The Foundation Center of NYC

The Foundation Center was established in 1956 and approximately 550 foundations support it today. The organization is the leading source of information about philanthropy around the world. It uses data, analysis, and training to connect people who want to change the world to the resources they need to accomplish it. The Foundation Center has the most comprehensive database on US grant makers and their grants. Increasingly the center is compiling information on global grant makers as well. In addition to holding information, the Center operates research, education, and training programs designed to advance people’s knowledge of philanthropy. The Center provides knowledge through its website, its five library/learning centers, and through its Funding Information Network locations, of which there are more than 470 worldwide.

The Foundation Center’s vision is to create “a world enriched by the effective allocation of philanthropic resources, informed public discourse about philanthropy, and broad understanding of the contributions of nonprofit activity to increasing opportunity and transforming lives.” The mission of the Center is “to strengthen the social sector by advancing knowledge about philanthropy in the U.S. and around the world.”

The library/learning centers run by the Center can be found in New York City, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Cleveland, and San Francisco. These sites offer free access to information resources and educational programs. The databases of information the Center provides include information on more than 108,000 foundations, corporate donors, and grant making public charities in the US. The Center also prides itself on conducting research and publishing reports on the growth of the foundation field and what trends are visible in the nonprofit sector. These reports also include research advisories on issues such as diversity, public policy, and social media.

The education the Foundation Center gives deals with fundraising and nonprofit management. There is a full curriculum of training courses, both available in the classroom and online. Other topics the Center educates nonprofits on include the funding research process, proposal writing, and grant makers. To learn more about this age-old non-profit that has seen a great deal of success across a number of years, check out this page.