Funding Research Gets A Little Easier

by:

Joe Patti

The ability for non-profits to research the types of projects foundations are supporting just got a little easier recently. NOZA, Inc. which maintains the largest database of charitable gifts recently made their foundation records available for free. Data on individual donors does cost a little extra. However, even with the abbreviated version there is enough information to decide if you want to view the full record. Having credits while viewing the free content has an added benefit of providing a link directly to the foundation webpage from NOZA’s site.

During your search, you can select those who gave in a certain giving range; what the nature of the gift was (annual, scholarship, in-kind, endowment, bequest), where the recipient is located, what their service area is and what services they offer. If you want to know more, you can view the full record.

The pricing looks fairly reasonable. $25 allows you to view up to 200 full records and the price per record drops as you buy more viewing credits-$250 gets you 4,175 views.

I am occasionally surprised to learn some foundations support the programs at certain organizations because their programs don’t seem to jibe with the areas foundations express an interest in funding. Websites like NOZA’s reveal not only who is supporting programs like yours but also what a foundation’s true interests might be.

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Author
Joe Patti

I have been writing Butts in the Seats (BitS) on topics of arts and cultural administration since 2004 (yikes!). Given the ever evolving concerns facing the sector, I have yet to exhaust the available subject matter. In addition to BitS, I am a founding contributor to the ArtsHacker (artshacker.com) website where I focus on topics related to boards, law, governance, policy and practice.

I am also an evangelist for the effort to Build Public Will For Arts and Culture being helmed by Arts Midwest and the Metropolitan Group (details).

My most recent role is as Theater Manager at the Rialto in Loveland, CO.

Among the things I am most proud are having produced an opera in the Hawaiian language and a dance drama about Hawaii's snow goddess Poli'ahu while working as a Theater Manager in Hawaii. Though there are many more highlights than there is space here to list.

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