Help for Nonprofits

The Volunteer Center for Greater Orange County specializes in helping nonprofit organizations, and technology just made it a little easier to provide that help.

The Santa Ana-based center recently acquired a CD-ROM directory of private and corporate foundations in the United States, meaning local nonprofit organizations can search for funding sources by using one of the center’s computers. “It’s going to make it a million times easier,” said Melanie Donohoe, library coordinator at the center.

Previously, nonprofits had to thumb through about 40 telephone directories to get information on corporate giving programs or foundations. Now information on all of those funding sources is contained on a single CD-ROM.

Nonprofit organizations can search the CD-ROM by topic, such as “health care,” and by location. The digital directory lists virtually every known source of nonprofit funding in the United States, Donohoe said, and provides names of trustees, samples of recent grants, total assets and areas of interest.

Donohoe said organizations interested in using the CD-ROM directory can schedule computer time at the center by calling (714) 953-5757, Ext. 128. The service is free, although Donohoe said the center could soon begin charging a fee for printing copies of directory information.

Greg Miller covers high technology for The Times. He can be reached at (714) 966-7830 and at greg.miller@latimes.com