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Sources for Reporting on Michigan Nonprofits

Reporters: Please call Erin Skene, 517/492-2400, for a free copy of any of the following publications and for further information about reporting on nonprofits.

Economic Benefits of Michigan's Nonprofit Sector by Public Sector Consultants. This report presents a detailed analysis of the economic contribution of Michigan nonprofits. The document presents analysis of data from nearly 41,000 nonprofit organizations doing business in Michigan. This project was sponsored by Michigan Nonprofit Research Program.

Setting the Record Straight on Michigan's Nonprofit Community by Michigan Public Policy Initiative (Lansing, MI: Michigan Nonprofit Association, 2000, 44 pages).
This booklet promotes an understanding of the nonprofit sector, demonstrates its role in society, and dispel a host of misconceptions about nonprofits, many of which have surfaced in recent years. It also explores challenges facing nonprofits in a changing economic and political landscape, and suggests strategies for responding to these issues.

Giving and Volunteering in Michigan by Mark Wilson, Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI: Michigan Nonprofit Association and Council of Michigan Foundations, 2006, 6 pages). This publication is the executive summary from the annual state-wide survey on individual giving and volunteering by Michigan residents. The survey indicates who is giving and volunteering and why they are doing so.

Michigan Attorney General Charitable Trust Section functions for Michigan citizens as a repository of financial and other information about charities they may want to support. At any one time there are more than 3,000 charities licensed by the Attorney General's Charitable Trust Section. Most charities soliciting contributions in Michigan are required to be licensed by the Charitable Trust Section. One of the goals of the Attorney General is to help educate the public and to assist them in making wise choices about what charities to support.

INDEPENDENT SECTOR is a national coalition of voluntary organizations, foundations and corporate giving programs that works to encourage philanthropy, volunteering, not-for-profit initiative and citizen action.

GuideStar is a free, searchable Internet database that includes financial reports and program summaries on more than 1.7 million nonprofit organizations. The financial information is gleaned from IRS Form 990s (required of most charities), and additional data is collected from nonprofits that respond to GuideStar's annual survey.

BBB Wise Giving Alliance is a merger of the National Charities Information Bureau and the Council of Better Business Bureau's Foundation Service. The Alliance reports on nationally soliciting charitable organizations that are the subject of donor inquiries. These reports include an evaluation of the subject charity in relation to the 23 provisions of the voluntary CBBB Standards for Charitable Solicitations. The BBB Wise Giving Alliance also offers guidance on making informed giving decisions and publishes the quarterly Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Guide.

American Institute for Philanthropy is a clearinghouse of information on nonprofit organizations' activities and finances.