Is GiveRadar a GlobalGiving Atlas alternative?

Yes, for many use cases. GlobalGiving Atlas is a paid B2B database of approximately 10.7 million validated nonprofits worldwide, accessed via API, JSON, or CSV under a paid license. It is used by corporations and foundations for grantmaking due diligence, employee volunteer program validation, and compliance vetting. GiveRadar is a free public alternative covering 7 million+ charities across 65+ countries from 50+ official government registries, with a free API tier and Pro at 99 USD per month. Atlas covers more total nonprofits because it includes records from registries we do not yet ingest; GiveRadar is open access, has a published methodology, and exposes a public OpenAPI specification. For corporate compliance teams that require Atlas's vetting heritage and dedicated account support, Atlas is the right choice. For research-grade data access at lower cost or zero cost, GiveRadar fits the use case.

What is GlobalGiving Atlas?

GlobalGiving Atlas is the B2B nonprofit database product of the GlobalGiving Foundation. It contains more than 10.7 million validated nonprofits, charities, and NGOs worldwide, combining government registry data with public sources. Access is sold under a paid license, with data available via API, JSON, or CSV. Atlas customers are typically companies validating nonprofits for employee volunteer programs, foundations conducting grantmaking due diligence, and CSR platforms needing comprehensive vetting infrastructure. It is distinct from the consumer-facing GlobalGiving crowdfunding platform at globalgiving.org, which lists about 40,000 actively-fundraising projects in 175 countries.

How is GlobalGiving Atlas different from the GlobalGiving crowdfunding platform?

Two distinct products from the same parent organization. The crowdfunding platform at globalgiving.org is consumer-facing: donors give to about 40,000 actively-vetted nonprofit projects in 175 countries; GlobalGiving retains a 5-12 percent nonprofit support fee plus 3 percent payment processing. GlobalGiving Atlas is a B2B database product: 10.7 million+ validated nonprofits accessible only by paid license, sold to corporations and foundations for vetting, due diligence, and grantmaking compliance. Atlas includes nonprofits that are not on the donation platform; the donation platform includes vetted partners that may also be in Atlas.

What is the difference between GiveRadar and GlobalGiving Atlas?

Coverage philosophy and pricing. Atlas claims 10.7 million validated nonprofits worldwide, focused on B2B due-diligence customers, sold under paid licenses with no public methodology documentation. GiveRadar covers 7 million+ charities from 50+ official government registries across 65+ countries, offers a free public web interface, a free API tier (100 requests per day), Pro at 99 USD per month for 10,000 daily requests, and publishes its full methodology and OpenAPI specification under CC-BY 4.0. Atlas has more total records because it includes minor non-registry sources that we do not yet ingest; GiveRadar wins on transparency, public access, and price point. Atlas wins on B2B integration maturity and 15+ years of vetting heritage.

Does GlobalGiving Atlas have a free tier?

Limited free data is available, but the full Atlas product requires a paid license. Public pricing is not published; access is sold per-customer based on data volume, API call patterns, and integration scope. GiveRadar offers a free 100-request-per-day API tier with self-service signup (no approval required), and a Pro tier at 99 USD per month for 10,000 daily requests with public, transparent pricing. For research-grade volumes, GiveRadar's pricing is dramatically lower; for enterprise compliance volumes, Atlas may be priced competitively but requires direct sales engagement to find out.

Which has more nonprofits, GiveRadar or GlobalGiving Atlas?

GlobalGiving Atlas claims 10.7 million validated nonprofits, which is larger than GiveRadar's 7 million+. The gap is real but partly explained by source choice: Atlas includes records from sub-national registries, faith-based directories, and other sources GiveRadar has not yet ingested. GiveRadar prioritizes registry-sourced records that can be verified against the issuing government regulator. Both numbers cover most of the active global nonprofit sector; for the largest organizations, both platforms have you covered. For long-tail niche organizations, Atlas's broader source base may include records GiveRadar lacks.

Is GiveRadar a GlobalGiving alternative for international donations?

No. GiveRadar does not process donations or operate a crowdfunding platform; we are a research database only. If you want to donate to a vetted international project through an intermediary that handles payment routing, currency conversion, and US tax-deductibility for foreign giving, GlobalGiving's crowdfunding platform is exactly that. The honest workflow we recommend: use GiveRadar to research a charity (registry filings, integrity score, red flags, news context); then donate through GlobalGiving if you want intermediation, or directly to the charity if it is established and accepts direct donations.

Why might a foundation choose GiveRadar over GlobalGiving Atlas for grantmaking?

Three reasons. First, cost: smaller foundations and journalists rarely have the budget for Atlas's enterprise license, while GiveRadar's free tier and 99 USD per month Pro tier fit research budgets. Second, transparency: GiveRadar publishes its data sourcing, scoring methodology, and OpenAPI specification publicly, so a foundation can audit how every score is computed; Atlas's vetting methodology is proprietary. Third, public verification: GiveRadar's underlying source for every charity is a named government registry with a published URL, so a grantmaker can independently verify any record. For foundations whose compliance teams require Atlas's institutional brand and account-managed support, however, Atlas remains the conventional choice.

