Candid

...federal cuts to public media are pushing organizations—already accustomed to using collaboration as a key strategy— to find creative ways to stay afloat. Samantha Mercado, journalist

At a time when traditional media is being questioned, nonprofit newsrooms are slowly growing by leaning into collaboration.

Samantha Mercado shares more: https://candid.org/blogs/what-local-nonprofit-news-field-revenue-growth-means-sector-research/

Will AI be reviewing your grant applications soon? Here’s what funders say.

Few funders are currently using AI to screen applications.

But more are considering using AI in the future.

In our annual Foundation Giving Forecast survey, we asked funders if they plan on adopting and using AI in the grant screening process. Here is what we heard from the 500+ foundations who responded.

Learn more: https://candid.org/blogs/will-foundations-soon-use-ai-to-screen-grant-applications/

Candid levels up to help nonprofits find funding faster Candid insights | Discover Candid search’s new and AI-powered features, designed to help nonprofits find funding faster by simplifying prospect research, streamlining fundraising projects, workflows, ...

Explore the new, upgraded Candid search, featuring even more high-quality data, custom dashboards, and AI-powered tools–all to help you raise more funding with less busywork.

Foundations are leaning into more flexible funding. In 2008-2017, general operating support only made up a median of 20-25% of their grants. But in 2025 that median jumped to 38% of grants.

How can funders support nonprofits in rapidly changing conditions? Increased flexible funding is just one of the findings from the Grantmakers for Effective Organizations’ new study.

Learn more: https://candid.org/blogs/how-can-funders-create-conditions-for-communities-to-thrive-nonprofit-partners/

A woman presenting in the front of a conference room

Two women talking in front of a presentation

Audience at the presentation

Last year, we offered 244 virtual and in-person trainings with over 65,000 nonprofit folks. And we're excited to do it again in 2026!

We kicked off this year with a presentation at the Nonprofit Executive Alliance in Miami.

To see our free upcoming trainings, visit learning.candid.org.

How can funders best support nonprofits in rapidly changing conditions? Increased flexible funding is just one of the findings from GEO's newest report.

Learn more: https://candid.org/blogs/how-can-funders-create-conditions-for-communities-to-thrive-nonprofit-partners/

What nonprofit conferences are you attending this year?

We'd love to say hi in-person!

Reimagining the nonprofit annual report Candid Blog | In this blog, we share lessons learned from Candid's reimagined approach to our nonprofit annual report.

What does your nonprofit's annual report look like?

A few years ago, we decided ours wasn't working and changed up the way we make this report.

Learn how we went from a time-consuming and expensive printed piece, to a direct and compelling PDF that serves our needs and speaks to our supporters.

Nonprofits with a Candid Seal of Transparency get an average 62% more in contributions. And this year its easier than ever to earn one.

Learn more: https://candid.org/blogs/candid-2026-seals-of-transparency-made-faster-easier-nonprofits-more-donations/

Nonprofits are not required to publish an expensive and time-consuming printed annual report.

Here's how Candid reimagined our annual report (and how you can do it, too).

Learn more: https://candid.org/blogs/reimagining-the-nonprofit-annual-report-to-maximize-roi/

Donors who find nonprofits via AI give up to 70% more. Chart shows this data.

Donors are using generative AI to find nonprofits to support. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Learn more about what this means for nonprofits and how you can secure online giving going forward: https://candid.org/blogs/how-ai-tools-affect-online-giving-research-data/

4 essentials to strengthen your nonprofit’s digital profile Candid insights | Discover four essentials for strengthening your nonprofit’s digital profile and online presence, which includes the information you share via your social media channels, website, and...

Digital platforms, like social media and your website, are key ways that your community and supporters find and connect with you.

Here's how to make sure that digital presence turns into real-world impact.

Leadership is about creating space for others and for ourselves Candid insights | Ms. Foundation for Women’s Teresa Younger shares what leadership means in feminist philanthropy and why it comes down to creating space for others and ourselves.

What does leading a nonprofit look like for you?

For Teresa C. Younger, CEO of the Ms. Foundation for Women, leadership is about creating space for people to be seen and ideas to grow.

Read more: https://candid.org/blogs/leadership-creating-space-for-others-and-ourselves/

Happy New Year? It depends what nonprofit “year” you’re talking about. Candid Blog | Learn about five main types of nonprofit years, what they mean, and how they differ, including fiscal year, calendar year, tax form year, and more.

Happy New Year... or is it? Fiscal year, report year, form year, professing year, there's a lot of different types of years for nonprofits.

Let's dive into the different years and why they matter.

