Research Guides: Social Work Practice: Staying Informed: Think Tanks & Nonprofits

Foundations, Non-profits and Think Tanks

Below are a few of the most reliable resources for non-partisan research reports and information. As you locate other resources, be sure to look for information that could help you to determine the site's reliability: who authored the information and what is their authority to speak to the issue, what is the goal or mission of the publishing organization, where does their information come from and how recent is it, does the domain name tell you anything about the publisher (.edu means that it comes from an educational institute, but it could still be personal opinion), and can you find the same or similar information on other sites. These are some factors that can tell you about the source of the report or other information you've located online.

Annie E. Casey Foundation
The Annie E. Casey Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the nation, dedicated to strengthening families and serving disadvantaged children. The foundation maintains the Kids Count Data Center which is an excellent source of demographic, education, economic well-being, health and safety data on children in the United States.
Brookings Institute
The Bookings Institute is a nonprofit research institution that focuses on public policy.
Center for the Study of Social Policy
CSSP works to achieve a racially, economically, and socially just society in which all children and families thrive.
Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy, Think Tanks
A list of institutes and think tanks that post research and discussions on a range of social issues.
Economic Policy Institute
A nonpartisan research organization working to include the needs of low- and middle-income workers in economic policy discussions. Includes reports, blog posts, and data.
ELDIS
Eldis supports free and open access to useful and relevant research on global development challenges.
FOLIO - Foundation Literature Online
A digital repository of foundation-sponsored research reports and publications covering the full scope of philanthropic activity with links to original PDF versions of these reports.
IssueLab by Candid
A catalog of annotated links to over thirty thousand free and open access documents, covering almost 40 issue areas representing the most pressing social, economic and environmental world problems.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
The Kaiser Foundation web site offers a wealth of information on health care policy and reform with factsheets, statistics, tutorials, polls, maps and reports. This information is easily accessible and available for free.
Mathematica
Mathematica uses data, analytics, and technology to address social challenges, from the effects of climate change on communities around the world to disparities in health care, education, and employment across the U.S.
Michigan League for Public Policy
The Michigan League for Public Policy is a nonpartisan policy institute dedicated to economic opportunity for all. It is a state-level organization that analyzes the impact of state and federal budgets and policies on residents with low incomes.
National Council of La Raza (NCLR) - Publications
Research reports, issue briefs, white papers and other publications from the largest national Latinx civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S.
National Council of State Legislators
The NCSL mission "is to advance the effectiveness, independence and integrity of legislatures and to foster interstate cooperation and facilitate the exchange of information among legislatures." The website includes a searchable database of statewide ballot measures.
National Poverty Center, University of Michigan - Publications
The National Poverty Center, affiliated with the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at University of Michigan provides many working paper and policy briefs on issues related to poverty in the U.S.
Pew Charitable Trusts Resource Library
The Pew Charitable Trusts seek to 1.) Improve Public Policy; 2.) Inform the Public; 3.) Stimulate Civic Life. Major funding initiatives include research on Hispanics in America, Children and Youth, Education, Health, and State Policy and Performance.
Rand Corporation
This well known think-tank provides free online research reports, commentary and reprints on topics covering population & aging, child policy, health & healthcare, and substance abuse.
Urban Institute
The Urban Institute investigates and analyzes U.S. social and economic policy. The web site provides free research reports and data on important domestic issues such as immigration, families, children and youth, housing, education and employment.

Think Tank Search Engines

Harvard's Kennedy School Think Tank Search
A custom Google search created by the library at the Harvard Kennedy School search across a wide range of public policy institutions.
Health Services Research Information Central
Post research, policy, and other information related to health services research.

Last Updated: Nov 8, 2024 4:32 PM

Subjects: Social Sciences

Tags: social work