The nonprofits we feature in this toolkit are exemplars of how to create high impact, but they are just the beginning. Once you have chosen a cause area and impact goal, the information sources and organizations on this page will help you find other nonprofits and conduct research on their leadership, programs, and impact potential.
Emerging Topics in Philanthropy
Collective Giving
Philanthropy Together strengthens and expands collective giving by supporting giving circles globally with training, resources, and community building.
Bridgespan provides a comprehensive database of philanthropic collaborations to help donors and organizations join forces to address complex social issues.
Additional organizations
GlobalGiving hosts a collection of crisis-related funds that enable donors to collectively support communities impacted by disasters.
Gates Foundation offers a platform for collective giving, bringing together donors and organizations to tackle global challenges including poverty, health, and education.
Philanos, a women’s giving circle network with 90+ giving circles across the U.S., the U.K., and Australia, offers education and collaboration to promote women’s philanthropy.
Guaranteed Income
Asset Funders Network promotes economic equity by supporting initiatives like guaranteed income programs, helping to close the wealth gap and reduce poverty through research, advocacy, and collaboration.
Penn Center for Guaranteed Income Research conducts rigorous studies on guaranteed income programs to assess their impact on economic stability, poverty reduction, and well-being. Its evidence-based insights help inform policy decisions and supports the growing movement toward direct cash transfer solutions for vulnerable populations.
News & Civic Information
Civic News Company strengthens local news ecosystems by supporting independent, community-focused journalism.
Democracy Fund supports independent journalism, civic participation, and government accountability to strengthen democratic institutions.
Additional organizations
Knight Foundation helps foster high-quality journalism and strengthen democracy through its investments in media innovation and civic engagement.
Media Impact Funders connects funders who support media and journalism initiatives, helping philanthropist increase the impact of media in addressing social issues, fostering informed communities, and promoting a more just and equitable world.
PACE is a philanthropic network focused on fostering civic engagement, strengthening democracy, and expanding opportunities for participation in democratic processes.
Publications, Research, and Resources
Civic Information & Philanthropy
Philanthropy and the Future of Local News (Stanford Social Innovation Review)
Why All of Us Need to Give to Nonprofit News Outlets (Chronicle of Philanthropy)
As Lies About Immigrants Flourish, Nonprofit Ethnic Newsrooms Need Support (Chronicle of Philanthropy)
How Philanthropy Became a Growing Revenue Stream for Local News (Knight Foundation)
A Snapshot of Global Journalism Funding in 2024 (Media Impact Funders)
How to Get Started
Journalism and Media Grantmaking: Five Things You Need to Know and Five Ways to Get Started (Media Impact Funders)
5 Ways Place-Based Foundations Can Support Local News (Knight Foundation)
Journalism Ethics Training for Philanthropic Funders (The Poynter Institute)
Why Support Civic Information?
The Crucial Role of Philanthropy in Nurturing Equitable Local Journalism (Grantmakers in Health)
Journalism and Philanthropy: Growth, Diversity and Potential Conflicts of Interest (NORC at the University of Chicago & Media Impact Funders)
How Funding Local News Ecosystems Helps American Communities Thrive (Democracy Fund)
The Roadmap for Local News: An Emergent Approach to Meeting Civic Information Needs (Civic News Company)
How We Know Journalism is Good for Democracy (Democracy Fund)
Resources for Finding and Researching Nonprofits
Researching Cause Areas
Giving Compass curates content from many expert sources, including the Center for High Impact Philanthropy, to provide donors with guidance on effective giving, trends in philanthropy, and creating meaningful social change.
Grantmakers in Health helps health-focused grantmakers maximize their impact in addressing complex health challenges through resources, programs, and opportunities for collaboration.
Additional organizations
Innovations for Poverty Action conducts research on over 300 potential solutions to global poverty, testing interventions in real-world settings to identify effective approaches that improve the lives of the world’s poor.
