Massachusetts Residents can research from home by signing up for a Boston Public Library (BPL) e-card , even use The Foundation Directory Online. (Available in a limited capacity from BPL, please contact them directly to see how and when you can access it.)

The Oak Bluffs library is designated as the local resource center for grant research, where both electronic and print resources are accessible for free to the public.

Thanks to the collaboration of Associated Grant Makers of Massachusetts (AGM), Oak Bluffs Public Library, and the Martha’s Vineyard Nonprofit Collaborative, supported with a grant from the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation, Island non-profit grant seekers have a comprehensive outlet for grant research at the Oak Bluffs Public Library.

Not sure where to start?

Both library Reference staff and the M.V. Nonprofit Collaborative can provide research assistance, either by appointment or drop-in.

Interested in finding grant makers? How about other projects and organizations who have been successfully funded on the Cape and the Islands?

We can show you how to use GrantWatch, a research database that can help narrow down the answers to these questions, as well as providing access to over 12,000 grant opportunities. The key to using the electronic resources is employing search filters that allow you to easily narrow down results relevant for YOUR organization. In addition to GrantWatch, we house a cooperating collection of print materials.

To make an appointment with MVNC to provide support for your non-profit initiative, contact:

Jackie Friedman, Psy.D at 508-560-5181 or send an e-mail to jackie@mvnonprofits.org. Website: www.mvnonprofits.org

Please speak to a library staff member to learn how to access the circulating collection, or the research database Grantwatch.

Please call or email the library to find out how to access the database, or request a staff member to run a search for you. Oakb_mail@clamsnet.org or 508-693-9433

The resource center may be used during the library’s open hours.

BoardSource Governance Series Online

BoardSource online resources for non-profit leadership: A leading expert in non-profit board leadership practices, research and information, Boardsource now publishes most of their content for free online. Click on the resources below for access to the PDFs. (The library is unable to order hardcopies of these resources.)

Purpose Driven Leadership articles and online resources

Leading with Intent : BoardSource Index of Nonprofit Board Practices

Leading with Intent: Reviewing the State of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion of Nonprofit Boards