Step 4

Researching Local Agencies (Non-Profits) addressing the Social Causes

Once you have identified the types of social causes that interests your group(s), you will then need to identify Non-Profit Organizations that are meeting those needs. One effective way is for students to have a brainstorming session to name as many non-profits as they can in the area.  Asking parents and other adults can help increase the size of this list as well. 

The challenge is finding the agencies that are off of the radar of the students.  We want students to try to find those smaller, less visible organizations where $1000 can make a huge difference.  These tend to be smaller organizations that don't necessarily have a strong web presence.

To help non-profits get on your radar screen, we have set up a registration form that will let you know about them.  Click the Community Needs page to see which agencies have registered to date.  Note: This is clearly not a comprehensive list and should not be the primary source of exploration, but rather should one of the many places students go to explore community needs.

Here are some other web resources for your exploration.

211 Community Resource Directory A searchable database of service providers in the UWGC area
United Way of Greater Cincinnati A list of the local organizations that receive United Way (UWGC)
Manta.com An alphabetical list of non-profits in Cincinnati area - dealing with social issues
Cityatlas.net A very abbreviated list of non-profit agencies that serve our area
ExpressCincinnati.com An list of non-profit agencies and art organizations
Cincinnati Better Business Bureau Excellent information on non-profits in the area
GuideStar.org Great source of info about non-profits including tax forms - requires free registration
Directions for using GuideStar.org Information assembled by Missy Gish with Campus Connects
Charity Watch American Institute of Philanthropy's guide to helping you give wisely to charity
Charity Navigator Evaluates financial health of thousands of America's largest charities
Non-Profit List A list of non-profits by state and region