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IDS: 107 - Career Exploration - James

Welcome to the First Year Experience LibGuide. Here you will find links to important resources related to the topics you're exploring in your FYE Seminars

The resources below will help you with researching a company.

 

Handout from class: Researching Company information.

Public vs Private Company

Public Company (also called a Publicly Traded Company)

  • Traded on the exchanges (by general public shareholders)
  • Required to provide ongoing detailed information in filings made with the Securities & Exchange Commission

Private Company

  • Owned by a closed group
  • Not required to release information and can be more challenging to research
  • Can range from small businesses to large well-known companies (Hallmark Cards and Mars Candy, for example).

Affiliated with Another Company?

  • Linked or related to larger firms
  • Several are household names but are difficult to research until one establishes its relationship to the larger company (e.g., American Broadcasting Corp. (ABC) is owned by Disney)

Source: Baruch College, Newman Library, Subject Guide http://guides.newman.baruch.cuny.edu/content.php?pid=67719&sid=564563

Find Company Information on the Internet

A company's mission statement will usually be the company's own website. Try using a search engine such as Google or Bing and search for the company's name and the phrase mission statement -- for example:

starbucks "mission statement"

On a company's website, look for a link to “Corporate Information,” “Investor Relations,” “Company Information,” or similar terms.

Looking at a company's social media can also provide information about its mission and values.  You can view a company's posts without needing to create accounts. For example, you can try searching the company's name and Facebook.

Library Databases for Company Research

Researching NonProfit Organizations

Start with the organization

  • Organization website
    Look for links called About Us, Our Organization, Press Releases, Annual Reports, Financial Reports, Policy Positions, or Mission. Many times, these links can be found at the bottom of the homepage. Note names of the organization's leadership team or board members and research them in the media. Look for online brochures, newsletters, bios, resumes of leaders, and other documents that give insight into the nonprofit.
  • Organization social media
    Review the organization's social media channels, like Facebook and Instagram. Who is their audience? What events are they hosting and how are they fundraising? This information can give insight into the organization's strategy, impact, and message.

Search the news

You can often find the most current information on your nonprofit in local news, business journals, and trade publications. You'll want to check for press releases, blogs, and news items. Keep in mind anything found in a press release or organization blog will most likely feature the nonprofit in a positive light.

Form 990

Form 990 is an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) form that all nonprofits must file each year. It allows the IRS to gather information about tax-exempt organizations. Keep in mind, organizations with less than $200,000 in revenue or less than $500,000 in assets are exempt, as are some political and religious organizations.

Search nonprofit directories on the internet

Nonprofit directories typically provide good overviews of nonprofit organizations. While they may not always contain the detailed information you're looking for, they can provide valuable insight into the organization and help uncover other research options or places to look.