Candid insights

The big picture of the social sector, backed by data and expertise

How philanthropy can ease a growing mental health crisis in the U.S.

Can the U.S. health system handle the mental health crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic? Experts think not. Despite increased funding for fiscal year 2020 across various health agencies and robust mental health provisions in the COVID-19 stimulus aid package,…

By Asia Hadley (she/her)

May 27, 2020

The forgotten sector?

All nonprofit organizations, large or small, have one thing in common—they exist to provide a public benefit. Although smaller nonprofits, defined provisionally as having 500 employees or fewer, have been able to take advantage of government lending programs established in…

By Larry McGill (he/him)

May 19, 2020

What’s new at Candid (May 2020)

It’s been awhile since I last updated you on what’s going on at Candid. Like you, we have been adjusting to life during a pandemic. All of Candid’s physical offices have been closed since Tuesday, March 17. Although working 100 percent virtually…

By Jen Bokoff (she/her)

May 11, 2020

Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic, the SDGs Are More Relevant Than Ever

The world is dealing with a crisis of monumental proportions. The novel coronavirus is wreaking havoc across the globe, destroying lives and ruining livelihoods. The primary cost of the pandemic as calculated in the loss of human life is distressing,…

By Ana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Erna Solberg

May 10, 2020

Philanthropy’s response to COVID-19 now more than $10 billion worldwide

Philanthropy's response to the COVID-19 pandemic has surpassed $10 billion (USD). To put this unprecedented commitment of institutional and individual philanthropy in perspective, the U.S. total alone of more than $6 billion is, according to Candid’s figures, more than double the entire…

By Andrew Grabois

May 7, 2020

Doing good in a crisis can’t afford to be colorblind

For the entirety of 2020, the world has been living in crisis due to the widespread COVID-19 virus. We have all been seeking information and discerning truth as we try to make decisions that will impact our health, safety, livelihood,…

April 30, 2020

Community foundations and community—changing definitions and expanding concepts

Almost as soon as Frederick Goff spearheaded creating the Cleveland Foundation, the world’s first community foundation, in 1914, these institutions began playing an integral role in philanthropy across the globe. Today, approximately 1,900 community foundations exist worldwide. These place-based foundations…

By Colton C. Strawser

April 28, 2020

3 reasons online communities are more necessary than ever

If you’ve been fundraising for a while, you know that various factors can affect the types of campaigns you plan or the events you host. In the current environment, with many staying home to practice safe social distancing because of…

By Jake Fabbri (he/him)

April 22, 2020

Libraries, we salute you

National Library Week (April 19-25) is here—in fact, today is also National Library Workers’ Day. We at Candid know very well that libraries are overlooked and underfunded organizations that play a critical role in today’s society by providing free programs, resources, and services…

By Katie Farnan (she/her)

April 21, 2020

Historical perspective in an urgent moment: the financial health of the social sector, 1998-2017

The economic dislocation brought on by coronavirus has shaken the social sector to its core. Leaders wonder aloud if we will soon see mass bankruptcies of nonprofit organizations—just at a moment when their services are most needed. We’ve seen a…

By Jacob Harold (he/him)

April 16, 2020

A Call for COVID-19 Grants Data

Our mission to get people the information they need to do good is taking on greater urgency during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Given how many nonprofits are struggling with increased demand at a time of financial freefall, we are doubling…

By Kati Neiheisel

April 15, 2020

Are foundations equipped to help nonprofits survive the pandemic?

With close to 100,000 active foundations and collective annual giving of nearly $87 billion, America has the largest philanthropic sector in the world. While that pales in comparison to the trillions of dollars the federal government and Federal Reserve are…

By Bradford K. Smith (he/him)

April 14, 2020