Candid insights

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

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

Weekend Link Roundup (February 15-16, 2020)

Our weekly roundup of noteworthy items from and about the social sector. For more links to great content, follow us on Twitter at @pndblog.... Fundraising Everything in the world of fundraising is based on relationships, or should be, right? Well,…

By Mitch Nauffts (he/him)

February 16, 2020

What is a theory of change? Or a logic model?

What exactly is a theory of change? That’s a question I get a lot in my work with nonprofits. The short answer: It’s just what it sounds like. It’s an organization’s theory about how things are going to change as…

By Laurel Molloy (she/her)

February 14, 2020

Designing Partner-Centered Grantmaking Processes

Human-centered design is on the rise within the social sector. Governments, nonprofits, and social enterprises are increasingly generating products, systems, and processes that put the people primarily affected by a problem at the center of their design process. Called “design…

By Vanessa Stevens (she/her)

February 13, 2020

The problem with everything being all about relationships

Hi everyone, this week is Valentine’s Day, arguably the most annoying and stressed-filled day ever. I like it as much as I like infinity scarves. But at least we have #NonprofitPickupLines on Twitter. Go make that trend again. “Hey there, is your…

By Vu Le (he/him)

February 13, 2020

50 years of Southern philanthropy

In November, I had the pleasure of speaking at SECF50, the 50th annual meeting of the Southeastern Council of Foundations. Using Candid data, I compared philanthropy in the South fifty years ago to philanthropy in the region today. Here are…

By Larry McGill (he/him)

February 11, 2020

Buy local, hire local, live local: the Greater University Circle model for equitable development

Reprinted from the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy. A Tale of Two Cities Cleveland’s Greater University Circle neighborhood has long been considered the city’s premiere cultural, medical, and educational district. Home to powerhouse institutions like Case Western Reserve University,…

By India Pierce Lee (she/her)

February 11, 2020

Inside Candid’s first year: staff musings

In case you missed it, February 1 marked the first anniversary of Candid’s creation. Last week, members of our executive team shared their thoughts on the past year. Today, staff members in different program areas, of varying tenures, and located…

By Suzanne Coffman (she/her)

February 10, 2020

Weekend Link Roundup (February 8-9, 2020)

Our weekly roundup of noteworthy items from and about the social sector. For more links to great content, follow us on Twitter at @pndblog.... Economy The stock market is up and inflation is muted. It's the story of the last…

By Mitch Nauffts (he/him)

February 9, 2020

What it takes to secure a major private grant

For those of us who work with private foundations, grant writer has become a bit of a misnomer. Outside of some select circumstances, robust proposals can be rarities. Your initial introduction to funders is likely to take the form of…

By Susan Schaefer (she/her)

February 6, 2020

Attracting your best corporate partner

Imagine going on a first date with someone you think you’re really interested in. I know the rules have changed a lot since I’ve been in the game, but I bet some things have stayed the same. Even if you’re…

By Jessica James (she/her)

February 5, 2020

IRS revises Form 1023 for applying for tax-exempt status

As part of an ongoing effort to improve service for the tax-exempt community, the Internal Revenue Service has revised Form 1023 to allow electronic filing for the first time starting later this month. To help charities apply for Section 501(c)(3)…

By U.S. Internal Revenue Service

February 5, 2020