Candid

See the World. Make it Better.

aka The Foundation Center, Foundation Center, GuideStar, GuideStar USA   |   New York, NY   |  candid.org

Mission

Candid gets you the information you need to do good.

Notes from the nonprofit

Foundation Center was the largest source of information about philanthropy globally, and GuideStar was the largest source of information on U.S. nonprofit organizations. In 2019, the two organizations joined forces to become Candid, enabling us to enhance the services we offer to the millions of people who rely on us to help them make the world a better place. Please note, this profile will continue to maintain historic data on Foundation Center’s financials, annual reports, and organization demographics. For information on GuideStar’s financials and organization demographics, please visit GuideStar’s legacy profile (EIN: 54-1774039).

Ruling year info

1957

President

Mr. Bradford K. Smith

Main address

32 Old Slip 24th Floor

New York, NY 10005 USA

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EIN

13-1837418

NTEE code info

Philanthropy / Charity / Voluntarism Promotion (General) (T50)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Now more than ever, open access to timely, nonpartisan data and intelligence is critical to the ability to solve increasingly complex social issues. Our field needs a data-driven institution with the scale to support and advance the work of social sector stakeholders as we traverse a period of closing political space, technological upheaval, and global opportunity.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Knowledge Tools

Through data, research, and our collective experience, Candid provides users with the knowledge they need to make strategic decisions and develop practical solutions to achieve their missions.

Our GuideStar database makes it easier to understand nonprofits and what they do. We support ongoing learning and research by sharing the sector’s collective knowledge on IssueLab while also producing our own research. Through Glasspockets we provide the data, resources, examples, and action steps foundations need to understand the value of transparency and be more open in their own communications. We work closely with organizations around the globe to assist them in collecting and organizing their region’s philanthropy data by sharing what we have learned about data acquisition and data architecture. Our CF Insights program is the leader in data collection and research for the community foundation field in the U.S. with a reputation for benchmarking and analysis of trends.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Candid ensures that nonprofit information is available whenever and wherever it is needed. Through our GuideStar database we share information on 2.8 million current and historic tax exempt organizations. Nonprofits use the tool to showcase their work, find partners for collaboration, and connect with other leaders in the field; donors use it to find nonprofits that champion the causes they care about. Our data feeds into tools used by community foundations, grants management vendors, grantmaking organizations, and philanthropic websites and applications such as Volunteer Match, AmazonSmile, and Facebook.

Foundation Directory Online (FDO) provides subscribers with access to timely, comprehensive information on U.S. grantmakers and their grants, plus a growing number of foundations located outside of the U.S. FDO contains data on 19 million grants and 166,000 grantmakers, and is freely accessible to organizations and community stakeholders at our 400+ FIN partners.

Foundation Maps contains records on more than 16.8 million grants, with innovative ways to visualize funding data, and the flexibility and precision to tailor research. This tool helps funders and nonprofits access the data they need to make strategic decisions and strengthen their impact.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people use Candid’s searchable database, Foundation Directory Online (FDO), to find supporters and partners to advance their work. FDO, the world’s most robust source of foundation and grants data, is available for free use at our 400+ Funding Information Network (FIN) partners. Located at libraries, community foundations, and colleges, our FIN assures public access to our resources across the U.S. and several other countries. By making our subscription services accessible at no cost through our network and providing capacity building services online, we ensure that 99 percent of the people that use our services do so for free. We also provide free introductory trainings in-person and online to help nonprofit professionals learn the skills they need (such as proposal writing, prospect research, etc.) to find funding, enabling them to sustain their programs in the communities they serve.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Candid operates research, education, and training programs designed to advance knowledge about philanthropy at every level, and provided under-resourced nonprofit organizations with the tools they need to better fulfill their missions.

Through Candid Learning, we provide tools and resources to help nonprofits become more viable grant applicants and build sustainable organizations. We offer trainings and special events in-person and online to build capacity in three core competencies: fundraising, organizational sustainability, and leadership and management. These resources help equip nonprofits to better serve their constituents and tackle critical social issues.

GrantCraft combines the collective wisdom of funders worldwide with Candid’s expertise to help funders increase the impact of their funds. GrantCraft delivers the knowledge funders need to be strategic and effective in their work, addressing questions they face across various strategies and issue areas.

