Now more than ever, grantseekers need the most flexible search tool possible to locate potential funding sources. That's why we've added new search fields at every FDO subscription level. Now you can search for grantmakers, companies, and grants by congressional district and grants by grantmaker state!

The ability to search by congressional district (exclusive to Foundation Directory Online) offers new possibilities for nonprofits taking a geographic approach to fundraising and complements FDO's other geographic search options, including state, county, city, metro area, ZIP code, and geographic focus of the funder. Remember, grantmakers very often "give where they live." And identifying funders, regardless of their location, that award grants to nonprofits in your area can help you find new prospects, too.

As with most of the search fields in FDO, our new congressional district option has a corresponding onscreen index. Just click the View Index link to access a list of congressional districts arranged alphabetically by state and numerically by district number. Click on the name of a district to automatically insert it into the Congressional District search field. Not sure what congressional district you're in? Conduct a City search and locate the number of the congressional district in the text of any record retrieved.

The ability to search for grants by grantmaker state is an equally valuable addition. Now you can easily find grants awarded by funders located in your state and you can even find grants awarded to nonprofits in your geographic area by funders located outside your state; just type the Boolean operator not before your state name in the Grantmaker State search field.

These new search options are sure to help inform the work of others, too. Whether you're a grantmaker looking for funding partners, a policymaker assessing funding needs, or a researcher studying the field, you'll be able to put this new functionality to good use.

As the recession carries on, we continue to work hard to help you find the support you need now and understand what impact the crisis is having on the nonprofit sector and the field of philanthropy. Late last year we added a new "Economic crisis" index term to our grants database to help you identify support specifically related to the downturn. And now, we've added economic crisis "forecasts" to FDO's grantmaker profiles, when available. Our editors have compiled this information from the public announcements made by grantmakers about how they plan to respond to the recession. Some funders are increasing their support; others are downsizing. Whatever the case might be, we hope this new data can help you plan and strategize. Look for the new Economic Crisis Information section near the top of a grantmaker profile, below the At A Glance section.

Calling all dog owners! Send us a favorite photo of your furry friend for a chance to win our Grantseeker's Best Friend Photo Contest. To enter, e-mail one photo of your dog to dogphotos@foundationcenter.org and include your name, your organization's name, and your dog's name. We'll post all photos online and at the conclusion of the submission period FDO users will vote for their favorites. The owner of the winning dog will receive a free, one-month extension of their current Foundation Directory Online subscription.

This friendly competition is one of the ways we'll be celebrating FDO's 10th anniversary this year. Stay tuned for more fun to come.

Did you know that the Foundation Center offers a wide range of training courses for grantseekers? By putting best practices to work, your organization can thrive in challenging times. All of our classes are led by expert instructors who will help you sharpen your fundraising techniques, strengthen your proposal writing skills, and more. Classes are held at each of our five library/learning centers in New York, Washington, Atlanta, Cleveland, and San Francisco as well as selected other locations across the country this spring.

Foundation Directory Online subscribers won't want to miss our day-and-a-half Foundation Funding Research course. First, we'll teach you to chart your organization's funding needs. Next, you'll enjoy hands-on, interactive training in our computer lab to develop a targeted list of prospects using top-tier FDO Professional. Current annual or bi-annual FDO Platinum or Professional subscribers are entitled to a special reduced registration fee for this key course. Call our Customer Service Department at (800) 424-9836 for more details.

Want more? We also offer ten other essential grantseeker training courses. Select a course title below for more information or to register:

• Foundation Fundraising
• Proposal Budgeting Workshop
• Proposal Writing Seminar
• Developing a Fundraising Plan
• Cultivating Grantmaker Relationships
• Building a Fundraising Board
• Earned Income
• Securing Corporate Partnerships
• Outcome Thinking and Management
• Grantseeker Training Institute