Multiyear grants help nonprofits make a bigger impact. Only 68% of funders we surveyed offer them. 35% offered 1-10 multiyear grants, 18% offered 11-50 multiyear grants, 32% offered 0 multiyear grants, and 15% offered 51+ multiyear grants.

A multiyear grant means more stability and capacity for your nonprofit, but some funders have a good reasons for offering short-term grants.

Dive into the data: https://candid.org/blogs/where-do-foundations-stand-on-multiyear-funding/

Happy New Year to the nonprofits that celebrate in January. Chart shows 64% of nonprofits end their fiscal year in December, 22% in June, and the remainder are spread across different months.

Is your nonprofit celebrating a new fiscal year? Only 64% of nonprofits end their year in December.

Learn more about the different types of years that nonprofit organizations need to track: https://candid.org/blogs/differences-in-nonprofit-fiscal-year-calendar-year-form-year/

Nonprofits are resilient, but resilience takes resources. Your donation to Candid ensures we get nonprofits the support they need.

Support Candid; support the sector.

Donate today: https://candid.donorsupport.co/page/FUNAALXSUQB

Only 24% of people plan to donate in December. 46% already donated and don't plan to again, 18% donated and will donate in December, 6% will only donate in December, and 30% will not donate at all.

Most people are not planning to donate in December, according to a survey donate by AP-NORC. Luckily, the bulk of those individuals have already donated to a nonprofit this year.

A mug of cocoa in the snow

Let's raise a mug of cocoa to the nonprofit staff who are working hard during the holidays to help their communities, raise funds, and make a difference!

What a Form 990 says—and doesn’t say—about a nonprofit Candid insights | A legally required tax form, find out what a Form 990 says about a nonprofit—and what it doesn’t—including common misconceptions about the information that Forms 990 contain.

A nonprofit’s Form 990 is a legally required tax form, and it can help donors better understand your nonprofit. But there are a few misconceptions about what they include and don't.

Here's four common Form 990 misconceptions.

What's filling up your cup this holiday season?

Maybe hot chocolate to relax, coffee to gear up for that final fundraising push, or perhaps water to clear your mind for the next year.

How much does your nonprofit raise in December?

While it varies from 17-57%, the average nonprofit raises around a quarter of their revenue in the last month of the year. And a big chunk of that comes during the last three days of December.

How will AI tools affect online giving? Let’s explore the data.

Donors are using AI tools to search for nonprofits, which could negatively affect online giving, a report from Blue State warns.

Learn more and get the data: https://candid.org/blogs/how-ai-tools-affect-online-giving-research-data/

All generations are giving online, so make sure your nonprofit is ready for them.

When was the last time you checked what your online donation experience is like? With more folks donating online, now is the perfect time to double check that it's a good experience.

Learn more: https://candid.org/blogs/what-motivates-donors-charitable-giving-across-generations-trends/

Telling the story of how ‘nonprofits get it done’ Candid insights | Based on the Nonprofits Get It Done campaign, find three data-backed stories that can help you educate the public about the essential role your nonprofit plays in the community.

Most people don’t realize how lean, local, and volunteer-powered nonprofits are, and public understanding is getting more distorted.

The National Council of Nonprofits shares how all of us at nonprofits can educate the public and policy makers on how nonprofits get it done.

Only 1% of funders use AI to screen grant applicants, but more are considering it for the future. Do you anticipate using AI to screen applications in the future? 19% said maybe, 3% said Yes, 66% said No, and 12% said I don’t know

How do you feel about AI being used to screen your grant application?

Only 1% of funders use AI to screen grant applicants, but 31% are considering it for the future.

Learn more: https://candid.org/blogs/will-foundations-soon-use-ai-to-screen-grant-applications

Fundraisers' top questions about individual giving answered Candid insights | Discover expert answers to nonprofit fundraisers' top questions about individual donors and giving to help your organization make the most out of the 2025 Giving Season.

With individual gifts adding up to 66% of all giving in the U.S., we get a lot of questions about how to reach them. Here are our answers!

Candid is now on Claude! We’ve partnered with Anthropic on Claude for Nonprofits to help nonprofits work more efficiently through AI.

Learn more: lnkd.in/e-hbM99M

Chart shows percentage of online revenue raised by nonprofits in each month. Most months are around 4-6%, except for December which is 40%

What month do you raise the most money for your nonprofit?

According to M+R Benchmarks, the average nonprofit raises 40% of their online revenue in December.

Rethink your year-end giving social media plan Candid Blog | Find out how to build excitement into your social media plan to make the most out of the year-end giving season.

We all know how important year-end giving is for nonprofits.

These five tips can help your nonprofit build excitement on social media before you make your ask.