Can I use GiveRadar to verify a GlobalGiving project before donating?

Often yes, if the project's parent organization is registered in a country GiveRadar covers. Look up the parent nonprofit by name or registration number to see its registry filings, financials, integrity score, red flags, and any sanctions or news context. GlobalGiving's own vetting program already verifies project partners on their crowdfunding platform; GiveRadar can serve as an independent second look, especially for larger gifts where you want a third-party verification beyond the GlobalGiving curated review.

Does GlobalGiving Atlas have a public API like GiveRadar?

Atlas offers a B2B API but not a free public API. Access requires a paid license and approval through GlobalGiving's sales channels. GiveRadar offers a public REST API: a free tier (100 requests per day) with self-service signup, a Pro tier at 99 USD per month for 10,000 daily requests, and Enterprise pricing for unlimited use. The OpenAPI specification is publicly available without registration. For developers who need quick programmatic access without sales-cycle friction, GiveRadar is the more accessible option.

Does GlobalGiving's parent charity show up on GiveRadar?

Yes. The GlobalGiving Foundation is a US 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 30-0108263) and appears in GiveRadar's US database with its IRS Form 990 filings, financials, executive compensation, and Integrity Assessment, sourced from the IRS Exempt Organizations Master File and Form 990 e-files. You can verify GlobalGiving's own transparency on GiveRadar the same way you would verify any other US nonprofit.

Comparison

GiveRadar vs GlobalGiving and GlobalGiving Atlas: an honest comparison

GlobalGiving runs two distinct products. GlobalGiving Atlas is a paid B2B nonprofit database with 10.7 million+ validated organizations, used for corporate due diligence and grantmaking compliance. The GlobalGiving crowdfunding platform connects donors to about 40,000 vetted projects across 175 countries. Both deserve fair comparison to GiveRadar, and they require different framing.

Skip to verdict See full comparison

GiveRadar

Free global research database. 7 million+ charities from 50+ official registries across 65+ countries. Free public web + API. Open methodology, public OpenAPI spec.

GlobalGiving Atlas

Paid B2B nonprofit database. 10.7M+ validated nonprofits via API/JSON/CSV. Sold under enterprise license. Used for corporate vetting, due diligence, employee volunteer programs.

GlobalGiving (crowdfunding)

US 501(c)(3) donation platform. 40,000 vetted projects in 175 countries; $1B+ disbursed; 5-12% nonprofit support fee + 3% processing.

The 30-second verdict

If you are a corporation looking for compliance-grade vetting for a CSR program or grantmaking workflow, GlobalGiving Atlas is the established B2B option, but expect enterprise pricing and a sales cycle. If you want similar global coverage at a fraction of the cost (or free for low-volume use), with full methodology transparency and a public API, GiveRadar is a credible alternative. If you want to actually donate to international projects through a vetted intermediary, the GlobalGiving crowdfunding platform is the right tool, complementary to either Atlas or GiveRadar for the research step.

What you are actually comparing

Many comparisons confuse GlobalGiving's two products. The crowdfunding platform and Atlas serve different audiences and have different commercial models. We address both honestly.

Atlas: B2B database

GlobalGiving Atlas

GlobalGiving Atlas is a paid nonprofit database product. It claims more than 10.7 million validated nonprofits, charities, and NGOs worldwide, combining government registry data with public sources. Access is sold under a license, with data delivery via API, JSON, or CSV. Limited free data is available; the full product requires negotiation through GlobalGiving's enterprise sales team.

Atlas customers are typically corporations validating nonprofits for employee volunteer programs, foundations conducting grantmaking due diligence, and CSR platforms that need infrastructure for vetting partners across multiple countries. GlobalGiving has 15 years of experience helping companies meet compliance requirements through this product.

This is the GlobalGiving product that actually competes with GiveRadar on a feature-for-feature basis: both are nonprofit databases with API access. The differences are in pricing, openness, methodology, and total record count.

Crowdfunding: B2C platform

GlobalGiving crowdfunding platform

The original GlobalGiving product, launched February 14, 2002 by Mari Kuraishi and Dennis Whittle (former World Bank colleagues). The GlobalGiving Foundation is a US 501(c)(3) headquartered in Washington, DC. The platform connects donors to about 40,000 vetted nonprofit projects across 175 countries.

Cumulative donations exceed 1 billion USD from 1.9 million donors. GlobalGiving retains a 5-12 percent nonprofit support fee plus 3 percent payment processing on each donation. The Disaster Recovery Network channels emergency funding to local responders during major crises.

This product is not a research database; it is a marketplace for donations. It does not directly compete with GiveRadar. Many donors use both: research a charity on GiveRadar, then donate through GlobalGiving when intermediation is wanted (or directly to the charity when it is not).