IssueLab (a service of Candid) collects, organizes, and shares research from social sector organizations across more than 30+ cause areas. Supports funders, nonprofits, and policymakers with the knowledge needed to address critical social challenges by providing thousands of freely accessible reports and studies.
The Jameel Poverty Action Lab hosts a comprehensive database of over 850 publicly available randomized evaluations, showcasing evidence from programs proven to be effective in reducing poverty.
NAVi Nonprofit Aid Visualizer is a free public tool from Vanguard Charitable that allows users to easily search for and identify nonprofits addressing critical issues like hunger and homelessness.
Root Cause Social Impact Research (SIR) produces reports on various cause areas and social issues, providing actionable insights for driving social change.
Nonprofit Due Diligence
Accountability Lab is a global network for good governance that supports active citizens, responsible leaders, and accountable nonprofit and governmental institutions.
Candid (merger of GuideStar and Foundation Center) is the world’s largest source of information on nonprofits and foundations, providing comprehensive, up-to-date information to help donors, funders, and researchers make informed decisions.
Additional organizations
Charity Navigator evaluates nonprofits based on their financial health, accountability, and transparency to help donors assess the efficiency and effectiveness of charitable organizations, ensuring their contributions support responsible and impactful causes.
GiveWell evaluates nonprofits using empirical data to assess their cost-effectiveness, transparency, and ability to scale with increased funding.
Great Nonprofits features community-sourced reviews and stories about nonprofits, written by donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries to give insights into the impact and effectiveness of organizations.
Impact Genome Registry is a database that registers and verifies impact data from nonprofits, social enterprises, and government programs to standardize and measure outcomes across sectors.
The Life You Can Save curates a list of nonprofits that have been vetted for their proven effectiveness in improving the lives of those in extreme poverty.
Mutual Aid Hub connects individuals to mutual aid and community organizations across the U.S. and Canada, focusing on grassroots efforts outside of traditional licensed organizations.
Reducing Structural Inequality
Demographics via Candid provides comprehensive data on the representation and diversity of nonprofit leadership and funding recipients, offering insights into race, gender, and other demographic factors.
Fund for Shared Insight is an nonprofit that aims to improve philanthropy by listening to communities most affected by structural inequality and advocating for power shifts and shared decision-making.
Additional organizations
Listen4Good an initiative of the Fund for Shared Insight, helps nonprofits actively listen to and incorporate feedback from the people they serve by using structured feedback tools.
JustFund streamlines the grantmaking process by enabling nonprofits to submit proposals to hundreds of funders simultaneously, making funding more accessible and reducing barriers for grassroots initiatives focused on equity and inclusion.
Giving Gap is nonprofit platform that connects donors with underfunded initiatives, helping to direct resources to where they are most needed to advance equity and racial justice by offering a searchable database of Black-run nonprofits.
Disaster Relief and Response
Center for Disaster Philanthropy helps donors make strategic, informed decisions about disaster-related giving and ensures that contributions are directed to long-term recovery and resilience efforts.
Disaster Accountability Project provides independent, long-term oversight of disaster management systems through advocacy, research, and public reporting.
Additional organizations
The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System is a collaborative framework between the United Nations, the European Commission, and disaster managers worldwide, designed to improve early alerts, information sharing, and coordination in the immediate aftermath of major sudden-onset disasters.
International Federation of the Red Cross, the world’s largest humanitarian network, provides assistance before, during, and after disasters and health emergencies.
International Medical Corps is a global healthcare organization that delivers essential care, trains local health workers, and strengthens healthcare systems in the world’s most vulnerable regions with a focus on emergency response and long-term recovery.
MSF/Doctors Without Borders delivers urgent healthcare services to those most in need, often working in challenging and remote environments, including conflict areas, natural disasters, or disease outbreaks.
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction is the international coordinating body promoting disaster preparedness, mitigation, and risk reduction strategies worldwide.