these flaws impair nonprofit performance. Pallotta believes
nonprofits can't be competitive with for-profits because they
don't have the same tools at their disposal and, were these
barriers to be lifted, nonprofits would be better able to
accomplish their missions.
Starting and Managing a Nonprofit Organization:
A Legal Guide. 5th Edition, by Bruce R. Hopkins. Hoboken,
N.J: Wiley, 2009. This useful guide addresses aspects of nonprofit
management and governance, from inception to administration.
Topics include the new Form 990, audits, lobbying constraints,
and many others.
Not-for-Profit GAAP 2009, by Richard
Larkin and Marie DiTommaso. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley, 2009. The
2009 edition of this user-friendly guide details common accounting
principles used by nonprofits. Examples and illustrations
highlight key areas of interest.
2009 IEG Sponsorship Sourcebook. Chicago:
IEG, 2009. The 2009 edition of this indispensible guide to
sponsors, agencies, and suppliers.
For more information, contact the Library
at (312) 578-0175 or info@donorsforum.org.
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Other
Resources for Nonprofits
We offer many resources for nonprofit
organizations:
Workshops
The Donors Forum Library sponsors
many opportunities for staff, trustees and volunteers of nonprofit
organizations to learn about the basics of fund development,
nonprofit management and to educate themselves about foundations
and corporate giving programs in the Chicago area. For descriptions
of these workshops and to register, click
here.
Forum
Partners Program
Gain access to critical programs, services and networking
opportunities that will help your organization fulfill its
mission by becoming a Forum Partner. Benefits for Partners
include a discount on publications and workshops, telephone
reference assistance, a subscription to the monthly newsletter
Forumnotes and more. Learn
more about the Forum Partners program.
Grantseekers
Toolbox
Check out this one-stop resource if you have questions about
nonprofit fundraising. Does your organization qualify for
grants? How do you find the right funder for your program?
How do you approach funders and make the ask? Visit the Grantseekers
Toolbox to find the answers.
Philanthropy
Centers
Resources are not only available at the Donors Forum Library
in downtown Chicago, but can be easily accessed at our five
Philanthropy Centers. Learn
more about their locations, collections
and orientations.
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