We also train nonprofits in-person and online to help them complete their GuideStar nonprofit profiles and showcase their work. Organizations are empowered to tell their stories and explain their impact through programmatic metrics.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Where we work

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of organizations you can find on GuideStar

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of organizations who share enough information to earn a Seal of Transparency on GuideStar

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of unique website visitors on GuideStar

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of unique website visitors on all Foundation Center Web Properties, including Candid Learning, GrantCraft, Philanthropy News Digest, and Glasspockets

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of Grants Coded

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of Funding Information Network Partners

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of research reports and white papers available on IssueLab.org

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of websites and organizations (outside of our organization) that share our resources and information

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Candid provides trusted information, data-driven tools, research, analysis, best practices, and trainings to help the social sector increase its ability to affect change and transform lives. We represent the world’s largest repositories of trusted historical and present-day information on nonprofits, foundations, and the capital flows that bind them. We aim to create the future of data, information, and knowledge for the social sector. We will also work to enhance the services we offer to the millions of people who rely on us to help them make the world a better place.

Candid will develop a new generation of products and services that are technologically sophisticated and designed to champion the causes, organizations, and knowledge that power civil society worldwide. We will leverage our shared stores of talent, data, indicators, research, news, and capacity-building resources to improve philanthropic systems and practices in the U.S. and around the world, and will enable knowledge sharing with the potential to transform how civil society and the social sector learns and improves.

As we integrate operations, we will continue the core work of both Foundation Center and GuideStar while using our combined expertise to amplify our impact. We will continue to learn from one another and those we serve to determine how to improve our offerings and provide tools that will help nonprofits, foundations, giving platforms, and other social sector stakeholders achieve their missions.

With more than 80 years of collective experience supporting the social sector, Candid has the combined staff expertise, organizational capacity, and leadership to provide new resources and services for those in the social sector and beyond.

We are fortunate to have a staff of 200+ dedicated professionals skilled in building tools and delivering services to nonprofits, foundations, professionals, and individuals; stable financials and a plan for continued sustainability; an engaged board of directors from a wide variety of disciplines; and a large group of committed funders. Our staff leadership has a long track record of expanding our service to the field, often by capitalizing on new technologies. By developing the skills and knowledge base of our staff, we ensure that we can continue to innovate, and effectively identify and meet needs in the sector as they arise.

Candid’s combined history of serving nonprofits, grantmakers, researchers, and do-gooders of all kinds provides us with unique insights into the the evolving needs of the social sector. These insights help us shape our offerings and ensure that we keep our finger on the pulse of what our users need to help them do good. We have long held that increasing transparency in our sector would increase its effectiveness, and that democratizing access to data, knowledge, and resources would level the playing field for those working to improve their communities and champion their causes. The combination of a trusted history of providing non-partisan data and knowledge and the ability to create cutting edge technology to propel the social sector forward gives us a unique vantage point from which to serve those who are working to build a better world.

Candid was formed in 2019 with the integration of Foundation Center and GuideStar. The guiding work and missions of Foundation Center and GuideStar were complementary, and we collaborated over the years on data processing efficiencies, data standards for the social sector, and the development of a registry of unique identification numbers for nonprofits globally. We have helped each other maintain data standards and protect the integrity of the data that we collect. For example, one of our most recent collaborations included building the Basic Registry of Identified Global Entities (BRIDGE). BRIDGE numbers help the social sector discover what other data exists, integrate data systems, and ensure that nonprofits and service organizations are discoverable. Both organizations have made great strides in advancing the social sector, and we look forward to the exciting year that lies ahead.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?

    Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Community meetings/Town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees, Online Chat,

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,

  • With whom is the organization sharing feedback?

    Our staff, Our board,

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive,

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback,

Financials

Candid
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Candid

Board of directors
as of 10/18/2021
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

T. Sylvester John

Walmart

Term: 2020 -

Ana Marie Argilagos

HIP-Hispanics in Philanthropy

Melissa Berman

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc.

Stephen Goodall

J.D. Power

Neal Hegarty

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

Deborah Hoover

The Burton D. Morgan Foundation

Dominick Impemba

The Rockefeller Foundation

T. Sylvester John

Massmart (Walmart Africa)

Susan Kish

OGCI

Sunand Menon

New Media Insight

Katherina Rosqueta

Center for High Impact Philanthropy, University of Pennsylvania

Brian Trelstad

Bridges Fund Management

Bradford Smith

Candid (President)

Naila Farouky

Arab Foundations Forum

Rosa Gallego

Asociación Española de Fundaciones (AEF; Spanish Association of Foundations)

Matt Gee

BrightHive

Rhett Mabry

The Duke Endowment

Jeff Jones

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Mosun Layode

African Philanthropy Forum

Kami Dar

Uniti Networks

Kenneth Jones

MacArthur Foundation

Donna Murray-Brown

Michigan Nonprofit Association

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 06/15/2021

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Decline to state
Disability status
Decline to state

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 07/16/2020

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
Policies and processes
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.