Nonprofits constantly struggle to get their name and mission before funders and donors. Nonprofits can strengthen their visibility using their free public listing on Candid (formerly GuideStar), which is viewed by millions of people yearly.
Also, for nonprofits, greater transparency equals greater funding. Candid’s profiles help your organization achieve transparency and certifies that transparency with four levels of Seals of Transparency. Research shows nonprofits that earn a Seal average 53% more in contributions.
Each year, millions of people use Candid’s profiles to make decisions about nonprofits and the work they do. Donors explore charities and issues they want to support. Funders research grantees.
Millions of potential donors and funders look at these profiles. In addition, that information reaches tens of millions of donors and funders through more than 200 Candid partners, including AmazonSmile, Facebook, JustGive, Network for Good, Salesforce.org, VolunteerMatch, and all major US-based donor-advised funds, such as Fidelity Charitable. More than 35,000 staff from private foundations, such as the California Endowment, look to Candid for information, as do more than 16 leading community foundations.
The Florida Association of Nonprofits has used and recommended GuideStar (now Candid) for 28 years. If you have not done so already, hurry to Candid to create or update your free nonprofit profile.
By maintaining your nonprofit’s profile you can know what donors are seeing. Organizations can also get donations directly through their profile and real-time updates about their organization’s IRS status. Having the data organized on the Candid site can even save time on your grant applications (see Writing Grant Proposals).
This year it’s even easier to earn your Candid Seal of Transparency or update your current Candid Seal, plus Candid is offering several perks to those earning their Seal.
Research shows nonprofits that earn a Seal average 53% more in contributions. Beyond giving your nonprofit’s funding a boost, consider the following benefits of getting your 2023 Candid Seal of Transparency today:
- Share your full profile with potential funders: Access your unique and sharable link to your full profile and post it on your website, online donation page, social media accounts, and elsewhere to highlight your work and attract funding from donors. The best part: You can also leverage your profile as the perfect handout to showcase your programs and impact for in-person meetings with funders.
- Become eligible for Apple Pay donations: If you are looking to give your supporters an additional way to donate to your mission, you are in luck. Earning your 2023 Candid Seals of Transparency is an essential first step to becoming eligible to use Apple Pay for accepting donations.
Claim your free Candid nonprofit profile and earn a 2023 Seal to showcase your nonprofit’s commitment to transparency, boost your online visibility to reach millions of potential donors, and provide your supporters with the information they need to fund you.
The added bonus: When you claim your profile and earn a 2023 Seal, Candid automatically shares your updated information with 200+ charitable sites, including Salesforce.org, Facebook, donor advised funds, and Network for Good.
To help you update your current or earn your first-ever Candid Seal of Transparency in 2023, simply follow these fast and easy steps.
How to earn a 2023 Candid Seal of Transparency
If your organization has a 2022 or older Seal:
- Sign in to manage your profile and review all required fields.
- Update or add information, as necessary.
- Publish your changes.
That’s it!
Note: Your Seal will expire automatically after two years if you do not update your Candid nonprofit profile’s information.
If your organization does not have a Seal:
Claim and update your Candid profile. For more guidance on how to do so, please visit our Help Center.
A breakdown of what you’ll need to earn a 2023 Candid Seal of Transparency
Bronze
- Basic information—ensure your organization can be found by funders looking to support nonprofits, like yours.
- Only four simple pieces of information are required to earn a Bronze Seal:
- Contact information
- Donation information
- Mission statement
- Leadership information
Silver
- Programs—take advantage of a chance to share your programs, build your brand, and display your nonprofit’s latest activities with donors.
- Only three main elements are required to obtain a Silver Seal:
- Program(s) details: name, brief description, and geographic area served
- Grantmaker status: Does your organization make grants or donations? (If you’re a grantmaker, you can also share more information about your work in this section.)
- Branding: logo, tagline, website, and social media account handles
Gold
- Capabilities—share your organization’s financials and provide key demographic information that today’s funders seek.
- Only two core details are required to secure a Gold Seal:
- 2021 or 2022 financials
- Board chair’s name and leader’s demographics
For small nonprofits, earning a 2023 Gold Seal of Transparency, or higher, comes with even more benefits this year. Learn more about our Go for the Gold promotion, which provides qualifying nonprofits with a year of free access to Foundation Directory Essential.
Platinum
- Impact—showcase your nonprofit’s mission-driven goals and impress donors with the difference you’re making.
- Only two key components are required to achieve a Platinum Seal:
- Strategy and goals: Upload your strategic plan or briefly answer two questions.
- Metrics: Share at least one impact-based metric from 2022.
Click here to get started and earn your Seal!
Get a head start on earning your 2023 Candid Seal
If you’re interested in learning more about Candid’s 2023 Seals of Transparency, Candid frequently offers short, 30-minute webinars on the topic (the most recent on February 7, 2023) or Click here to find out more and get hands-on tips and best practices to help you get started with earning your 2023 Candid Seal.
Learn more about using technology to advance your mission by attending the Information Revolution – Managing Technology class as part of the Sunshine Certificate in Nonprofit Management. Learn more about sustainable funding by attending the Sustainability – Campaigning to Potential – Part II: Big Gifts class as part of the Sunshine Certificate in Nonprofit Management. Click here for the yearly schedule to find the next class.
Source: Candid blog. Candid has been a preferred partner since 2018 when Florida Nonprofits became an outlet for the Foundation Center Funding Network.
Wynne Chan (she/her), Product Manager, Candid