First A Word about Candid And What We Do And Don’t Do
At Candid we aim to provide better data to help people make better decisions for better world. Each year, millions of people use Candid's GuideStar resource to make decisions about nonprofits and the work they do. We strive to provide the highest-quality, most complete nonprofit information available.
We gather, organize, and distribute information about U.S.-based nonprofits. We then aggregate it into nonprofit profiles, one profile for each organization. Every nonprofit on our site is invited to update its profile for free and can earn a Seal of Transparency. The amount of information a nonprofit shares determines which Seal of Transparency—Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum—it receives. A Seal indicates that an organization has provided a certain type of information; it is not an approval or endorsement by Candid.
Candid is not a watchdog. We do not manually review all self-reported information shared by organizations through their nonprofit profiles. We do take action when our users alert us to suspicious information. Keep reading to learn where our information comes from and what you can do to bring inaccurate or fraudulent information to our attention.
Where Does The Information on Nonprofit Profiles Come From?
Nonprofit profiles are populated from multiple sources. We try to provide both objective and perceptual data to offer a full picture of an organization. Some of this information comes from government sources: nonprofits’ Forms 990, the IRS Business Master File, IRS Publication 78, and the OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) lists.
Additionally, nonprofits are encouraged to update their profiles to supplement the IRS information and tell a more complete story. This is how a nonprofit can earn a Seal of Transparency.
What Do I Do If I Find Inaccurate Or Fraudulent Information on A Nonprofit Profile?
If you think a NPO has uploaded incorrect or inaccurate information, please email us at support@candid.org. From there:
We will review the information and determine if the organization has violated our Terms of Use.
If the organization is in violation, we will contact the manager of the nonprofit profile and request the organization remove/correct the issue within 5 business days.
If the information is not removed in 5 business days, Candid will remove the information from the profile.
If the inaccurate information is in field that’s required to earn a Seal of Transparency, we will revoke the organization’s Seal of Transparency.
If an organization continuously violates Candid's Terms of Use, we will block it from updating its nonprofit profile.
What Do I Do If I Believe An Organization Is Acting Illegally?
If you believe that an organization is acting illegally or fraudulently, you need to report it to the proper authorities, the IRS or your state attorney general’s office.
If you want to flag an organization as fraudulent and believe it is in violation of the IRS requirements for tax-exempt organizations, the Internal Revenue Service recommends providing information in letter format or filling out a Form 13909, Tax-Exempt Organization Complaint Form. The complaint letter or Form 13909 can be submitted in one of the following ways:
Email to eoclass@irs.gov
Mail to TEGE Referrals Group, 1100 Commerce Street, MC 4910 DAL, Dallas, TX 75242, or
Fax to 214-413-5415
The IRS complaint should contain all relevant facts concerning the alleged violation of tax law. You can find more information about this process here.
For state governments, contact your state attorney general’s office.
Another resource available to you is the Better Business Bureau. The Bureau offers an inquiry and complaint filing procedure at: https://www.bbb.org/consumer-complaints/file-a-complaint/get-started
Finally, we also recommend writing a review on GreatNonprofits to alert others to potential red flags in this charity’s operations.
Does Candid Remove A Fraudulent Organization’s Nonprofit Profile?
As long as the organization remains tax exempt, we will retain its profile on GuideStar, and any user can access the information. Only the IRS can revoke a nonprofit’s tax-exempt status. If the IRS revokes a nonprofit’s exemption, we note that information on the organization’s profile. Only GuideStar Pro, GuideStar Premium, and GuideStar Charity Check subscribers can access the profiles of revoked organizations.
If we’ve been alerted that legal action has been taken against an organization that holds a Seal of Transparency, we will immediately review any information the organization has provided through their profile editor. We reserve the right to remove any information self-reported by the organization and any Seal of Transparency the organization has earned by providing this information.