Foundation Directory Online Guided Tours: Search Grantmakers

Search Grantmakers Guided Tour

After logging in to Foundation Directory Online, the Home Screen appears. Let's explore our search options. Click the Search Grantmakers button.

The Search Grantmakers database in the Platinum and Professional versions of FDO contains information on over 92,000 grantmakers, including foundations, grantmaking public charities, and corporate giving programs. You can search the database by entering criteria in one or more of the fields on the search screen. Let's begin our search by identifying grantmakers that are located in the state of New York. Click the View Index link located beneath the State search field title.

Clicking the View Index link opens an index on the left side of the screen. Click New York. The index entry is automatically inserted into the State search field.

Now let's limit our search to grantmakers in New York that support education. Click the View Index link located beneath the Fields of Interest search field title.

At the top of the index, letters of the alphabet provide access to their corresponding groups of entries. Click the E.

Click Education.

Now let's limit our search to grantmakers in New York that support education and that provide funding for endowments or research. Click the View Index link located beneath the Types of Support search field title.

Click Endowments.

Click Research.

Notice that the Boolean operator or is automatically added to the search field between Research and Endowments. This enables you to retrieve grantmaker records containing either term or both. Next, let's limit our search to grantmakers with a minimum total assets amount of $30,000. Click the drop-down menu to see the choices.

Click Total Assets.

Type 30,000 in the "From:" field. Finally, let's limit our search to grantmakers that accept applications. Click the check box to exclude grantmakers not accepting applications and then click Search.

Our results list includes multiple grantmaker records, listed alphabetically. At the top of the screen, you'll notice tools enabling you to print and save the records, print and save the list, export the list, and save your search. You can also modify your search. Let's save this search. Click Save Search.

In the pop-up window, type Education and click Save Search.

Now let's view a profile. Click Ford Foundation, The to open it.

The content of a profile varies based on the size and nature of the grantmaker and the availability of information. Data elements that might be found include limitations, purpose and activities, fields of interest, geographic focus, types of support, application information, governing bodies, and financial data. Click the Geographic Focus "Jump To" link to move to that section of the profile.

Note that search criteria are highlighted in red. Click the Top of Page link to go back to the top.

On the right side of the screen, you'll notice tools enabling you to e-mail the record, print and save the record, and tag the record. Let's tag this record. Tagging is a method by which records are categorized under any number of keywords or key phrases created by the user. Type NY grantmakers into the box under "Tag this record" and click Submit.

For reference, the name of the new tag appears on the screen. To close this record and return to the search results screen, click Return to search results.

You can access and manage your tagged records and manage and load your saved searches from My FDO. Click My FDO at the top of the screen.

Tags are categorized by record type and saved searches are categorized by database type. You'll notice the tag we just created under Grantmaker Tags and the search we saved earlier under Grantmaker Searches. Click NY grantmakers to access your tagged record.

Click Ford Foundation, The to view the profile.

FDO Professional subscribers have exclusive access to a wealth of additional funder-specific content and functionality, including the ability to search across, map, and chart a funder's grants; news, jobs, and RFPs; publications and articles; and officer and trustee affiliations and other key staff. Click the Search Grants tab.

The Search Grants tab provided access to a search screen enabling you to search for grants specific to a particular grantmaker. You can also generate a list of all grants specific to a particular grantmaker. Click the Map Grants tab.

The Map Grants tab provides access to an interactive mapping tool that enables you to view grant dollars on a U.S. or world map and drill down to see disbursements by county, city, or ZIP code. Let's map grants made to organizations involved with education in 2006 and 2007. Click the applicable check boxes on the left side of the screen.

Let's switch to a world map. Click the World Map radio button.

Notice that tabs at the top of the screen enable you to toggle between Recipient Type and Primary Subject. Click the U.S. Map radio button to switch back to a U.S. map.

A table displays an aggregated list of the grants represented on the map. At the top of the screen, you'll notice tools enabling you to copy the map, print and save the map and its associated data table, and export the data associated with the map. Let's drill down to the state level. Click the state of New York on the map.

The default map view is by County. Let's switch to City view. Click the City radio button.

Let's switch to ZIP Code view. Click the ZIP Code radio button.

Click the County radio button to switch back to County view.

Let's view a list of grant recipients specific to a particular county. Click the county of Albany on the map.

Let's view a list of grants specific to a particular recipient. Click Research Foundation of State University of New York.

Let's view a grant record. Click the first grant for Research Foundation of State University of New York to open it.

For more information on grant records, please take the Search Grants guided tour. To close this record and return to the Grant List, click Return to search results.

At the top of the screen, you'll notice a navigation path. Click U.S. Map to return to the previously viewed U.S. map.

Click the Chart Grants tab.

The Chart Grants tab provides access to an interactive charting tool that enables you to view a bar chart breakdown of grants by recipient type or primary subject and drill down to second and third levels of detail. Let's chart grants made in 2006 and 2007. Click the applicable check boxes on the left side of the screen.

Notice that tabs at the top of the screen enable you to toggle between Recipient Type and Primary Subject. A table displays an aggregated list of the grants represented in the chart. At the top of the screen, you'll notice tools enabling you to copy the chart, print and save the chart and its associated data table, and export the data associated with the chart. Let's drill down to a second level of detail. Click the column labeled Education in the chart.

Let's drill down to a third level of detail. Click the column labeled Higher Education in the chart.

Let's view a list of grant recipients specific to a particular third-level category. Click the column labeled University in the chart.

Let's view a list of grants specific to a particular recipient. Click Columbia University.

Let's view a grant record. Click the third grant for Columbia University to open it.

For more information on grant records, please take our Search Grants guided tour. To close this record and return to the Grant List, click Return to search results.

At the top of the screen, you'll notice a navigation path. Click Giving by Recipient Type to return to the previously viewed first-level chart.

Click the News tab.

The News tab provides links to news stories, job listings, and RFP (Request for Proposals) postings specific to a particular grantmaker. Click the Publications tab.

The Publications tab provides access to annotations of and links to reports sponsored by a particular grantmaker and provides the ability to search for articles specific to a particular grantmaker. Click the People tab.

The People tab provides access to expanded information on people associated with a particular grantmaker, including key affiliations. Click the 990s tab.

The 990s tab provides links to the latest available IRS Form 990-PF filings by private foundations as well as IRS Form 990 filings by public charities. Click Return to search results.

Let's return to the Home Screen. Click Home.

FDO Professional subscribers also have exclusive access to Update Central. Click Visit Update Central.

Update Central provides summaries of recent additions and updates to our grantmaker database and enables you to build customized reports for more detail. Reports can be customized by state or states in any one of three categories: new grantmakers; high growth grantmakers; and grantmakers with recent changes. Let's generate a report on grantmakers with recent changes located in New York. Click the radio button to select grantmakers with recent changes, then select New York and click Submit.

Our report includes multiple grantmakers with recent changes. Thank you for taking this tour of FDO's Search Grantmakers database.