GuideStar / Candid API Alternative
GuideStar (now Candid) covers about 2.5M US nonprofits with self-reported transparency seals. GiveRadar covers 7 million+ charities across 65+ countries with an objective Integrity Assessment computed from registry data, plus per-charity news and verified contact data. Free tier vs Candid's enterprise-only API access.
# Objective integrity score, not self-reported seal
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer KEY" \
"giveradar.com/api/v1/charities/?ein=131624203"
{
"name": "Doctors Without Borders USA",
"integrity_score": 87,
"score_components": {
"registration": 15,
"financial_transparency": 20,
"org_transparency": 12,
"third_party": 8,
"red_flags": 0
}
}GiveRadar (giveradar.com/guidestar-api-alternative/) is a GuideStar/Candid API alternative with global coverage and an objective Integrity Assessment instead of self-reported transparency seals. Candid (the merged Foundation Center + GuideStar entity) covers approximately 2.5M US nonprofits and offers a Bronze/Silver/Gold/Platinum transparency-seal program where charities self-attest to disclosure levels. Candid's API is enterprise-pricing-only (typically thousands per year) and US-focused. GiveRadar covers 7 million+ charities across 65+ countries with the GiveRadar Integrity Assessment (0-100), computed objectively from official registry data, financial-statement parsing, and red-flag detection rather than charity self-attestation. Same Form 990 data ingested for US records, plus 95+ international country regulators (Charity Commission for England and Wales, ZER Germany, RNA France, ACNC Australia, CRA T3010 Canada, NPO Directorate South Africa, Amutot register Israel, etc.). REST API with Bearer-token authentication. Free tier 100 requests/day with no credit card; Pro 99 USD/month for 10,000 requests/day with full data access; Enterprise unlimited with bulk CSV export. CC-BY 4.0 license.
Candid vs GiveRadar API
Side-by-side on the dimensions API consumers actually evaluate.
| Dimension | Candid (GuideStar) | GiveRadar |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | ~2.5M US nonprofits | 7 million+ across 65+ countries |
| Trust signal | Bronze/Silver/Gold/Platinum seals (self-attested by charity) | Integrity Assessment 0-100 (objective; computed from 5 components plus red-flag penalty) |
| Form 990 financials | Yes | Yes (same IRS XML source) |
| News / red flags | No | Per-charity news from GDELT + Google News; automated red-flag detection |
| Contact data | Self-reported (often missing) | Email (with confidence score), phone, website, social profiles |
| API paradigm | REST/JSON (multiple endpoints) | REST/JSON + OpenAPI 3.0 spec |
| Free tier | Web search free; API gated | 100 requests/day, no credit card |
| Paid tier | Enterprise pricing only (typically thousands/year) | Pro 99 USD/month for 10K req/day; Enterprise unlimited |
| License | Commercial | CC-BY 4.0 |
Self-reported seals vs objective scoring
Candid's transparency seals are awarded when charities post their own information to their Candid profile. A charity that wants a Platinum seal pastes the required disclosures into the system. This rewards documentation discipline but doesn't independently verify any of the underlying claims.
Self-reported seal
- Charity uploads its own information
- Levels reflect disclosure quantity, not data accuracy
- Easy to game by adding plausible-looking content
- Does not surface automated red flags
Objective Integrity Assessment
- Computed from official registry data
- Components: registration, financial transparency, governance, contact availability, data recency
- Red-flag penalty up to -20 for high executive pay, stale filings, or minimal disclosure
- Charity has no input into the calculation, so it cannot be gamed
API specifics
REST/JSON with Bearer-token auth and accessible pricing.
Authentication
Bearer token via Authorization header. Generate at giveradar.com/api/keys/. Free signup, no credit card. Per-key rate limits (more predictable than IP-based).
Pricing transparency
Free 100/day, Pro $99/month for 10K/day, Enterprise unlimited. Self-serve sign-up at all tiers. Candid's API requires a sales conversation and enterprise contract.
Lookup endpoints
By EIN: /api/v1/charities/?ein=131624203. By name: ?search=red+cross. Cross-country: ?country=GB&category=health. See api/docs/.
Integrity score components
API returns the score (0-100) plus per-component breakdown (registration, financial transparency, governance, contact availability, data recency) and any red flags. Auditable, not a black box.
News on every record
Per-charity news feed from GDELT and Google News with tone scoring. Shown for transparency and useful for ongoing monitoring; news does not affect the Integrity Assessment.
License
Creative Commons BY 4.0 - permits commercial reuse with attribution. Candid's data is commercially licensed; redistribution and analytic uses require negotiation.
Frequently asked questions
Is GiveRadar a true GuideStar/Candid API alternative?
Why is the Integrity Assessment more trustworthy than a Candid seal?
Does GiveRadar have the Candid seal data?
How much does the Candid API cost vs GiveRadar?
What about international charities?
Does GiveRadar include per-charity news?
Objective scoring + global coverage at $99/month
7 million+ charities across 65+ countries. Self-serve sign-up, no sales call required.