Candid insights

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

Digital Accessibility: The Path to Nonprofit Engagement Online

We live in one of the most remarkable eras ever, a time when a tidal wave of technologies and digital information is opening up limitless opportunities and empowering society like never before. But as innovation moves faster, we need to…

By Frank Lakatos

March 2, 2020

Five steps to starting an endowment: even smaller nonprofits can

A few years ago, GuideStar’s (now Candid’s) editorial director told me, “Most of our readers are convinced that endowments are good things. If their organizations do not have endowments, it’s because they can’t justify diverting money from programs to starting…

By Scott E. Stewart (he/him)

March 2, 2020

How to build branding for your nonprofit

Brands are important for more than just commercial endeavors and profit-based companies. After all, the point of a brand is to make it easier for a customer or client to connect with a company—and to make it more appealing for…

By Alicia Rother (she/her)

February 28, 2020

Why nonprofit staff should not be asked to donate to the organizations they work for

This week’s topic may be polarizing and possibly rile you up, so please stare at the nearest houseplant for a few minutes (apparently, they are scientifically proven to reduce stress). Once in a while our community gets into a discussion about…

By Vu Le (he/him)

February 27, 2020

You absolutely need a monthly giving program, and here’s why

Chances are, if you don’t have a monthly giving program, you will have to persuade others in your organization to embrace this proven revenue-raiser. The first reason alone—more money—should convince them. But, as you know, rational thinking doesn’t always prevail.…

By Harvey McKinnon

February 26, 2020

Filling the data and knowledge gap: how philanthropy can better partner with Indigenous communities

In anticipation of its forthcoming issue devoted to Indigenous philanthropy, Alliance magazine asked three Candid employees who were deeply involved in developing the Investing in Native Communities website to share lessons from that experience. “Philanthropy has consistently under-funded Indigenous communities…

By Grace Sato (she/her), Supriya Kumar (she/her), and Sarina Dayal (she/they)

February 25, 2020

Celebrating Candid’s first year with our social media followers

Our commemoration of Candid’s first anniversary is drawing to a close. For the last celebratory post in this blog, we wanted to share some of our favorite #CandidAnniversary social media updates. We featured the photo at the beginning of this…

By Suzanne Coffman (she/her)

February 24, 2020

What’s new at Candid (February 2020)

It’s been a year since we’ve become Candid ... wow! Next month, we’ll launch our first annual report so that you can see a full picture of all that’s been happening behind the scenes. I work with incredibly driven and…

By Jen Bokoff (she/her)

February 21, 2020

DEI starts with us

Don’t take away my Black card during Black History Month. Before you read what I wrote below, you should also know that I am one who has experienced and fought racism and discrimination in the workplace. I won some battles…

By Valerie F. Leonard (she/her)

February 20, 2020

Social impact trends that will shape 2020 and beyond

Social impact, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, purpose-driven brands, social good … call it what you will … statistics show that how companies positively contribute to the communities they do business in and the world around them is more important to…

By Maureen Carlson (she/her)

February 19, 2020

Frequently Asked Questions on Census 2020: Census Identities Still Confound

Everyone in the United States plays a race or ethnic card at some point, or at least everyone who responds to the decennial census. Despite the scientific consensus that race is an artificial social construct, unmoored from biological reality, is…

By Khalil Abdullah

February 18, 2020

Inside Candid’s first year: defining our values

Many of us breathed a sigh of relief on February 1, 2019. It was official: Foundation Center and GuideStar had combined operations to form a new nonprofit, Candid. It had been a long road getting to Candid's first year. Then…

By Jen Bokoff (she/her) and Mizmun Kusairi (she/her)

February 18, 2020