The short answer: Charity ratings, transparency seals, and accreditation tell readers different things. Charity Navigator evaluates nonprofit performance, while Candid awards Seals for sharing profile information.34 BBB accreditation reflects compliance with its accountability standards.9 Before chasing a higher badge, check what the platform measures, which information it uses, and whether your public record is accurate.

Last updated November 2, 2026.

A donor sends your team a link to a charity profile. The address is old, the financial information covers a previous year, and the badge doesn’t match the one on your website. Who fixes it?

Start with the source of the information. Some fields can be updated by a verified nonprofit representative; other changes depend on IRS data or an evaluator’s review schedule.5 Treating every profile as an editable directory can leave your team waiting for a correction that needs a different process.

This guide compares four platforms and explains where to start.

How the major charity rating sites differ

Charity Navigator: performance ratings

Charity Navigator organizes its Encompass system around four areas: Accountability & Finance, Impact & Measurement, Leadership & Planning, and Culture & Compensation.4 Its ratings draw on IRS filings and information provided by nonprofits and data partners.5

Read the underlying metrics before interpreting the overall rating. A profile’s existence doesn’t mean the organization qualifies for a rating: Charity Navigator says a nonprofit may be listed but unrated because it hasn’t met its Form 990 filing requirements.5

Start here: Check your profile’s reporting years and the assessments available through the Nonprofit Portal. Its 2026 methodology guide requires a full Form 990 for an overall score and the impact assessment; other eligibility conditions also apply.85

Candid: disclosure through Seals of Transparency

Candid describes its Seal of Transparency as a badge earned by sharing information on a nonprofit profile.3 That makes it a disclosure signal, rather than an independent performance rating. Don’t describe a Platinum Seal as proof that a nonprofit is more effective than another organization.

The current levels build on each other: Bronze covers basic organizational information; Silver adds program details; Gold adds financial information; and Platinum includes goals, strategies, and impact information.3 These summaries aren’t a substitute for the full requirements in the profile editor.

Start here: Claim your profile and complete the required fields for the appropriate Seal. Claiming and earning a Seal are free.2

For historical context, Charity Charge’s 2017 interview with GuideStar about nonprofit transparency explores the role of shared nonprofit data. Use Candid’s current instructions below for today’s profile process, rather than the interview’s older product references.

CharityWatch: financial-efficiency analysis

CharityWatch says its letter grades focus on fundraising efficiency and the share of money spent on programs.6 Its analysts reconcile tax forms with audited financial statements and make adjustments, including for joint costs and noncash gifts.6

That approach is different from simply copying the expense percentages shown on a tax return. When reviewing a CharityWatch assessment, ask which financial year and accounting adjustments explain the result. Don’t assume a difference between platforms means one entered your numbers incorrectly.

Start here: Read the analysis alongside your financial documents. Prepare a specific, documented question if you need clarification.

BBB Wise Giving Alliance: standards-based accreditation

BBB evaluates charities against 20 Standards for Charity Accountability, covering governance, finances, results reporting, and fundraising practices.7 A charity that meets all 20 is BBB Accredited.9

The assessment is free. Accredited charities can separately choose to pay an annual licensing fee to display the BBB Accredited Charity Seal; licensing is optional and doesn’t determine accreditation.9

Start here: Review the standards and requested materials before enrolling. BBB shares a draft report so the charity can clarify information or address findings before publication.7

Claim and update your Candid nonprofit profile

Candid’s current claiming instructions start with a personal account. It recommends using an email associated with your organization, which may allow immediate verification.1

  1. Search for your organization on Candid and open its profile.
  2. Select “Is this your organization?” and complete the access request.
  3. If Candid requests additional verification, follow its instructions. It specifies an IRS EIN Issuance Letter or IRS Affirmation Letter for this step, rather than a determination letter.1

Once approved, open My organizations, select Edit, and review the profile. The See all required fields option helps you find what’s needed for each Seal level. Select Publish updates when the information is ready; saving a draft doesn’t publish it.2

Candid recommends reviewing the profile at least annually.3 Put that review on the same calendar as your annual-report work, then check the public page after publishing. Make sure the mailing address, program descriptions, and reporting years match what your team intended to share.

Correct or submit information to Charity Navigator

Request representative access through the Charity Navigator Nonprofit Portal, or follow “Is this your nonprofit” from your public profile.5 Once verified, representatives can upload and edit information; an organization can have multiple approved representatives.5

Separate the work into two categories:

  • Profile information and self-reported assessments. Use the portal to update available fields and submit the information requested for your organization.5
  • IRS-derived rating information. Check the filing behind the metric. For a policy that the site says is missing, Charity Navigator says it usually needs a newer Form 990 before updating the rating.5

There are timing limits. Charity Navigator publishes rating updates multiple times a year, rather than promising an immediate recalculation after every submission.5 Its Spring 2026 guide also states that self-submitted information receives a six-month editing hold.8

Review submissions before sending them. If you discover an error afterward, ask support how that specific correction is handled. Don’t assume a new upload will replace an IRS-derived figure or immediately change your score.

Build a profile review your team can maintain

Use this as an internal workflow, not a claim that every platform requires the same process:

  1. Assign an owner and a backup. Record who has access to each platform and who approves financial information before submission.
  2. Record the evidence behind each profile. Keep the profile URL, last review date, financial reporting year, and outstanding correction together.
  3. Separate errors from operating gaps. An old address needs an update. A policy your organization hasn’t adopted needs an internal decision, not a more favorable questionnaire answer.
  4. Retain submissions and check the public result. Save what you sent, track follow-up, and confirm the published information after the platform processes it.

These recommendations reflect the different access and update mechanisms described above; they aren’t a guarantee of a better rating.257

For related board policies and oversight resources, browse Charity Charge’s board governance and leadership hub.

Illustrative example: A small nonprofit updates its Candid program description but sees an older financial year on Charity Navigator. The development manager checks the live Candid page. The finance lead identifies the Form 990 used by Charity Navigator and checks its update guidance. The team tracks the two issues separately instead of assuming one profile edit changes every platform.

Don’t cut necessary administrative spending simply to chase a badge. Read the specific methodology and discuss expense classifications with your accountant. The useful question is whether your records accurately explain how the organization operates.

Common questions about charity ratings

Is a Candid Seal a charity rating?

Candid awards Seals based on information shared through the nonprofit profile.3 Describe the Seal level and link to the profile, rather than presenting it as an independent judgment of program effectiveness.

Does an unrated nonprofit have a bad rating?

An absent rating and a low rating are different. Charity Navigator explicitly notes that filing requirements can leave an organization listed but unrated.5 Check the stated reason before drawing a conclusion.

Can updating a profile immediately improve a score?

Don’t plan around that assumption. Charity Navigator has scheduled rating releases and a hold on self-submitted edits; some metrics depend on IRS filings.58 Correct the information first, then follow the platform’s review process.

Which platform should a nonprofit prioritize?

Start with the profiles your donors actually ask about and any record containing an error. Then work through the others based on eligibility and staff capacity. Maintaining an accurate profile is a more useful first assignment than pursuing every badge at once.

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