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The GuideStar Seals of Transparency
We introduced the GuideStar Seals of Transparency in 2013 to address these questions and to provide visible recognition when a nonprofit shares information on GuideStar. More than 75,000 organizations have earned Seals, making the GuideStar Seal the most widely adopted symbol of transparency in the U.S. social sector.
The type of information a nonprofit provides determines which Seal it earns. The levels are:
- Bronze—basic information so your organization can be found
- Silver—program information and brand details
- Gold—financials and people information
- Platinum—goals and the difference you’re making
A nonprofit must earn Bronze before it can earn Silver, Silver before it can earn Gold, and Gold before it can earn Platinum. Check out the full list of requirements.
What we know about the Seal holders
In late 2020, we analyzed the organizations that participate in the Seals program. Here’s what we learned.
How many?
At the time of our analysis, 78,262 organizations had a Seal. They represented about 5 percent of the more than 1.7 million nonprofits registered with the IRS. Nearly half of Seal holders had earned a Bronze Seal. The proportion holding Silver, Gold, and Platinum Seals varied, sometimes daily, as nonprofits added information to earn the next Seal level. Our snapshot found 19 percent of Seal holders were at the Silver level, 20 percent at Gold, and 15 percent at Platinum.
Beyond this active Seal holder group, a smaller number of organizations had claimed their profiles but not earned a Seal (giving them “basic” status) or had allowed their Seals to expire (organizations must provide updated information on an annual basis to maintain their Seals).
What type of nonprofits?
