LibGuides: Nonprofit Research: Books

Omni Searching Books/E-Books

Omni, available via the library home page, is the new search tool shared by 18 Ontario university libraries. With a single search you can find a variety of resources held at York University Libraries and the other Omni partner libraries.

To find books or e-books follow these steps:

Step 1: Apply the Relevant Search Scope

Omni can be used to search for books or e-books in three different domains, equivalent to search scopes:

York Libraries
York Libraries + Omni Libraries (default search mode)
Course reserves

In general we advise that you choose the first option. If you cannot find what you need this way, choosing the second option will find more books and e-books, which may be available using inter-library loan options linked from system records.

Step 2: Conduct your search

Results are automatically sorted by relevance including:

Frequency of matching search words
A value score (query words in author, title, subject, plus date)
Proximity of search words to one another

If you sort by the newest date, you lose the relevance ranking.

Step 3: Avail of the Search Filters and limit to Books & E-Books under Resource Type

These search filters appear once results load along the left-side of the screen

Use our Omni Guide to learn more about effective search strategies in Omni. Key terms to know are Search Scope, Facet, Boolean, Truncation, Wildcards, and Limits.

Omni Search

Key Reference Items

These key reference items will help you get started in your research. They include a dictionary to define terms, and various directories to get you started available both in print and online.

A Dictionary of Nonprofit Terms and Concepts
Call Number: HD 2769.15 S63 2006
Publication Date: 2006
This reference work defines more than 1,200 terms and concepts that have been found useful in past research and theory on the nonprofit sector. The entries reflect the importance of associations, citizen participation, philanthropy, voluntary action, nonprofit management, volunteer administration, leisure, and political activities of nonprofits.
Associations Canada
Call Number: eResource
Associations Canada is an online resource that provides the most comprehensive picture of Canada's non-profit sector, covering Canadian organizations and international groups including industry, commercial and professional associations, registered charities, special interest and common interest organizations.
Canadian Donor's Guide to Fundraising Organizations in Canada
Call Number: HV 41.9 C2 T48 2015/16
Annual reference book for donors and their advisors containing data on charities collected by questionnaire as well as pertinent editorial content.
2015/16 version available online
The Foundation directory
Call Number: AS 911 A2 F65 SCOTT (Scott Library)
A leading source of information on U.S. grantmakers and their grantmaking activities. It provides descriptions of more than 100,000 independent, operating, company-sponsored, and community foundations as well as corporate giving programs and grantmaking public charities.
Nonprofit Public Policy Research Organizations
Call Number: Z 7164 A2 H65 1993 SCOTT
Although a bit dated, this book is both a directory of “think tanks” and a bibliography of books and journal articles covering such aspects as the historical development of think tanks, their role in public policy making, and their influence on public policy.
The Nonprofit Almanac 2008
Call Number: HD 2769.2 U6 N64 2008 SCOTT
America's nonprofit sector continues to grow faster than its business sector or the government. The Nonprofit Almanac 2008 presents data on the nonprofit sector's place in the national economy and trends in wages, employment, private giving, volunteering, and finances. Wages and employment for various nonprofit sub-sectors are also analyzed. A chapter on public charities is included.