Side-by-side comparison

Three products, three columns. Last reviewed June 2026.

Dimension	GiveRadar	GlobalGiving Atlas	GlobalGiving (crowdfunding)
Primary function	Free public research database	Paid B2B nonprofit database	Donation platform / marketplace
Records covered	7 million+ charities (registry-sourced)	10.7M+ validated nonprofits	~40,000 active projects
Geographic reach	65+ countries	Global ("Afghanistan to Venezuela")	175 countries
Pricing	Free web + free API tier (100 req/day); Pro 99 USD/month for 10,000 req/day	Paid license (price not public; sales-cycle); limited free data	Free to browse; 5-12% fee on donations
Public API	REST + OpenAPI spec, self-service signup, no approval required	B2B API; license + approval required	Partner API for DAFs / CSR; approval required
Methodology published	Yes, openly under CC-BY 4.0	Internal; not publicly documented in detail	Vetting criteria documented at high level
Per-charity scoring	Integrity Assessment 0-100 (5 components, automated)	Validation status flags; not a public score	Internal vetting tier; not exposed
Red flags / news context	Yes (auto red flags + GDELT news + Open Sanctions)	Compliance flags surfaced via vetting	Internal review; not exposed publicly
Data delivery formats	JSON via REST API; YAML OpenAPI spec	API, JSON, CSV (per license)	Web UI + partner integrations
Donations	Not processed; we do not handle payments	Not the primary product (sister product handles)	Yes; $1B+ disbursed cumulatively
Founded / launched	2026	Atlas product (parent founded 2002)	February 14, 2002
Legal status	Private platform (Timmermans Media OÜ, Estonia)	Operated by GlobalGiving Foundation (US 501(c)(3))	US 501(c)(3) public charity

When to use which

Each product has a clear best-fit use case.

Use GiveRadar when

• You want a free public research database without sales calls
• You need an automated Integrity Assessment plus red flags and news context
• Open methodology and a public OpenAPI spec matter to you
• You are a journalist, academic researcher, or small foundation on a tight budget
• You want sanctions screening and per-charity news monitoring built in

Use GlobalGiving Atlas when

• You are a corporation needing compliance-grade vetting for CSR or grantmaking
• You want bulk CSV delivery and dedicated account support
• Your procurement cycle prefers an established B2B vendor with 15+ years of vetting heritage
• You need access to nonprofit records that span sources beyond government registries
• Budget for an enterprise license is available and Atlas's pricing fits your data volume

Use GlobalGiving crowdfunding when

• You actually want to donate to an international project
• You value vetted intermediation; the 5-12% fee buys verification
• You want US tax-deductibility on a foreign-targeted donation
• You need disaster relief routed quickly to local responders
• You are running a corporate employee giving program with cross-border donations

Common patterns

Donor research → donation: Use GiveRadar to verify a charity, then donate via the GlobalGiving crowdfunding platform (or directly).
Foundation grantmaking: Atlas is the conventional B2B choice; GiveRadar is a credible cost-effective alternative for smaller foundations.
CSR program building: Atlas if budget exists for enterprise compliance infrastructure; GiveRadar if a startup CSR program needs to start small and grow.
Journalism / academic research: GiveRadar's free tier and public methodology are usually the right fit; Atlas access is rarely available at journalism budgets.

Honest about the limits

Where each product is not the right tool. We try to be as plain about our own weaknesses as anyone else's.

Where GlobalGiving Atlas is weaker than GiveRadar

• Pricing is opaque; requires an enterprise sales cycle to even evaluate
• No free public web interface for casual donor research
• Methodology and data sourcing are not publicly documented at the level GiveRadar publishes
• No public OpenAPI specification; integration requires partner-channel approval
• No published per-charity Integrity Assessment or red flag detection

Where GiveRadar is weaker than GlobalGiving Atlas

• Atlas covers more total nonprofits (10.7M+ vs 7 million+) by including more diverse sources
• Atlas has 15+ years of B2B vetting heritage; GiveRadar is new
• Corporate procurement teams may already have Atlas integrated into approval workflows
• Atlas is operated by a US 501(c)(3) (GlobalGiving Foundation), which some institutional buyers prefer over a private platform
• Atlas offers dedicated account management; GiveRadar is self-service

Free, open, and global

Search any of 7 million+ charities across 65+ countries, or pull the same records via our public API. No sales cycle, no NDA, no minimum spend.

Search charities API plans Methodology

Primary sources

All figures sourced from each platform's own published documentation. GiveRadar figures are live counts from this platform.

This page is written and maintained by GiveRadar. We make no claim to neutrality: we built GiveRadar and we believe in it. We have tried to represent both GlobalGiving products fairly and to call out areas where each is the better choice. GlobalGiving is a category-defining donation platform that we genuinely admire; GlobalGiving Atlas is a serious B2B competitor that we respect as the established option in compliance-grade nonprofit data. If you spot an inaccuracy, email [email protected] and we will correct it.