Understanding the local community served by the social enterprise and local competing organizations is essential to strategic planning.  The databases listed below can be used for local research and nonprofit research.

Community Profiles

  ESRI Business Analyst Online  Tutorial  Access Instructions
Provides geographic analysis tools. Includes demographic, consumer spending, and business data.
Access courtesy of the Department of Geography & the Environment.

  Social Explorer
Provides access to demographic reports by geography

  PolicyMap  Tutorial
Offers a tool for mapping and analyzing U.S. national data on a wide variety of topics including education, income, employment, public health, crime, housing, transit, and more. Researchers can conduct demographic and socioeconomic analyses on a variety of geographic levels, from the national level to the neighborhood census block group as well as custom regions. Time series data covers 2000 to present.

Nonprofits & Grants Databases

  Chronicle of Philanthropy
Provides news and information for executives of tax-exempt organizations as well as fundraisers, professional employees of foundations, institutional investors, corporate grantmakers, and charity donors. Along with news, it offers such service features as lists of grants, fundraising ideas and techniques, statistics, and reports on tax and court rulings. Coverage goes back to 2015.

  Foundation Directory Online Professional (Foundation Center)
Offers information on foundations, corporate giving programs, and grantmaking charities. Grantmaker profiles include private and independent foundations, corporate foundations, U.S. federal funders, public charities, and international foundations.

  GuideStar Pro
Provides detailed information about nonprofit organizations including IRS Form 990 with financial statements. Also offers self-reported information about programs and activities.
Partially funded by Villanova School of Business.

local news & Businesses

  Philadelphia Business Journal (American City Business Journals)  Limitations on Use  Access Instructions
Local business news beyond the Philadelphia metro area too.

  Regional Business News (EBSCO)
Provides full text coverage of regional business publications including journals, newspapers, and newswires from all metropolitan and rural areas within the United States.

  NewsBank Access World News

  A to Z Databases
Features business directory most helpful for information on small or private firms in the U.S. Also offers search for people, executives, new businesses, and healthcare professionals.

best Practice Books

The library has many ebooks on best practices related to nonprofit and social enterprise managment, strategic planning, volunteer recruitment, governance, fundraising and many other topics.  

  Books & Media