GuideStar, a 501(c)3 public charity, is the world’s largest source of information regarding nonprofit organizations. Their mission is to revolutionize philanthropy by providing information that advances transparency, enables users to make better decisions, and encourages charitable giving. GuideStar lists information on every nonprofit registered with the Internal Revenue Service as tax-exempt. They strive to collect and provide access to the most comprehensive, updated, and accurate nonprofit information available. They obtain the information from the federal government, partners in the nonprofit sector, and the nonprofits themselves.
Help Millions of Funders Find Your Nonprofit Guidestar is used by potential funders nationwide as a reliable tool to quickly assess nonprofit organizations. Claiming and completing your nonprofit’s profile helps increase the chances of potential supporters making a favorable decision when requesting funding.
Seals of Transparency One crucial component of each nonprofit's GuideStar profile is its Seal of Transparency. The seal helps gain the trust and support of potential funders. The Seal of Transparency levels includes Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each level provides more and more transparency on the nonprofit organization, starting with things as simple as adding your mission statement, leveling up by adding board information, to sharing the metrics of demonstrated performance towards your mission. The more information you provide, the higher your Seal of Transparency becomes.
Learn more about the different
GuideStar seals and requirements.
National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities Code (NTEE) - The GuideStar profile allows nonprofits to add the NTEE codes that align with their nonprofit’s mission. These codes help viewers categorize a search for nonprofits focused on their area of interest. Sometimes profiles that are populated with incorrect NTEE codes or only include one code
, note more than one code is permitted. Unfortunately, this leaves the door open for lost funding opportunities since the funder might not find your nonprofit when searching the website.
We encourage you to review the
National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) Classification System to ensure you are accurately coding your nonprofit.
Geographic Service Areas GuideStar provides the ability to highlight the geographic areas your nonprofit services. Note, be careful not to limit the area to where the nonprofit is physically located, but also include the communities served. Funders often focus on specific geographic areas where they want to make a difference. Ensuring your service areas are accurate will help improve your alignment in the funder’s focus areas. We hope the above tips give you a better idea of how to get the maximum benefits from your GuideStar profile. Still have questions? We encourage you to contact us for an
On-Demand Strategy Session where together, we can look deeper into your nonprofit profile and offer expert nonprofit advice.