Prove What Works
Nonprofit leaders value impact measurement, but only 1 in 5 say they’re good at it. One good reason they value impact measurement is that nonprofits using metrics achieve greater impact, more effectively adapt programs, and make better resource allocation decisions. Research indicates that 70% of organizations that use structured tracking systems report improved outcomes within six months.
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To attract support, impactful nonprofits plan and measure their progress and communicate their results. Donors, and nonprofit constituents, deserve accountability and respond positively when they see it. Track & Share will help nonprofits by giving them free tools and guidance to choose performance metrics and less tangible values, track them over time, and report them to stakeholders and the public they serve, leading to increased revenues. The process leads to performance improvement as well, better return on investment.
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Track & Share will principally work with nonprofits using the Candid and other respected third-party platforms, in consulting engagements of up to 8 hours. Candid's Seals of Transparency are often linked to transparency seals on other sites, such as Charity Navigator, and GreatNonprofits. Track & Share may use other third-party platforms as well.
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THE TRANSPARENCY RANKING SITES
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Here is an alphabetical list of the main ranking sites, with links to more information about them:
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“2025 Seals of Transparency Guide"
Candid, formerly branded as GuideStar, aggregates information about the 2+ million nonprofits registered as 501(c)(3) organizations in the United States. In addition to publishing their Form 990 tax returns, it categorizes organizations into levels from bronze to platinum on the basis of the amount of information they self-report (80,000 have such seals). Self-reported information on this site digs deeper and can give you a better understanding of the organizations mission and goals, as well as their strategies, metrics, capabilities and impact.
Provides data on more than 1.6 million nonprofits in the US. It rates more than 230,000 U.S.-based nonprofits, and provides 9,000 with related star ratings. The ones it rates are big—those that have revenues over $1 million for 2 consecutive years and have been in existence for at least seven years.
CharityWatch is a nonprofit charity watchdog and information service. Founded by the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP), it provides detailed information about how efficiently a charity will use donations, while exposing nonprofit abuses as well. CharityWatch assigns letter grade ratings and provides other statistics on the financial performance of more than 600 American charities.
“Better Business Bureau Standards for Charity Accountability”
BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB’s Give.org) is a standards-based charity evaluator that seeks to verify the trustworthiness of publicly-soliciting charities by completing rigorous evaluations based on 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. 1,300 nonprofits are evaluated.
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Giving Compass assesses nonprofits and issue funds based on four key criteria: Equity, Effectiveness, Systems Change, and Transparency to determine alignment with the principles of Impact-Driven Philanthropy. It guides donors toward practices that advance equity and address the root causes of society's issues.
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GreatNonprofits is a leading source for community-based stories about nonprofits. The stories are submitted by clients, donors, volunteers and others, people who have experienced the impact of the nonprofit’s work up close.
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HOW AND WHAT TO TRACK
Using the Candid platform as an example, you can select a variety of useful performance tracking metrics, and export them to your favorite spreadsheet platform to create a Data Dashboard.
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Some other websites offer ways to track performance metrics. For example, Impact Mapper offers this service, is user friendly, and has personable customer service. Some alternatives are listed here.
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EARNING 2025 CANDID SEALS OF TRANSPARENCY
Until Track & Share is fully funded and operational, we are pleased to supply this helpful guide to get and keep Transparency Seals on the Candid platform.
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Section 1: How to Update Your Nonprofit Profile on Candid (GuideStar)
To begin managing your organization’s profile on Candid:
1. Go to https://www.guidestar.org/UpdateNonprofitProfile.
2. Log in or create an account.
3. Search for your nonprofit using its EIN or name.
4. Submit documentation (such as an IRS Letter of Determination) to verify affiliation.
5. Start filling in your profile to earn Seals of Transparency.
Section 2: Profile Best Practices
Candid recommends:
- Use clear, jargon-free language in your mission and program descriptions.
- Regularly update your financials, leadership, and impact data.
- Include diversity metrics and qualitative outcomes where possible.
- Make your profile visually appealing with logos and links to websites or reports.
- Ensure consistency across your IRS filings, public website, and GuideStar profile.
Section 3: Candid Seals of Transparency (2025)
Bronze Seal – Basic Information
Required fields:
- Mission
- Contact information
- Geographic area served
- Program names and descriptions
- EIN and organizational type
Silver Seal – Program Insights
Add to Bronze:
- Goals and strategies
- Metrics and evaluations
- Leadership and staff demographics
- Logic models or program frameworks
Gold Seal – Financial and Leadership Transparency
Add to Silver:
- Audited financials or IRS Form 990
- Revenue and expense breakdown
- Diversity of board and senior staff
Platinum Seal – Performance and Impact Metrics
Add to Gold:
- Key quantitative impact metrics
- Year-over-year performance trends
- Program evaluation outcomes
Section 4: Best Practices and Usage Tips
- Update your profile annually to maintain your seal.
- Share your Seal on social media, annual reports, and email signatures.
- Use metrics that align with funder and stakeholder priorities.
- Highlight how your work changes lives, not just outputs.
- Review top-performing nonprofits on Candid for formatting and content inspiration.