Non-Profit Resources
BoardSource
An online resource for building strong and effective non-profit boards.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
The online edition is published every week and is an excellent news source. Some material is available only to subscribers.
The Community Foundation Locator
A directory of community foundations by state that is sponsored by the Council on Foundations.
USA.gov
The U.S. government’s official web portal.
Form990online
Designed to allow non-profits to comply with the new IRS public disclosure regulations for federal forms 990 and 1023.
Foundation Center
An invaluable information clearinghouse for both grant makers and grant seekers. Free on-line tutorials for beginning grant writers.
Free Management Library
Developed by Authenticity Consulting, LLC, and hosted by the Management Assistance Program. A comprehensive online library for non-profits and for-profits that contains free information broken down by 72 popular topics.
Grants.gov
Grants.gov allows organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant making agencies. Grants.gov is the single access point for over 1000 grant programs offered by the 26 Federal grant making agencies.
GuideStar
Information on the activities and finances of more than 650,000 non-profits nationwide. There is no charge to list your organization.
Philanthropy Journal
News from the non-profit and philanthropic communities, including job postings and a free weekly e-mail bulletin.
TechSoup
“The technology place for non-profits.”
Rocket Lawyer provides online legal tools to make legal wellness more accessible and affordable for everyone.
For-Profit Resources
U.S. Small Business Association
Looking for small business counseling and training close to home?SBA can help! SBA provides small business counseling and training through a variety of programs and resource partners across the country. Check out the resources below to find what best suits your needs.
Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs)
SBDCS provides management assistance to current and prospective small business owners. SBDCs offer one-stop assistance to individuals and small businesses by providing a wide variety of information and guidance in central and easily accessible branch locations. The program is a cooperative effort of the private sector, the educational community and federal, state and local governments and is an integral component of Entrepreneurial Development’s network of training and counseling services.
SCORE, “Counselors to America’s Small Business,” is a resource partner of the SBA dedicated to entrepreneur education and the formation, growth and success of small businesses nationwide. There are more than 12,400 SCORE volunteers in 364 chapters operating in over 800 locations who assist small businesses with business counseling and training. SCORE also operates an active online counseling initiative at www.score.org.
Women’s Business Centers (WBCs)
Women’s Business Centers represent a national network of nearly 100 educational centers designed to assist women start and grow small businesses. WBCs operate with the mission to “even the playing field” for women entrepreneurs, who still face unique obstacles in the world of business.
National Resources
Wicked Start is a free startup ‘incubator’ for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to successfully start a business. Get online guidance from a community of experts, a personalized startup checklist of action items, and resources to plan, setup and market your new business.
The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, or BALLE, is North America’s fastest growing network of socially responsible businesses, comprised of over 80 community networks in 30 U.S. states and Canadian provinces representing over 22,000 independent business members. BALLE brings together independent business leaders, economic development professionals, government officials, social innovators, and community leaders to build local living economies.
Rocket Lawyer provides online legal tools to make legal wellness more accessible and affordable for everyone.
Ladies Who Launch supports women entrepreneurs to follow their dreams by providing an online networking community as well as other offline resources.
TechStars is a mentorship-driven seed stage investment program which runs a three-month long program once a year in Boston, Boulder, New York City, and Seattle.
Presumed Abundance provides startup capital for social enterprises; instead of buying equity themselves, the equity they purchase goes directly into an angel fund. Upon a liquidity event, the equity purchased becomes available as seed stage capital for a new social enterprise.
Etsy is a social commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items as well as art and craft supplies. The Etsy community spans the globe with buyers and sellers coming from more than 150 countries.
Kickstarter is a crowd funding platform for artists, designers, filmmakers, musicians, journalists, inventors, explorers and more!
Crowdrise is an innovative, crowd-sourcing community of volunteers and fundraisers that are answering the call to service, online fundraising for charity, and having the most fun in the world while doing it. Charities can use Crowdrise to raise money in new ways by turning their grassroots supporters into grassroots fundraisers.
Prosper is the market leader in peer-to-peer lending—a popular alternative to traditional loans and investing options; they cut out the middleman to connect people who need money with those who have money to invest…so everyone prospers!
Payoff is a brand new online experience that helps turn your dreams for the future into reality by getting your finances in order.
New Equity Business seeks to improve access to financing for small businesses, real estate developers, and investors in order to accelerate business growth, create jobs, and expand economic activity in cities throughout the country.
The Social Enterprise Alliance (SEA) is the leading membership organization in North America for social enterprises, service providers, non-profit organizations, corporations, and venture capitalists that is actively building the field of social enterprise through networking opportunities, educational forums, strategic partnerships, and impact legislation.
The Unreasonable Institute accelerates ventures that they believe will define progress in our time. Annually, they bring together 25 high-impact entrepreneurs from around the world in Boulder, CO for a 6-week program that includes world-class mentorship, access to seed capital, intensive skill training, a global network of support, and international exposure.
Pivotal Labs is a development company specializing in agile software processes.
Grameen America provides affordable micro-loans to financially empower low-income entrepreneurs.
As a leader in U.S. microfinance, ACCION USA is committed to bringing affordable small business loans to micro-entrepreneurs. ACCION USA has provided over $119 million in over 19,000 microloans since inception in 1991, helping to grow small businesses and strengthen the communities they serve.
Astia is an innovative global not-for-profit organization that propels women’s full participation as entrepreneurs and leaders in high-growth businesses, fueling innovation and driving economic growth.
Make Mine a Million $ Business
Make Mine a Million $ Business is an initiative program of Count Me In, where boldly creative women help each other turn their dreams into a reality. Our mission is to ignite a national movement that drives economic growth for your business and country.
ACCCION Texas- Louisiana is the largest non-profit micro- lender in the United States, providing business loans to startups and existing businesses in Texas and Louisiana.
Good blogging!