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Data for academics
Candid recognizes the need to further academic research and strengthen communication and partnership between the social and academic sectors. To ensure that academic researchers of all backgrounds have an opportunity to further the field of nonprofit knowledge, with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, we are launching Candid data for academics, a free, limited data set available exclusively for academic researchers.
Over the last six decades, Candid has worked with dozens of researchers and institutions to create custom datasets to answer specific research questions—a service we continue to offer.
Frequently asked questions
Candid data for academics was created to 1) further academic research and knowledge about the nonprofit sector and 2) lower the barrier to entry for scholars conducting research in the nonprofit space by providing free access to structured data.
Candid data for academics is a dataset focused on information about US nonprofits. It includes variables from the Form 990 (fiscal years 2014-2018) that are most requested by researchers (EIN, org type, expenses, revenue, personnel, mission statement, etc.), as well as all fields from IRS Schedule J: Compensation Information. Additionally, the dataset includes variables that are most complete or exclusive to Candid, including paper filings, NTEE Codes, Candid Seal of Transparency level and coding from Candid’s Philanthropy Classification System. Researchers can review this data dictionary to better understand what data is included.
This dataset is available as 16 .txt files. The data dictionary provides additional detail about what information is in which file. As the goal of this program is to provide free and simple introductory access to nonprofit data, it is static and non-customizable (i.e., any requests for changes, additional variables, years, updates, etc. will require purchasing a custom dataset).
This initiative is available for individual researchers at institutions of higher education interested in academic research and publication. Individuals conducting research outside of academic institutions; projects funded by external funders; and/or academic institutions requiring department-wide access are not eligible. In particular, early career academic researchers and those at smaller academic institutions who might not have access to data otherwise are encouraged to apply.
This data is for academic research purposes only. All researchers will be required to sign a data license agreement consenting to this sole use case and agreeing not to share the dataset on websites, in data sharing collectives, for classroom purposes, with researchers outside of the license agreement.
Complete the interest form to request access. Researchers will also be asked to fill out an additional application survey and complete a license agreement.