Blog home Tips & Training Unlocking change: Free access to Candid’s nonprofit resources

Unlocking change: Free access to Candid’s nonprofit resources

Brittany Hall (she/her)
January 17, 2024

A man in glasses in front of a laptop, with a Candid webpage (

Candid’s ongoing commitment is to ensure all nonprofits and their communities have equitable access to Candid’s resources. Our mission is to get you what you need to do good—and that includes free access to the nonprofit resources, insights, and tools listed below.

Free nonprofit educational resources

Most nonprofit leaders hold deep expertise in their organization’s focus area, but not everyone working in the social sector arrives equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to fundraise effectively. Even the most seasoned fundraisers need to stay abreast of the latest trends in the sector and can benefit from data and tools to help them find funding.

We also know that most nonprofits don’t have funds available to divert from their programs and services to further invest in fundraising. That’s why we freely share our expertise with the sector through a variety of channels:

Live and on-demand trainings: Learn about a range of topics from starting a nonprofit to proposal writing, management, governance, sustainability, and transparency.
Online librarian consultations: Receive real-time, personalized assistance from our in-house experts on philanthropy, nonprofit management, and fundraising.
Audiobook and e-book library: Access thousands of fundraising- and nonprofit-related e-books and audiobooks, expertly curated by Candid’s librarians.
Nonprofit knowledge base: Browse through short, actionable articles that address immediate questions on key nonprofit concepts and topics.
Industry newsletters: Stay informed about the ever-changing philanthropic landscape through updates from Philanthropy News Digest, Issue Lab, and Candid.

Free fundraising resources

Finding your most likely funders can be challenging, especially when only ~10% of U.S. foundations have websites. Candid bridges this gap by providing free access to up-to-date, in-depth information to help nonprofits find grants.

Foundation Directory: Nonprofits with annual revenue or expenses under $1 million that earn Candid’s Gold Seal of Transparency are eligible for free access to our prospect research tool through the Gold for Gold program.
Daily RFP alerts: Receive automatic updates on grantmakers issuing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) related to your nonprofit’s area of expertise.
Sample documents and reference materials: Gain inspiration from a collection of sample grant proposals, letters of inquiry, project budgets, and other documents for making your case to funders.

Free nonprofit resources to boost visibility and attract funding

Millions of donors, individual and institutional, visit Candid’s GuideStar to research nonprofits to support and to help guide their giving decisions. It’s free for nonprofits to update their profile and earn a Seal of Transparency. Candid’s profiles power over 200 charitable sites, such as Facebook and donor-advised funds. Updating your profile ensures these partners have access to accurate information. Earning a Seal of Transparency also unlocks benefits, such as:

Shareable full profile link: Give funders unlimited access to your Candid nonprofit profile with this unique link that can be used in emails, on social media, or other in fundraising appeals.
Apple Pay for donations: Earn a Bronze Seal to unlock donations with Apple Pay through donation platforms.

Resources for the broader nonprofit community

To make sure we’re providing trusted information where it’s needed most, we offer our tools at no cost at hundreds of locations across the country. Candid community access points at over 1,000 libraries and nonprofit resource centers provide free access to tools and educational programs, including:

Candid’s GuideStar: Patrons can use GuideStar to find nonprofits to support, as a volunteer or donor. They can also find local nonprofits that provide crucial resources in their area, like shelters and food banks.
Candid’s Foundation Directory: Local nonprofits can use Foundation Directory Professional—for free—to conduct prospect research for funding.
Grants to Individuals: Students can use this resource to find grants intended to reduce student debt.

We strive to empower nonprofits and donors with free, accessible resources—from live trainings and social sector job listings to donor insights and opportunities to increase visibility with supporters. Get started today to explore Candid’s wealth of free nonprofit resources.

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About the author

Brittany Hall (she/her)

Senior Director of Equitable Access
See bio

Brittany Hall is Senior Director of Equitable Access at Candid, a nonprofit dedicated to making the social sector more efficient, equitable, and effective by sharing information about foundations and nonprofit organizations. She is spearheading efforts to identify and overcome barriers faced by historically underrepresented groups in accessing funding by providing nonprofits with equitable access to the networks, skills, and resources necessary for them to effectively carry out their missions. Above all, her work is centered in ensuring that all nonprofits, regardless of their background, have fair and equitable access to funding, enabling them to deliver sustainable impact and advance community trust, opportunity, and overall quality of life.

Prior to joining Candid, Brittany was most recently the Senior Director of Impact at Hello Alice, a social enterprise tech company, where she partnered with enterprise organizations to deploy over $38 million in unrestricted grant funding to historically underrepresented small businesses. Previously, she has worked in industries as diverse as health care, e-commerce, financial services, and consulting, all with an intentional emphasis on creating positive social impact.

Brittany currently serves as the chair of the board of directors for the Contemporary Arts Network (CAN) Foundation, an organization dedicated to building sustainable careers for the creative class through artist development, arts education, and public art projects, while strengthening communities through the arts.

Brittany earned a Bachelor of Science in cultural anthropology and a Bachelor of Arts in corporate communication from James Madison University, as well as an accreditation in diversity, equity, and inclusion from Cornell University. She currently resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

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