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New year, new look. Introducing 2022 Candid Seals of Transparency.

Graphic of 2022 Candid Seals of Transparency (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum)

This year, as part of our commitment to bring greater value to nonprofits, we’re launching the 2022 Candid Seals of Transparency with a fresh, new look. Seals are a tangible way to demonstrate your organization’s commitment to transparency and build confidence among potential supporters (see the 2023 announcement here).  

Be one of the first organizations to earn a new 2022 Candid Seals of Transparency to display on your nonprofit profile and website.  Nearly 80,000 nonprofits have recognized the value of demonstrating transparency through these Seals. Claim your free Candid nonprofit profile and earn a Seal today to: 

Manage your organization’s online identity: Choose what tens of millions of potential donors see about your nonprofit. 

Get noticed: When you claim your profile and earn a 2022 Seal, Candid sends that fresh information to 200+ charitable sites, including AmazonSmile, Facebook, and Network for Good. 

Save time and impress donors: Leverage your profile as the perfect handout to showcase your programs and impact in meetings with funders.   

How to earn a 2022 Seal 

If your organization has a 2021 or older Seal 

  1. Sign in to manage your profile and review all required fields. 
  2. Update or add information as necessary. 
  3. Publish your changes.

That’s it! 

Note: Your Seal will expire automatically after two years if you do not update your information. 

If your organization does not have a Seal 

Claim and update your Candid profile. For more guidance on how to do so, visit our Help Center. Here is what you’ll need to earn a 2022 Seal of Transparency: 

Bronze 

  • Basic information—so your organization can be found 
  • Only five key pieces of information are required: 
    • Contact information 
    • Donation information 
    • Mission 
    • Leader information 
    • New! Grantmaker status: Does your organization make grants or donations? 

Silver 

  • Programs—a chance to share programs and to build your brand 
  • Only two key elements are required: 
    • Program(s) info: name, brief description, geographic area served 
    • Brand: logo, tagline, website, and social media names/handles—so donors can see your nonprofit’s latest activity 

Gold 

  • Capabilities—share financials and people info that funders seek 
  • Two key elements are required: 
    • 2020 or 2021 financials 
    • Board chair name and leader demographics 

Platinum 

  • Impact—share goals and the difference you’re making 
  • Only two key elements are required: 
    • Strategy & goals: upload strategic plan or briefly answer two questions 
    • Metrics: share at least one metric from 2021 

Click here to get started and earn your Seal!

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  • Kyoko Uchida says:

    March 26, 2024 2:02 pm

    Charity Navigator is focused on "the cost-effectiveness and overall health of a charity’s programs, including measures of stability, efficiency, and sustainability." You can learn more about Charity Navigator here: https://www.charitynavigator.org/about-us/

  • Jon Schmid says:

    March 26, 2024 10:12 am

    How does your organization compare to Chrity Navigator?

  • Kate, Digital Communications Manager, Candid says:

    April 24, 2023 8:35 am

    Hi Janice, you can see what is required on our Candid's GuideStar help page: How to earn a 2023 Platinum Seal of Transparency

  • Janice Phalen says:

    April 19, 2023 2:41 pm

    What are the key questions to earn a Platinum Seal? Who recognizes these Seals?

  • Annandale says:

    January 28, 2023 11:57 am

    I saw this seal on an newly developed organization. I am at a loss to what the seal means and the organization that is providing the accreditation. Something more plain and staight forward that the every day person can readily understand and relate to. Also the name of the organization that is providing the

  • Jeff McGinnis says:

    November 29, 2022 9:48 pm

    I thought they were placeholder images, until I understood this is the finished product. Please reconsider these images, we won't use them because they confer no authority and communicate nothing. Really, this is not a good design. We'll just use text for now until something better is designed.

  • Tracey Hill says:

    February 11, 2022 7:10 pm

    I completely agree with other comments. The new seals are terrible. No layperson will understand what they mean. The old design was 100x better--even if a person didn't know exactly what it was referring to, it conveyed a general seal of approval. This one looks like a mistake where the image didn't fully import. We too will be removing the seal from our materials.

  • Mary Steyer says:

    January 27, 2022 12:08 pm

    Hello Lisa,
    2022 Candid Seals are an update of GuideStar seals. Older seals are still valid for the years they were issued, but organizations must update their information to earn Candid's 2022 Seal. If you have any further questions regarding the profile or the seals, contact [email protected] and we'll be happy to assist.

  • Linda says:

    January 27, 2022 11:54 am

    I would like to cast a vote against the new seals of transparency. The new box look does not look official and appears more like a temporary stamp. We really liked the previous versions with the transparent background so that it merged well with our website homepage and also into our annual report. We will be removing the new Platinum Seal from our website. Is there a possibility of having a choice?

  • Lisa Papciak says:

    January 27, 2022 11:35 am

    Hi, Is this new seal going to replace the Guidestar Seal we already earned? Or is it in addition to?

  • Mary Steyer says:

    January 20, 2022 4:03 pm

    Hello William, thank you for reaching out to Candid about an organization included on GuideStar. To provide context, GuideStar includes more than 2.9 million current or historic nonprofits. If an organization is registered with the IRS as tax-exempt, GuideStar will display its information. To be clear, GuideStar does not sponsor or evaluate organizations; our goal is to give people access to the information they need to make giving decisions.

    A Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum Seal of Transparency on a nonprofit's profile indicates that the organization has updated its profile by providing specific, up-to-date information to earn the seal. Each seal indicates a level of transparency the nonprofit has achieved; the requirements for the seals are listed on our website.

    If you believe that a nonprofit organization is acting unlawfully or improperly, there are governmental authorities and consumer organizations with which you can share this information. For more information on how to do so please contact [email protected].

  • William Watts says:

    January 20, 2022 10:43 am

    You have awarded a silver medal to Bike Indianapolis, a supremely non-transparent organization. It does not abide by its bylaws, it does not communicate its activities to its members, it does not provide any communication to members about its goals, its accomplishments, or its use of funds. Everything in process suggests how easy it is for organizations to get your awards. But you seem to have no standards for transparency, and no follow-up. In this way, you are actually supporting and promoting non-transparent organizations. Shame on you!!