Time for a Guidestar status check?
As I was checking out a nonprofit profile on Guidestar.org, I noted that Guidestar now had a “Quick View” review for each nonprofit.
Notice those checks, stars and caution signs?
Clearly these are meant to serve as rating systems for viewers. Missing a check or star? The system implies that your organization may not be 100% up to snuff –or else it might be hiding something.
While I’ve done my ranting about rating systems (see my posts below), I’m afraid that your organization is stuck with this new configuration.
By now I’m sure you know that Guidestar is a go-to site for the media, funders, bloggers, benchmarkers like me or others individuals who are curious about your nonprofit. Online donation sites like Network for Good, Facebook Causes or Change.org link up and pull their data from Guidestar.
So, get thee to Guidestar.
Login (you’ll need to register if you haven’t, the basic edition is free), search for your organization’s name and pull up your Guidestar profile. You may be surprised at how many checks you are have or are missing. Try printing out a report and you’ll quickly see what is incomplete in your Guidestar profile.
Follow the button that says Update Nonprofit Report to review the instructions for updating your information. Read about the options for earning the Guidestar Exchange seal, for posting reviews on GreatNonprofits and developing a self-assessment impact profile through the new Charting Impact (please share your experience with our readers if you have completed an impact profile. I noticed that only 104 organizations have).
You’ll need to decide just how much you want to commit to updating. The new check view system is clearly designed to get you deep into the world of Guidestar and its partner organizations.
And please come back and share your experiences. Happy 2012.
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Good reminder to check out how an organization is “showing up” for others using tools like Guidestar. And for others reading this post…your previous posts on this topic are great reads!