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

Foundation Center maintains the most extensive database (other than the IRS) of foundations of all types in the United States. It maintains a comprehensive search engine on this website but requires payment for some of its 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 over $25,000. You can also purchase greater access and subscribe to an online newsletter.

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

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.

National Center for Charitable Statistics is a repository of data on the nonprofit sector in the United States. A component of the Center on Nonprofits & Philanthropy, it has worked closely with the IRS and other government agencies, the private sector, and universities to report on the activities of charitable organizations.

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 Sector Resource Fund provides research and information on nonprofits, foundations, giving, volunteering, advocacy and public policy.

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 we’ve seen 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.

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.

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).

Here are six philanthropy blogs you may enjoy browsing:

• Tactical Philanthropy
• Cause Global
• Charity Navigator
• Philanthropy | Foreign Policy Association
• High Impact Philanthropy

Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To ensure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the nonprofit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:

• To be informed of the organization’s mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.
• To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization’s governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.
• To have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.
• To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
• To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
• To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
• To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.
• To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.
• To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.
• To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

© 2013, Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the Association of Fundraising Professionals.