USP 460 - Community Development Field Seminar: Partner Profile Research
Partner Organization Resources
In researching the partner organization, you will want to find a variety of sources. You will want to read information produced by the organization 
itself. Examples of such information are:
- newsletters
- email blasts
- annual reports
- other publications available via an organization's website
- interviews with partner staff
You might also want to look for any reports about the organization's work in local news sources. The Newspapers box on this page provides some resources to discover local news.
Consider conducting research about any social problems the organization purports so address or solve. Information on social problems can often be found in the research literature (use databases listed in the Urban Studies Databases box), but also in grey literature. Reports and white papers from government task forces or think tanks will support this research. See the links in the Government and Other Grey Literature Sources box as starting points.
Finally, tax and financial information about organizations can provide a snapshot of the context in which an organization works. The resources linked in the Tax & Financial Data box will be helpful.
Image by Flickr User apmethodist carries a cc-by-nc-nd license.
Government and Other Grey Literature Sources
- IssueLabContains free access to case studies, evaluations, white papers, annual reports, issue briefs, and numerous other materials addressing the world's social problems that include aging, crime and safety, government reports, nonprofit and philanthropy, race and ethnicity, and transportation.
- GPO MetaLibSearches multiple U.S. Federal Government databases that retrieve reports, articles, and citations while providing direct links to selected resources available online.
- Policy Commons CitiesContains reports generated by local government agencies, civic organizations, and metropolitan and regional planning agencies for major cities in the United States and Canada.
Tax & Financial Data
- Reference Solutions (formerly ReferenceUSA)Provides profiles of U.S. companies, health care providers, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies.
- 990 Finder - Foundation DirectoryQuick look-up tool for finding 990 forms.
- Foundation Center"The Foundation Center is the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. Through data, analysis, and training, it connects people who want to change the world to the resources they need to succeed."
- The National Center for Charitable StatisticsThe National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) is the national repository of data on the nonprofit sector in the United States. Its mission is to develop and disseminate high quality data on nonprofit organizations and their activities for use in research on the relationships between the nonprofit sector, government, the commercial sector, and the broader civil society. The site provides access to information derived primarily from data supplied by tax-exempt nonprofit organizations.
- IRS Charities & Non-ProfitsFind tax information for charities and non-profits in addition to finding filed 990s.
- Oregon Department of RevenueView publications from Oregon's Department of Revenue and other state tax resources.
Newspapers
- Ethnic NewswatchIncludes current newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and community publications of the ethnic, minority, and native presses. Includes scholarly journals on ethnicities and ethnic studies. Provides full text in English and Spanish.
- Independent VoicesThis is an open access digital collection of alternative press newspapers, magazines and journals.
- Newspaper SourceProvides selected full text of regional and national newspapers in the U.S., as well as international newspapers. Also contains television and radio news transcripts.
- U.S. Major DailiesProvides full text access to: The Chicago Tribune (1985-present), The Los Angeles Times (1985-present), The New York Times (1980-present), The Wall Street Journal (1984-present), and The Washington Post (1987-present). Closed captions are available. Interactive transcripts are available for many, but not all, titles.
- Google NewsSearches newspapers, newsfeeds, and other sources. Check out the advanced Google search techniques.
Urban Studies Databases
- Urban Studies AbstractsProvides indexing and abstracts for urban affairs, community development, and urban history.