Demand for nonprofit profiles spiked on GivingTuesday 

The 2024 Giving Season kicked into high gear with a robust start on December 3, with the GivingTuesday Data Commons reporting a record $3.6 billion raised in the United States. This heightened engagement translated into a big demand for information about charities on Candid nonprofit profiles. We saw significant spikes in overall traffic, nonprofit profile views, and searches.  

Candid nonprofit profiles showcase data provided by the nonprofits themselves—information that can help donors discover organizations aligned with their values and review key programmatic and operational details—in an at-a-glance format. They’re a central resource for savvy donors looking to make a difference. Let’s take a closer look at how donors were using Candid’s data to inform their giving on GivingTuesday.  

Unique user traffic and Candid nonprofit profile views surged on GivingTuesday 

Before GivingTuesday 2024, Candid nonprofit profiles saw a robust daily average of 34,000 unique users. On GivingTuesday, that number jumped 71%, to 58,000 unique users. Meanwhile, the increase in users also boosted total views of Candid nonprofit profiles, which surged 56%, to about 75,000 views.  

This increased traffic clearly shows donors are using Candid nonprofit profiles to look up organizations they might want to give to on GivingTuesday—and throughout the year. Maintaining an accurate and up-to-date Candid nonprofit profile can help organizations reach those potential donors. 

Health-related organizations led subject area searches 

The increase in total views of Candid nonprofit profiles was driven in part by a spike in searches. On GivingTuesday, users conducted about 59,000 searches of Candid nonprofit profiles, 59% more than on an average day in 2024. So, you might be curious to know more about the kinds of searches being conducted.  

Many funders and donor advisors search Candid nonprofit profiles by keyword, subject area, and geography. In this analysis, we’ll look at subject areas, which are derived from Candid’s Philanthropy Classification System and based on the organization’s stated mission and programmatic descriptions from the IRS Business Master File. Nonprofits that claim their profiles can update their subject area(s) themselves. 

Searches for health-related charities generated the most interest on GivingTuesday—more than half of top-level subject area searches. This is likely due in part to the fact that individuals often make gifts in honor of loved ones with specific conditions and the reality that health care affects everyone. But we also can see that the five most common subject queries represent a broad cross-section of the sector: 

1. Health  

2. Human services  

3. Education  

4. Environment  

5. Arts and culture

Candid nonprofit profiles can help raise visibility 

In addition to enabling Candid users to discover and learn about organizations, the data in Candid nonprofit profiles also powers more than 200 giving platforms, including social networking sites like Facebook, payment processors like Apple Pay, online grant application platforms like Fluxx, and donor-advised fund accounts like Fidelity Charitable.  

Since donors are using Candid’s data to research charities not only on GivingTuesday but every day, it’s essential for nonprofits to regularly review and update their organization’s profile.  

The elements donors tend to review are: 

• programmatic and strategy details  

• charitable status 

• financial information 

• demographic data 

• any available examples of how you are tracking your progress and measuring your results. 

It’s also important to note that some donors filter their results to only view organizations that have earned a Candid Seal of Transparency by sharing certain kinds of information in their profiles. Your Candid nonprofit profile is a great tool for raising your organization’s visibility with donor-advised funds, institutional funders, and individual donors and volunteers. Put your organization’s best foot forward in 2025 by reviewing and updating your organization’s profile!