Oregon Department of Justice (Charitable Activities Section) is the regulatory agency for charitable organizations operating in Oregon. Find information on this site about starting and maintaining a charity, filing annual reports, gaming in Oregon and understanding roles and responsibilities of nonprofit officers and directors.
www.doj.state.or.us/charigroup/howto.shtml
The Internal Revenue Services has many helpful resources for “Charities and nonprofit Organizations.” Their website offers facts about applying for and operating as an exempt organization, annual reporting requirements for exempt organizations and ongoing compliance. Visit “Charities & NonProfit” on their web site and sign up for IRS exempt organization updates via email.
Guidestar is Philanthropic Research, Inc.’s searchable online database that includes information on all tax-exempt nonprofits registered with the IRS. You can also view the 990 Forms filed by these organizations with the IRS. This resource contains information on approximately 1.7 million organizations including more than 900,00 public charities, about 118,000 private foundations, and almost a half-million other exempt organizations.
Boardsource has many useful resources available to nonprofit boards at no charge. It is one of the largest publishers of practical resources for nonprofit boards. Its online bookstore offers a rich selection of books, tools, and CDs addressing an array of governing challenges. FAQ and timely articles are also available; additional white papers, publications, and discounts are offered to BoardSource members.
The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) was founded in 1987 to meet the increasing information needs of nonprofits. Practical information, tips and resource publications are available through their web site.
The Independent Sector is a leadership forum for the country’s charitable and philanthropic sector. Publications offered for online sale range in topic from outcome measurement, governance practices, and intermediate sanctions to national and regional data about giving and volunteering.
Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations (MANO) developed Standards for Excellence, guiding principles and standards promoting ethical practices and accountability associated with well-managed and governed nonprofit organizations. A voluntary, peer-review certification program is offered in conjunction with the Standards of Excellence program. Information and an application can be downloaded from the web site.
Nonprofit Risk Management provides free technical assistance by telephone or email to nonprofit staff and volunteers, and its online publications catalog displays dozens of resources addressing issues ranging from basic risk management and buying insurance to youth protection and employment practices.
Fieldstone Alliance‘s Tools You Can Use e-newsletter features management tools and ideas intended to increase the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations. Many of the tools are available as free downloads from the web site, which also features an extensive catalog of publications that can be purchased online.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s biweekly tabloid is widely considered the newspaper of the nonprofit’s sector; subscribers have access to online articles, grant information, and data. Free to the general public is Philanthropy Today, the Chronicle’s email briefing of the day’s nonprofit sector news, information about the Chronicle’s weekly online discussion topic, and links to relevant blogs.
CompassPoint Nonprofit Services is a consulting, research, and training organization that publishes Board Café, a free electronic newsletter exclusively for nonprofit board members. The web site also offers free downloads of articles and recent studies regarding leadership turnover, nonprofit accountability, community foundations, and other similar issues.
The Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest (CLPI) promotes and supports the participation of nonprofits in the public policy process. Its web site offers FAQ and information about nonprofit lobbying and advocacy, as well as related publications and links to numerous organizations supporting public engagement.
Greenlights for Nonprofit is a nonprofit service organization that is based in Central Texas. Their online resource library contains useful materials addressing topics such as: Board Excellence, Leadership Advancement, Resource Advancement, and strategy & Planning. Much of this is helpful to nonprofits in other geographic locations.
BoardStar: On Being Board is a free biweekly podcast series featuring issues of interest to nonprofit board members. Each episode runs approximately eight minutes. Search on “BoardStar” at Apple’s iTunes Store.
