Candid Foundation Directory review - funder research, free with a Gold Seal
The most comprehensive US funder prospect database. Paid subscriptions run to a few hundred dollars a month, but small nonprofits can often get it FREE via a Candid Gold Seal.
- Category:
- Grants & Grant Research
- Access:
- Paid
- Pricing:
- Free Standard tier (limited results). Paid access (now under Candid, consolidating the former Foundation Directory) runs around $100/mo for Premium billed annually (about $1,199/yr), up to roughly $142/mo for Ultimate; month-to-month Premium is about $219/mo. Enterprise is custom.
- Our rating:
- 🟢 green
- Verified via:
- Direct application with the vendor
- Eligibility:
- The big tip: nonprofits with under $1M in annual revenue or expenses that earn a free Candid Gold Seal of Transparency can get Candid Premium at no cost. You earn the Seal by completing your organization's Candid/GuideStar profile - verify and claim directly with Candid.
We have no affiliate relationship with Candid Foundation Directory. This is a plain link to the official site.
What it is
Candid’s Foundation Directory is the largest database of US grantmakers - foundations, corporate givers, and their past grants - used to build a list of realistic funder prospects. In 2026 Candid is folding the classic Foundation Directory and GuideStar into a single unified search, but the job is the same: find who funds work like yours, and see what they have actually given.
The honest math
There is a free Standard tier, but it shows limited results. Real prospecting sits in the paid tiers: Premium is around $100/mo billed annually (about $1,199/yr), or roughly $219/mo month-to-month, with Ultimate near $142/mo annually. Enterprise is custom-quoted.
But here is the tip that matters most for a small shop: you may be able to get Premium for free. Nonprofits with under $1M in annual revenue or expenses that earn a Candid Gold Seal of Transparency qualify for complimentary Premium access. The Gold Seal itself is free to earn - you get it by filling out your organization’s Candid/GuideStar profile, which is worth doing anyway for funder visibility.
Who it fits
Any nonprofit that applies to foundation grants and needs to find prospects beyond the obvious names. Given the free-with-Gold-Seal path, even the smallest organizations can usually access it without spending a dollar.
The honest take
The default funder database, and genuinely free for many small nonprofits if you earn the Gold Seal first - so start there before paying. We are not enrolled in any Candid affiliate program; the link above is a plain link to their site.
Sources
Last reviewed 2026-07-09.
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