Using the Candid Connector in Claude (original) (raw)

The Candid integration brings the power of Candid’s comprehensive nonprofit and funder data directly into Claude. This article explains how to set up and use the Candid connector to search millions of organizations, discover funding opportunities, and access expert knowledge about the social sector—all through natural conversation.

The Candid integration relies upon Claude’s ability to use remote connectors.

What this integration provides

The Candid integration connects Claude directly to Candid’s extensive database of nonprofit and philanthropic information. Candid is a nonprofit that provides the most comprehensive data and insights about the social sector, connecting people who want to change the world with the resources they need to do it.

This integration provides access to:

Who can access the Candid integration?

The Candid integration is available to Claude Pro users. A Candid account is not required to use basic search functionality. Some advanced features may require additional authentication.

Setting up the Candid integration

For Organization Owners (Team and Enterprise)

For Individual Claude Users

Available tools

The Candid MCP connector provides several powerful tools that Claude can use to answer your questions. Here are the main capabilities:

1. Search organizations

What it does: Search for nonprofits and foundations by name, mission description, location, or areas of work.

Use it for:

Example queries:

Key features:

2. Find mentioned organizations

What it does: Automatically identifies organization names in responses and links them to official Candid profiles.

Use it for:

How it works: When Claude mentions an organization, this tool finds the official match in Candid's database and creates clickable links to their profiles—no extra work required! If you have a paid subscription to Candid’s web products, you can also click through to see advanced information like specific grant histories, in-depth financials, affiliated people, or openness to funding applications.

3. Knowledge search

What it does: Search Candid's expert knowledge base including research reports, training materials, blog posts, and curated news.

Use it for:

Available sources:

Example queries:

4. Find relevant taxonomic terms

What it does: Uses AI to identify relevant terms from Candid's Philanthropy Classification System (PCS) taxonomy based on your description.

Use it for:

Example queries:

About the PCS taxonomy: Candid's taxonomy describes activity across the social and philanthropic sectors, covering subjects (what organizations work on) and populations served (who they serve). Learn more at taxonomy.candid.org.

Behind the scenes

The connector also includes technical tools that work automatically in the background to ensure accurate, timely results—like converting location descriptions into searchable geographic codes, or identifying the current date for time-sensitive queries. You don't need to think about these; Claude uses them automatically when needed.

Usage examples

Example 1: Finding organizations in your area

You ask: "I'm looking for foundations in California that fund youth education programs."

Claude will:

Sample response:

Based on my search of Candid's database, I found several notable foundations in California that fund youth education programs:

Quest Foundation - Danville, CA

Ross Stores Foundation - Dublin, CA

[Additional details about their focus areas...]

Example 2: Researching sector trends

You ask: "What are the latest trends in climate philanthropy?"

Claude will:

Sample response:

Based on the latest research and insights from the philanthropic sector, here are the key trends shaping climate philanthropy:

Significant Growth, But Still Insufficient

Foundation funding for climate mitigation nearly tripled from 2019 to 2023, reaching $4.8 billion according to ClimateWorks Foundation. However, this represents less than 2% of global philanthropic giving—far below what's needed to address the crisis.

Major Geographic Disparities

60% of single-region foundation funding goes to the U.S. and Europe, while Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America receive only 20%. Low- to middle-income countries most vulnerable to climate impacts capture just 14% of funding.

[Additional insights with citations and links...]

Example 3: Exploring organizations by mission

You ask: "Help me find nonprofits working on food access in Seattle that are highly transparent."

Claude will:

Example 4: Learning about the sector

You ask: "I'm new to grant writing. What are best practices?"

Claude will:

Tips for best results

Be specific with locations

When searching for organizations, specific location information helps narrow results:

Describe work, not just keywords

The search tools understand descriptions of work, not just keywords:

Combine filters for precision

You can request multiple filters at once:

Ask follow-up questions

Once you have results, dig deeper:

Use knowledge search for context

Before diving into organizational data, get context:

Be careful with analytical questions

The current tool is designed for searching about specific organizations or general sector knowledge. It does not currently directly support questions involving calculations, aggregations, or analysis like:

Claude may still try to answer these questions, but it may not be fully accurate. We are working on supporting such questions directly in the future - stay tuned! In addition, deeper information on grants funding and trends is always available through Candid's subscription products on candid.org.

Common use cases

Find organizations

Search for nonprofits and foundations by name, mission, location, leadership demographics, or area of work.

Example prompts:

Research organizational profiles

Get comprehensive details about specific organizations including their mission, programs, financials, and leadership.

Example prompts:

Discover funding opportunities

Find foundations and funding opportunities that match specific criteria or project areas.

Example prompts:

Access expert knowledge

Tap into Candid’s research reports, training materials, and social sector news.

Example prompts:

FAQs

Is the Candid integration free to use?

Yes! Basic search functionality is free for all paid Claude plans. Some advanced features requiring access to premium Candid data may require additional authentication.

How current is the data?

Candid updates its data continuously:

The integration provides real-time access to the latest available data.

Can I search international organizations?

Candid has the most comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of US organizations.

What if I can't find a specific organization?

Not all organizations are in Candid's database. Coverage is most comprehensive for:

If you can't find an organization, try:

How do I interpret Seals of Transparency?

Candid Seals of Transparency indicate how much information an organization has shared:

Privacy and data usage

Need more help?

If you’re experiencing issues with the Candid integration or have questions not covered here, please contact Claude support or visit our help center for additional troubleshooting guides. For Candid-specific questions, you can reach out to [email protected].

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