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Index Search

To conduct an Index Search, you must first decide how to frame your search. The Search Screen provides a number of indexes from which to choose. Because not all indexes are arranged in the same way, it's suggested that you review an explanation of those you wish to include in your search. The indexes are: Foundation Name, Foundation State, Foundation City, Fields of Interest, Types of Support, Geographic Focus, and Trustees, Officers, and Donors. Using the Index Search feature makes it possible for you to conduct a search without the need to type anything at all in the search fields. Clicking an index entry inserts your selection into the search field automatically.

To conduct an index search:
      1. Click on an index name on the Search Screen.
      2. Locate the index entry you wish to include in your search in the Index Pane and click on it.
      3. Repeat the above step if you want to include additional search criteria in other search fields.
        4. Note: The search engine automatically inserts the AND Boolean operator between search fields if two or more criteria are included as part of your search. This will narrow your results because the AND operator tells the search engine to return only records containing all of the criteria you select. See Boolean Searching for more information.
      4. Click the Search button once you've selected all of the criteria you wish to include in your search. Your results appear in the Search Results list.
      5. Click on a record in the Search Results list to display the text of the record in the Record Display window. Your search terms are highlighted in red.
      6. Click Close Window when you are finished viewing the displayed record to go back to Search Results. Or, if you prefer, leave the Record Display screen open and resize it to view additional records on your search results list. Clicking on other search results will display them in the Record Display screen.
When you are finished viewing records retrieved by the current search, click New Search to re-display the Search Screen and enter new search criteria.

Tip: To modify your search without reentering all your search criteria, at this point click your browser's Back Button instead of New Search to re-display the Search Screen with your search criteria intact.

About Index Search

When The Foundation Directory Online performs an index search, it looks in the index's associated field of each record in the database. For example, if you select Rockefeller Foundation, The from the Foundation Name Index, the search engine will return every record that contains the words The Rockefeller Foundation in its associated Foundation Name field. In fact, a search for Rockefeller Foundation, The, returns two records: The Rockefeller Foundation and The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, because all of the words included in your search are also included in the Foundation Name field of those two records.

Note: Utilizing the indexes in The Foundation Directory Online is a good way to become familiar with the terminology used. However, after becoming knowledgeable with the style and terms used, you may prefer to conduct your searches by manually entering your search criteria into the text boxes next to the index fields.

The Foundation Directory Online performs a "zone search" of the terms entered within a search field, allowing you to conduct successful searches even when you have entered only a portion of a name or term.

Example: When you type "Alfred Sloan" in the Foundation Name search field, The Foundation Directory Online correctly retrieves The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

References

See Searching — Advanced > Boolean Searching to find out how to narrow or broaden an Index Search.

See The Indexes for additional information about the content and structure of indexes.

See Search Tutorial > Basic Searches for step-by-step examples of an Index Search.