Sources

The IRS website concerning non-profits and taxing information is also very helpful.  Unless you run a non-profit, it is unlikely that you know a lot about the tax regulations and benefits.  This guide by the IRS is both official and helpful when thinking about the business side of non-profits and the motivation or downfalls that taxes place on charitable organizations.  When writing a story about charities it is important to be skeptical and to look into the social and economic sides of all of the company's actions.

http://www.irs.gov/charities/index.html

Sources

Similar to the Guide Star website, the Better Business Bureau also has a site geared specifically to non-profits and charitable foundations.  There are several search engines within the site that allow you to research a charity of your choice.  The site also allows educates about official charity reports and standards or even file a complaint with an unethical non-profit organization.  Another great aspect of the site is their news feed; readers can go to bbb.org and immediately see news from the last month about non-profits.

http://www.bbb.org/us/charity/

Sources

Academic Search Premier is a great resource for gaining background information on particular charities and non-profits or reading recent articles and scholarly journals.  By staying up to date with news concerning charities, it is easier to spot trends or croaked dealings.  Another related search engine is HW Wilson Web.  This site also compiles articles and past information about non-profits and those involved with social work.  These sites act as a foundation for knowledge that can then be used when deducing recent actions and information about charities.

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/search?vid=1&hid=102&sid=75a3b472-b783-419d-83d0-71c9b6f6bdeb%40sessionmgr113

http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/results/getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/advancedsearch/advanced_search.jhtml.4