Business & Non-Profit Services at the Library
Small Business Center from Alamance Community College
Small businesses need nurture and support in order to grow and to increase profitability. At our Small Business Center, business owners can access a variety of resources and tools that are proven to help businesses prosper. We offer confidential counseling for your specific needs, a wide range of online learning options, and workshops designed to help small businesses succeed.
Entrepreneurial Learning Center
Learning how to think like an entrepreneur can change your life.
Whether you want to build a business, transform your organization, or reinvent your career, an entrepreneurial mindset provides a new perspective; one that will expose new opportunities, ignite your ambition and cultivate the confidence and the creativity, the self-reliance and the resourcefulness that are essential for anyone to adapt and thrive in today’s rapidly changing world.
Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina
Get answers to questions about business licensing and permitting, legal structures, forms, tax requirements, financing resources, hiring employees, and more.
Toll Free: (800) 228-8443
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Se Habla Español
Alamance County Area Chamber of Commerce
The Alamance Chamber works hard to enhance the welfare of Alamance County business as well as promote and stimulate economic vitality for our members and the community.
Business Collection
Business and manufacturing guides and directories suited to the needs of jobseekers, investors, entrepreneurs, small businesspeople, students, and other interested parties are available for use in the Reference Department of May Memorial Library.
Recommended Websites for Non-Profits
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NC Department of the Secretary of State – Forms and instructions for incorporating your nonprofit in North Carolina
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The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro – The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro supports and promotes the NC Triad. It includes a link to The Alamance Foundation that encourages charitable activities in Alamance Co.
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North Carolina Network of Grantmakers – Membership organization created to provide networking opportunities and news for the NC philanthropic community
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NC Center for Nonprofits – Network of 1500 nonprofits in NC with advice for nonprofits and a yellow pages directory
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Philanthropy Journal – Recent news of NC nonprofits & more
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IRS Tax Information for Charitable Organizations – Federal tax information for nonprofits
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BBB Wise Giving Alliance – Annual reports on national charitable organizations from the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance. This site is similar to Guidestar.org
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Association of Fundraising Professionals – Website of the Association of Fundraising Professionals including a directory of professional consultants
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NC Triad Chapter, Association of Fundraising Professionals – Website of the chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals that serves the North Carolina Triad area.
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Grants.gov – Central storehouse for information on over 1,000 grant programs and provides access to approximately $400 billion in annual awards.
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How to Start a Non-Profit in North Carolina – North Carolina Nonprofit Startup Guide
Nonprofits and the IRS
- 501 Commons – Features an excellent document entitled: “Guide to Starting a Nonprofit.” It takes one from whether and why to start a nonprofit through all the legal steps and includes links to many of the organizations that one must deal with to start a nonprofit organization.
- How to Read the IRS Form 990 – The IRS Form 990 gives public information about nonprofit organizations. This Web site helps you understand how to interpret the form.
- IRS -Tax Information for Charitable Organizations – Information regarding requirement for tax-exemptions, including how to apply for tax-exempt status and annual filing requirements.
- National Center for Charitable Statistics – The Center gathers statistics nationally concerning nonprofit organizations. Some state data is available.
- The Unified Registration Statement – Organized by the National Association of State Charities Officials and the National Association of Attorneys General to consolidate information and data requirements of all states requiring registration of nonprofit organizations that perform charitable solicitations within their jurisdictions. Its aim is to standardize and simplify compliance with the various states’ solicitation laws.
Online Resources
Data Axle Reference Solutions (formerly Reference USA) – helps users of all kinds search for jobs, research U.S. businesses, create marketing and small business plans, locate specific people and more.
MasterFILE Premier – General reference magazines and publications covering a wide-range of subject areas including business, health, education, general science and multicultural issues. Includes peer reviewed publications. Includes many complete articles from more than 1500 periodicals from 1990 to present.
ProQuest Research Library – General reference database from business and political science to literature and psychology scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, and daily news content, accessible to readers and researchers at every level.
Accounting, Tax & Banking Collection – Journal articles, reference reports, proceedings, and dissertations covering current news and topics as well as the trends and history influencing important accounting and tax issues.
Asian & European Business Collection – This database provides information pertinent to the study of business and finance topics across Asia and Europe, including academic journals, newspapers, newswires, and magazines. Find information on companies, economies, markets, international trade, and overall business conditions and practices throughout these regions.
Political Science Database – Political science and international relations journals, dissertations and working papers on topics such as comparative politics, political economy, international development, and environmental policy.
Data.gov Data, tools, and resources for research, web and mobile applications, and data visualizations.
NAICS search Find the North American Industry Code for industry-level data.
Small Business Administration Resources for starting, financing, and managing a small business
ThomasNet Directory of manufacturers. A librarian can provide a login for use in the library.
Census Business Builder: Small Business Edition 3.2.0 – Determine the best location for your business using Census data.
Economic & Statistical Information
Statistical Abstract of the United States – An authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States.
State Data Center – The site includes population, economic, and income data as well as county profiles and rankings.
Morningstar Investment Research Center – Includes research and independent opinions on thousands of mutual funds, stocks, and hundreds of ETFs.
Value Line Online – available on library computers only, 3 users at any one time. Whether you’re a beginning investor or a veteran looking for high-impact ideas, Value Line can position you for financial success quickly and easily.
News Resources
Wall Street Journal – Full articles from the Wall Street Journal (1981-current). Includes many complete articles from 1984 to present.
Global Breaking Newswires – provides timely access to newswire content from around the globe as well as growing archive of news.
New York Times – Full articles from the New York Times (1980-current).
US Newsstream – News content from many national and international newspapers, newswires and selected news magazines.