What’s new at Candid (January 2020)

Happy new year! For my squad’s first meeting of the year, we spend some time reflecting on what went well, what challenges we faced, who we met, and what we learned in 2019. We also asked each other, “What’s one thing that you’re proud of?” The start of a new year is a fresh slate in some ways, but also an opportunity to build on momentum and insights. So as you read what’s new at Candid, I hope you’ll be inspired to build on the momentum you generated in 2019 to achieve great things in 2020.

Highlights

• David Holmes, Cleveland lead on the Social Sector Outreach team, was recently awarded Trainer of the Year for 2019. The Trainer of the Year award is part of our Trainer Recognition program, launched in 2019 to recognize the commitment and creativity that our trainers bring to our physical and digital classrooms every day. In order to be selected, the Trainer of the Year must demonstrate a collaborative spirit within and across teams in the design, development, and delivery of nonprofit capacity building content. Congrats to Dave!
• We wrapped up our Nonprofit Startup Assessment Tool (NPSAT) project at the close of 2019. NPSAT, a project funded by the Ewing Marion Kaufman Foundation, is a free online assessment tool that assists users in determining their readiness to launch a new nonprofit. Candid also has an updated course, Is Starting a Nonprofit Right for You? that complements the tool as a way for community members to get further insights on this topic. This course is also available as a free video.
• Candid’s four regional offices successfully relocated in 2019 and have already started conducting pop-up and community trainings like this one in Macon, Georgia, and this one at San Francisco Public Library. The moves were part of our regionalization strategy, which you can read more about in this blog post by Zohra Zori, VP of Social Sector Outreach (SSO). As Candid staff work to become more deeply connected to the regions they serve, our Funding Information Network partners continue to do great on-the-ground programming, like this one in Las Vegas, Nevada, this one in Youngstown, Ohio, and this one in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• As of December 31, 2019, some 76,856 organizations had earned a Seal of Transparency on their GuideStar Nonprofit Profiles. Some 10,107 of these nonprofits had earned a Platinum Seal, the highest level available.
• Also as of December 31, 2019, some 102 foundations had shared profiles on GlassPockets.
• Lauren Bradford, senior director of global projects & partnerships and planning committee member for WINGS Forum 2020, traveled to Nairobi to develop a vision for the upcoming forum. As the premier event in the global philanthropy community, through the lens of “Imagine,” the Forum will explore how we can creatively leverage technology, power, and markets to realize change in society, philanthropy, and ourselves. WINGS (Worldwide Initiative for Grantmaker Support) and Candid have worked together for many years to strengthen leadership and learning in philanthropy and civil society around the world.

Find more projects we have been working on.

Candid in the news

• Liz Weston, “Here’s why one donation of $1,000 beats 10 donations of $100,” Los Angeles Times, Dec. 29, 2019.
• William P. Barrett, “How Forbes Picked America’s Top Charities For 2019—And What To Look For In Yours,” Forbes, Dec. 11, 2019.
• Edward C. Begg, “When a happy birthday wish on Facebook turns into a request for donations,” USA Today, Dec. 9, 2019.
• Amrita Jayakumar, “How to Give Back Without Busting Your Budget,” Nerd Wallet, Dec. 6, 2019.
• David McCabe, “Silicon Valley Learns Washington’s Language (and Vice Versa),” New York Times, Dec. 4, 2019.
• Kelsey Piper, “Giving Tuesday, explained,” Vox, Dec. 2, 2019.

Visit our press page for more news coverage of Candid.

We’ll keep sharing these posts each month, but follow us on Twitter to hear the latest when it happens.