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FAQs: Select and Compare

  1. What is "select and compare"?
  2. How do I add organizations to my comparison set?
  3. How do I view the comparison page?
  4. Why are some financial comparisons based on different fiscal years?
  5. What does n/a mean when viewed on the comparison page?
  6. What does "data not available" mean when viewed on the comparison page?
  7. How can I remove organizations from my comparison set?
  8. How many organizations can I compare at once?
  9. Will my selected organizations stay in my comparison set for future visits?
  10. Can I compare public charities to private foundations?
  11. Can I save the comparison page as a PDF?
  12. Can I print my comparison page?

  1. What is "select and compare"?

    Select and compare functionality allows users to select up to 4 organizations and compare them side by side using the following data:

    1. General Information
      1. Location
      2. IRS Subsection
      3. Category
      4. Areas Served
    2. Financial Information
      1. Fiscal Year
      2. Total Revenue
        1. Total Contributions
        2. Government Grants
        3. Program Services
        4. Investments
        5. Other
      3. Total Expenses
        1. Program Services
        2. Administration
        3. Fundraising
        4. Payments to Affiliates
      4. Total Assets
      5. Total Liabilities
    3. Mission or Grantmaking Guidelines
      1. Mission statement (generally used with public charities) or grantmaking guidelines (generally used with private foundations)
    4. People
      1. President/CEO Name
      2. Names and Salaries of Top 5 Highest-Paid Employees


  2. How do I add organizations to my comparison set?

    There are two ways to add an organization to your comparison set:
    • From the search results page, click the "Add to Comparison Set" link for the organization you'd like to add. An intermediary window will be displayed.
    • From the report page, click the "Add to Comparison Set" button near the top of the page.


  3. How do I view the comparison page?

    After you've added two or more organizations, you can either click the "Compare Now" button from the intermediary window or you can click the "View Your Comparison Set" button at the top of the search results page.

    You may also access the comparison page from the My Tools area located on the report page.

  4. Why are some financial comparisons based on different fiscal years?

    All data presented are based on the most recent information that GuideStar has for each organization being compared. For some organizations, this information may date to the current year, but for others, it may be from prior years.

  5. What does n/a mean when viewed on the comparison page?

    N/A is displayed for financial data fields that are not applicable to the organization being compared. For example, whereas "Comparison Revenue" applies to public charities, it is not applicable to private non-operating foundations.

  6. What does "data not available" mean when viewed on the comparison page?

    "Data not available" is displayed when any one of the following scenarios exist:
    • The organization did not report the data in question on its IRS Form 990 or GuideStar Exchange Form.
    • The organization did report the data, but it was not digitized by GuideStar. In these cases, the data may be available on the organization's Form 990.


  7. How can I remove organizations from my comparison set?

    There are two ways to remove an organization from your comparison set:
    • From the results page, click the "View Comparison Set" button near the top right corner of the page. An intermediary window will open. Remove any of your selected organizations by clicking the "x" in the leftmost column.
    • From the comparison page, click the "Remove" button located at the bottom of each column.


  8. How many organizations can I compare at once?

    Up to 4 organizations can be selected for comparison. If you attempt to add a fifth organization, you will see a message &qoutSorry! You can only select up to 4 organizations to compare."

  9. Will my selected organizations stay in my comparison set for future visits?

    Yes, your selected organizations stay in my comparison set for future visits.

  10. Can I compare public charities to private foundations?

    Yes, but keep in mind that public charities and private foundations report different categories of financial data, and that straight-line comparisons are not possible between the two types of nonprofits.  For more information, see Select and Compare FAQ 5.

  11. Can I save the comparison page as a PDF?

    Yes.  Click the "PDF" button in the upper right corner of the comparison page to generate a PDF of the page.

  12. Can I print my comparison page?

    Yes. Click the "Print" button in the upper right corner of the comparison page.