Research Guides: Non-profit and Cultural Institution Management : Web Resources

What to look for

Junior scholars will often go directly to the most obvious source. In this case, the website for the non-profit or cultural institution for which they have an interest. Remember, these organizations have a mission, which means they have an agenda, and with that comes bias. Bias does not always mean wrong or fake, it simply means that non-profit and cultural institutions can better serve their cause by sharing more information and data that clearly supports it.

Professional organizations, associations, and research centers for the non-profit sector also have a mission - to support the success of the non-profit sector. Each of the resources on this page do that by providing data, statistics, policy insights, case studies, and access to state and national nonprofits.

PRO TIP: If you find conflicting information or divergent missions for two or more nonprofit or cultural institutions that should align, look for external validation. It's okay to check Wikipedia for details on an organization. When was it established? How many members does it have? Are there relevant partnerships worth investigating? What about notable figures?

DonorSearch
While not totally free, DonorSearch offers some free resources for prospect research, and provides myriad tools including short case studies as well as e-learning materials designed for non-profit employees.
National Council of Nonprofits
Established in 1990, the Council of Nonprofits features information on current issues in the nonprofit industry, as well as analytics, and resources that support advocacy, and nonprofit management. The organization connects nonprofits at the state and national level, champions equity and diversity, and nonprofit success, and provides information resources to help nonprofits and nonprofit workers succeed for their communities.
National Center for Charitable Statistics
Since 1982, the National Center for Charitable Statistics has compiled and shared data on national and state-level non-profits including Form 990. This organization is instrumental in nonprofit accountability, and now operates under the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute. The Center provides current data on nonprofit spending as well as a guide to help read/ understand the dataset.
Association for Research on Nonprofit Organization and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA)
ARNOVA is a professional organization comprised of scholars, teachers, and practitioners in non-profit fields and with an interest in bolstering the success of nonprofit organizations. This is a great space to access some of the scholarly research on nonprofits, as ARNOVA is committed to the “free, unbiased pursuit of knowledge,”. While not all of the resources are free ARNOVA provides links to external free webinars and podcasts. The organization also hosts an annual conference, and offers education resources.
Stanford Social Innovation Review
Subscribe to the publications weekly eNewsletter to have a sense for the innovative happenings in business and non-profit sectors. The newsletter features overviews of academic research and case studies. Accessing the Magazine requires a subscription.