The Riverside Church Now Beacon of Hope for Local Grant Seekers as Its Cloister Library Has Joined the Foundation Center's National Network

MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, N.Y., June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Grant seeking can be a time-consuming process, yet the payoff can be well worth the effort.  To help, The Cloister Library of The Riverside Church (490 Riverside Drive, bet. 120th & 122nd St.) now houses a collection of materials from the Foundation Center in New York City that will prove invaluable to local nonprofit agencies looking for new funding sources.

Called a "Cooperating Collection," the library has partnered with the Foundation Center of New York to establish the new funding resources collection at the church.  The collection is available during regular library hours and features regularly updated print publications and databases from the Foundation Center, the nation's leading authority on philanthropy.

The Cooperating Collection gives patrons immediate, on-site access to Foundation Directory Online Professional, which is updated weekly with four comprehensive databases—grant makers, companies, grants and  990s (the IRS form which allows the public to evaluate nonprofits and how they operate). The directory provides a wealth of fundraising information crucial for the development of successful grant proposals. The fully searchable database includes detailed profiles of over 91,000 active US foundations and corporate givers, as well as an extensive file of recent grants by the nation's top funders.

The Cooperating Collection also includes print directories, proposal writing guides and holds training sessions on how to effectively use these resources and identify potential funders.

Because the majority of foundations do not make grants to individuals or for-profit organizations, the library also offers the Foundation Grants to Individuals Online database.  This resource includes approximately 6,000 foundations and public charities that offer grants to students, artists, researchers and other individual grant seekers.

The Foundation Center Cooperating Collection is located in The Cloister Library on the Cloister Level of The Riverside Church, which any member of the public seeking information on grants may use.  The databases for funding research are accessible only through computers in the library.  Most of the print material cannot be checked out, but patrons may photocopy and print materials for a small per-page fee.  Visitors conduct their own research, but library staff can assist them in getting started.  Grant seekers who want a comprehensive introduction to available resources should call The Cloister Library at 212-870-6728 for an appointment.

SOURCE The Riverside Church