Candid search: Helping funders and fundraisers work even smarter

We’re excited to announce the full launch of Candid search, with new product features bringing together the most trusted nonprofit and philanthropic data into a single integrated experience—helping funders, fundraisers, researchers, and the public better understand the social sector and make more informed decisions in doing good.

For decades, GuideStar and Foundation Directory have served complementary but distinct needs. GuideStar has been the primary source for nonprofit transparency and organizational data, while Foundation Directory has provided in-depth information on foundations, grantmakers, and funding trends. With Candid search, these capabilities now live on one comprehensive platform, offering our users a more complete, connected view of the sector.

By combining high-quality data, streamlined workflows, and emerging AI-enabled tools, Candid search supports the day-to-day work of nonprofits and funders while maintaining Candid’s long-standing commitment to data accessibility and public benefit.

Building with users at the center

Candid search was developed using an iterative, user-centered approach rather than a single, all-at-once launch. Each milestone focused on solving specific user needs, informed by ongoing feedback from nonprofits, funders, and other sector stakeholders.

In September 2025, we introduced core capabilities designed primarily for GuideStar users. These updates made it easier for nonprofits to claim and manage their profiles, share detailed information about their mission, programs, and impact, and earn a Candid Seal of Transparency. Research has shown that nonprofits displaying a Candid Seal receive more contributions on average, reinforcing the importance of accessible, trustworthy data for donor decision making.

Now we’ve built on that foundation by expanding functionality for fundraisers and funders—integrating prospect research, project management, analytics, and data visualization.

Supporting today’s fundraising workflows

For fundraisers, Candid search now includes tools designed to simplify and streamline prospect research. Users can identify foundations, corporate giving programs, and other grantmakers based on funding priorities, geographic focus, issue areas, and populations served using one tool, as well as benchmark their funding against local and national peers.

This work reflects the realities of the sector. More than 90% of Candid’s nonprofit users are small to midsize organizations, often with limited development capacity and little time for labor-intensive research. Candid search prioritizes efficiency and clarity—reducing repetitive tasks and helping users focus their efforts where they’re most likely to succeed. Our new fundraising tools drive powerful efficiencies for larger organizations as well.

Free, open data—with optional tools

Candid continues to make essential nonprofit data freely available to the public. Core information—such as nonprofit profiles and IRS Forms 990—remains accessible without registration or subscription, supporting donors, journalists, researchers, and community members who rely on open data to understand nonprofit work.

With free registration, users will be able to access:

• More detailed nonprofit data and information on their profiles.
• A personalized dashboard that serves as a central workspace within Candid search. Additionally, the dashboard surfaces default content based on user activity and provides quick access to saved searches, collections, and work in progress. It also highlights peer organizations, enabling users to benchmark, identify collaboration opportunities, and better understand the landscape in which they operate.

AI tools and digital workspaces

Subscribers to Candid search gain access to a set of advanced fundraising tools designed to support planning, research, and execution that will reduce administrative burden and support more strategic fundraising practices:

• AI-generated funder recommendations: Matching algorithms analyze nonprofit profiles and program focus to generate prospect lists of foundations that are more likely to align with an organization’s work.
• AI-assisted letters of inquiry: Fundraisers can generate tailored first drafts of LOIs that draw on nonprofit profile data, funder priorities, and grant-writing best practices—helping teams get started more quickly while retaining editorial control.
• Projects: Dedicated digital workspaces allow users to organize tasks, documents, notes, and deadlines for specific fundraising initiatives, keeping related work in one place.

Visualizing the social sector landscape

Candid search also offers subscribers a new data aggregation, analysis, and visualization feature that will enable users to explore and present the philanthropic ecosystem across issue areas or geographies. Philanthropy-serving organizations can use this tool to better understand their subsector or share contextual views of their ecosystems with funders, partners, and the public. Funders can use it to analyze giving trends, understand how their portfolios fit within broader funding patterns, and explore peer activity. We’ll share more details about how to use this feature in a forthcoming article.

What’s next for Candid search

Candid will begin transitioning legacy Foundation Directory users—including Foundation Maps and 990 Finder users—to Candid search. Future iterations will continue to integrate automation and AI more deeply across workflows, while expanding capabilities for fundraisers, funders, researchers, and other users who need a better understanding of one organization or the sector.

Candid search reflects a long-term vision: a sector where high-quality data, thoughtfully designed tools, and accessible technology enable nonprofits and funders of all sizes to work more effectively—and with greater clarity—toward shared social goals.

We’ll be introducing some of these features in more detail in upcoming articles. Stay tuned. In the meantime, learn more about Candid search, features, and subscriptions.