Meet the Special Library – Resource Center for Philanthropy
by Martha Moore, mmoore@agmconnect.org

Associated Grant Makers, Inc. is the only regional association of grant makers, serving in, or making grants in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. AGM is a leadership organization for philanthropy with more than three decades of service to the philanthropic community.

The Resource Center for Philanthropy (RCP) is known as the most comprehensive collection on philanthropy in the region. It is a key element of the operations of the Associated Grant Makers. The RCP continues to serve the philanthropic and nonprofit community as it has since 1971. The RCP is one of the many services that Associated Grant Makers provides to its grantmaking members and nonprofit partners. The Resource Center is also open to the public. 

Our primary goal is to assist grantmakers (foundations and corporate giving programs) in being more effective in their grantmaking. We do this by providing information on various topics, ensuring that we collect electronic and paper materials that will enhance their knowledge base and most importantly, by assisting nonprofit organizations with their grant seeking activities.

Our core services, which are available to the public at no charge include:

• Access to the library’s physical collection
• Access to basic reference services
• Access to AGM Grantmakers Directory & Foundation Center Search (local and national databases of grantmakers)
• Free orientation workshop: Introduction to Grants Research

Our extended services, which are available to our members and partners only, are:

• Remote access to the AGM’s Grant Makers Directory
• In depth reference services on the philanthropic sector
• Issue-based collections & reference services
• Funding Alternatives *New
• Family Philanthropy Online *New – access to a special database for Family Foundations
• RCP Library Catalog Access
• Circulation services [grantmakers only]

The collection is focused on the philanthropic landscape. So our materials address grantmaking, grantseeking, proposal writing, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and philanthropy in general.  We provide many statistical resources as well as more in-depth discussions and what I call our “Helpful Hanna How-to” books and journals. The RCP also has a collection of annual reports that reflect our grantmaking members, key national foundations, and the foundations that are listed in our Grantmakers Directory. 

The Resource Center for Philanthropy is a Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center [http://www.fdncenter.org] and as such we provide access to their grantmakers directory (FC Search), which provides information on the foundations, what they give grants for, the application guidelines, and financial information. We also have many of the titles published by the Foundation Center.

The RCP publishes a regional directory of grantmakers. The AGM Grant Makers Directory gives philanthropic organizations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire the opportunity to describe, in their own words, the goals and guidelines of their grant making programs. It is a tool for grantmakers to explore their colleagues’ grantmaking activity and interest areas. It gives the grant seeking community basic information on which to build a comprehensive list of potential supporters, in order to begin a discussion of mutual interests with those organizations. Thorough research is crucial to effective fundraising, and this directory has been designed to help fundraisers begin the process of learning all there is to know about this region’s grant makers. The Directory provides five types of indices to help you narrow your search. The GMD is available in hard copy for $100 or online with AGM membership/partnership.

We are in the process of updating all of our collections.  A major focus over the next year will be to introduce more “issue-based” materials and reference services. “Issue-based” refers to topics that focus on current or emerging issues, like the surge in immigrant populations, pandemics, educational reform, substance abuse in the US, etc. vs. how to manage your foundation or nonprofit organization.

The RCP is leading a complete overhaul of AGM’s information technology in moving all databases and web-based functions over to SQL, .Net, and MS Small Business Server.  This enhanced IT environment will provide the foundation for many of our “dream” projects – like end-user profiling, new library catalog, and automated distribution of information.  We also hope to begin to build a knowledge base on our web site.

We hope to make the Resource Center for Philanthropy the first step for information for both nonprofit organizations and philanthropic organizations in the region.

Some final additional factoids about the RCP:

Director: Martha Moore [mmoore@agmconnect.org]
Assistant: Georganna Woods [gwoods@agmconnect.org]
Patron Base: 1000+ AGM members/partners + general public
Collection: 1500+ volumes, 50 journal titles
Staff size: 1.3 FTEs, MLIS
Web site: http://www.agmconnect.org/RCP/overview.htm
Address: 55 Court St, Suite 520, Boston, MA 02108

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