I had mentioned Guide Star previously and would like to include this current post as an addendum to the Paws for Japan blog post. Below is part of Guide Star’s Mission Statement:
“If you care about nonprofits and the work they do, then you’re affected by what Guide Star does—even if this is your first visit to www.guidestar.org. Guide Star gathers and publicizes information about nonprofit organizations. Guide Star’s reach is far and wide with a database that is broad and deep.
Guide Star encourages nonprofits to share information about their organizations openly and completely. Any nonprofit in Guide Star’s database can update its report with information about its mission, programs, leaders, goals, accomplishments, and needs—for free. Guide Star combines the information that nonprofits supply with data from several other sources. You’ll find GuideStar data:
- on the Guide Star Web site
- on the many Guide Star client Web sites
- in computer applications used by funding entities and private companies who work with nonprofits
If you’re new to GuideStar, search the site to find the nonprofit information you need—it’s free! You’ll get even more information if you complete Guide Star’s registration form and log in—also free!
Why is Guide Star so very passionate about nonprofit information? Because the best possible decisions are made when donors, funders, researchers, educators, professional service providers, governing agencies, and the media use the quality information that Guide Star provides. Those decisions affect our world today and will continue to affect it for generations to come.
Guide Star has an ambitious plan for long-term sustainability that combines public and philanthropic support with earned revenue. Subscriptions and licensing fees for Guide Star services provide important financial support for Guide Star work—in 2008, they made up 67 percent of Guide Star’s total revenue. The remaining 33 percent of Guide Star’s operating revenue came from Guide Star foundation membership program, program-related grants, and contributions. As a public charity, providing nonprofit information to a broad audience at no cost to those users is an important part of Guide Star’s public service, one that Guide Star pledges to continue.”
*Reference: Guide Star