More Than Just On-line Giving
Is your organization making the most of its Network for Good listing?
Accountability and transparency are two of the biggest buzz words in philanthropy today, and for good reason. A burgeoning information age has caused a marked shift in the traditional relationship between charities and their supporters. People aren't simply looking up nonprofits on the Internet, they're looking into them.
Potential donors are no longer satisfied with simply hearing about an organization's mission and reputation. They want to know specifically what the nonprofit has accomplished in the past and what it plans for the future. They want to know who a charity's decision makers are and, most important, they want to know how their donations are going to be spent.
Your organization's listing on Network for Good is a powerful tool for answering these questions and satisfying the donors' demands. The information you choose to post on Network for Good can be easily accessed by anyone who wants to know more about what you do and how you do it.
Network for Good uses the GuideStar database for its directory of public charities. It is extremely important that every nonprofit listed on Network for Good takes the time to update its information by filling out the GuideStar Information Form (GIF); updating is free. The GIF is designed to provide the public with the information they want about your organization, and it only takes about 15-20 minutes to complete.
What exactly is GuideStar?
GuideStar is the Web site of Philanthropic Research, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity based in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. GuideStar posts the national database of nonprofit organizations, an on-line directory of every public charity and private foundation registered with the IRS, on its Web site, www.guidestar.org.
GuideStar also partners with Network for Good and other philanthropy sites in the interest of providing donors with the most comprehensive selection of charities available.
When you add information to your GuideStar listing, you become a GuideStar participant and your data automatically appears on GuideStar's partner sites, including Network for Good. This free service saves you time by allowing you to fill out one form and share information about your mission, programs, goals, and accomplishments with multiple audiences. More information should translate into greater donor confidence about your organization — and, we hope, more contributions and volunteer hours. Plus as a GuideStar participant, your nonprofit comes up first on search result pages and you have the option to include a Network for Good "Donate Now" button on your Web site. To date, more than 86,000 nonprofits have taken advantage of GuideStar's free services and become participants.
Is your organization a participant?
Just because your organization appears on GuideStar and Network for Good doesn't mean you're a GuideStar participant. Network for Good lists every public charity in the GuideStar database, and any 501(c)(3) organization registered with the IRS should be listed on GuideStar. If your organization has received an IRS letter of determination naming it a 501(c)(3) public charity but you are not appearing on Network for Good, or if your organization is not required to register with the IRS, contact GuideStar to find out what you need to do to get included. E-mail GuideStar at customerservice@guidestar.org or call 1-800-784-9378.
Not sure if your organization is a participant? Take a look at your listing on the Network for Good search results page:
- If there's a yellow check box next to your organization's name, your organization is a participant.
- If there's a grayed-out check box, that means your organization was a participant but hasn't updated its information in more than two years.
- If there's no check box, your organization isn't a participant yet.
Becoming a participant is easy. Simply go to your organization's listing on Network for Good and click on "add and update" at the bottom of the page. After a quick sign-up process, you can fill out the GuideStar Information Form.
Already a participant? You still need to update!
Change is a constant at most nonprofit organizations. Staff members change, programs change, e-mail addresses and telephone numbers change. Potential supporters are interested in what you've done lately and don't want to see outdated information.
You can update as often as you'd like, even if it's only to change a single name or number. GuideStar recommends you update your report at least twice a year, to ensure that the public has easy access to the freshest, most accurate information available.
Show the world who you are
The Internet has made it possible for donors and institutional funders to demand more information than ever before from the nonprofits they support. The Internet also makes it easy for nonprofits to supply donors with the information they need. Your organization's listing on Network for Good is a vital, dynamic tool for effectively communicating this information at no cost. Take advantage of this opportunity to share your organization's mission with the world.
Patrick Ferraro, 2003
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