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Based in Toronto, Canada and founded in 1986 with a mission to promote self-employment as a pathway out of poverty, Social and Enterprise Development Innovations has grown to become a leading research and policy advocacy organization in the asset building field in Canada.

The new economics foundation (nef) is a London-based “think-and-do tank” that promotes economic well-being by innovating the intersection of economic, environmental, and social issues. Founded in 1986 by the leaders of The Other Economic Summit (TOES) to promote issues like green taxes, alternative economic indicators, ethical investment, and social auditing, nef conducts original research and provides consulting and training services. Key projects include The Happy Planet Index and alternative measurement tools like Social Return on Investment.

Founded in 1992, the International Society for Third-Sector Research (ISTR) promotes research and education in the fields of civil society, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector. The organization publishes a number of working papers that are available on this web site, as are abstracts of articles published in the organization's official journal, Voluntas.

The Institute of Development Studies, based at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England, conducts research, teaching and communications on international development. Founded in 1966, in addition to its considerable alumni base, the Institute is home to approximately 100 researchers, 70 knowledge services staff, 65 support staff and about 200 students at any one time.

ENTERWeb is an annotated meta-index and information clearinghouse on enterprise development, business, finance, international trade and the economy. The main focus is on micro, small and medium scale enterprises, cooperatives, and community economic development, both in developed and developing countries. ENTERWeb lists and rates Internet resources in these areas, and complements search engines by providing shortcuts in identifying important sources of information.

Founded in 1971 as the Association of Voluntary Action Scholars, the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) is committed to strengthening the research community in the emerging field of nonprofit and philanthropic studies. ARNOVA publishes the Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. Abstracts of published articles are available on line.

The Global Assets Project, launched in 2006, is a collaborative effort of the Center for Social Development and the New America Foundation. Its ultimate goal is poverty alleviation through asset accumulation. The Global Assets Project strives to influence public policy and implement new asset-building programs through research, and attempts to integrate the key elements of microfinance, financial education, social policy and commercial financial services. There are currently asset-building initiatives in 5 continents and 14 countries around the world.

An affiliate of the nonprofit CDFI ShoreBank, the Center for Financial Services Innovation (CFSI) is a national expert on financial services for the unbanked and under-banked. Its goals include improving the quality of existing services and better tailoring financial services to meet the needs and desires of the under-banked community. The ultimate goal is to facilitate savings and asset-building through financial services. Founded in 2004, CFSI focuses on 6 main areas in order to assist service providers, expand the literature, and influence public policy: Research & Strategy, Investment, Networking, Roundtables, Communication, and Public Policy.

Formerly known as the Welfare Information Network, this website has a large selection of research papers written on Individual Development Accounts, as well as a good overview of innovative state and local programs.