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Nonprofits · head to head

Candid vs Galaxy Digital

Candid logo

Candid

Nonprofits

Funder and nonprofit data subscriptions from the organisation formed by Foundation Center and GuideStar

From
$219/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Galaxy Digital logo

Galaxy Digital

Nonprofits

Digital marketing platform for nonprofits

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Candid grant records derive largely from Form 990 filings, which are published with a lag, so the database describes what a funder did up to eighteen months ago rather than what it intends to fund now.; Galaxy Digital volunteer-focused tool, not a general-purpose social media management platform
  • They diverge on capability: Candid covers Foundation Directory, Galaxy Digital covers Email marketing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Candid and Galaxy Digital actually diverge.

Attributes where Candid and Galaxy Digital differ
AttributeCandidGalaxy Digital
Starting price$219/monthOn request
Pricing modelPer user per month by tiersubscription
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, Mobile-responsive
FoundedUnknown2009

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Nonprofits).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Candid

  • Foundation Directory
  • 990 based grant records
  • Nonprofit Profiles
  • Charity check
  • Data APIs and bulk feeds
  • Candid Learning
  • Funding Information Network

Only in Galaxy Digital

  • Email marketing
  • Social media management
  • Online advertising
  • Analytics
  • Automation
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Mailchimp

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Candid

  • A development director building a list of foundations that have actually funded organisations of your size, sector and geography in the past three yearsnot Galaxy Digital
  • A funder verifying US tax exempt status before releasing a grant paymentnot Galaxy Digital
  • A software vendor embedding nonprofit organisation data and charity verification into its own productnot Galaxy Digital
  • A nonprofit maintaining a transparency seal on its public profile because institutional funders check it before givingnot Galaxy Digital

Galaxy Digital

  • Business operationsnot Candid
  • Productivitynot Candid
  • Automationnot Candid

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Candid

  • Grant records derive largely from Form 990 filings, which are published with a lag, so the database describes what a funder did up to eighteen months ago rather than what it intends to fund now.
  • Foundation Directory is a research database, not a pipeline tool: there is no proposal tracking, deadline management or task assignment, so most teams pay for a grants tracker alongside it.
  • Monthly pricing is high relative to the budget of a small nonprofit, and the same database is available free in person through partner libraries in the Funding Information Network, which makes the subscription hard to justify for occasional research.
  • Coverage is US-centric and built on the US tax filing system, so it is of limited use to organisations seeking funding from UK, EU or Commonwealth foundations.
  • Many funders do not accept unsolicited proposals at all, and the database cannot reliably tell you which, so prospect lists built from it still require manual qualification before outreach.

Galaxy Digital

  • Volunteer-focused tool, not a general-purpose social media management platform
  • Enterprise-only pricing model with custom quotes
  • Acquired by Better Impact, creating transition uncertainty for existing customers

Pricing, plan by plan

Candid

$219/month
  • Foundation Directory Essential$219/month
    • Search US grantmakers and grant records
    • Saved searches and prospect lists
    • Single user
  • Foundation Directory Professional$1499/month
    • Full grantmaker, grant and recipient search
    • Trustee and key staff search
    • Advanced filters and larger exports
  • Data licensing$undefined/year
    • API and bulk data feeds
    • Charity check and organisation verification
    • Priced by volume and use case, quoted

Galaxy Digital

On request
  • Starter$99/month
    • Email marketing
    • Basic social media
  • Professional$299/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • Social media management
    • Automation

Which should you pick?

Choose Candid if

  • You need foundation directory.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want 990 based grant records.
Candid review

Choose Galaxy Digital if

  • You need email marketing.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want social media management.
Galaxy Digital review

Questions people ask

Is Candid or Galaxy Digital better?
Neither clearly leads. Candid starts at $219/month and Galaxy Digital at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Candid or Galaxy Digital?
Candid starts at $219/month and Galaxy Digital at On request.
Does Candid or Galaxy Digital run on more platforms?
Candid runs on Web, API. Galaxy Digital runs on Web, Mobile-responsive.
What is Candid best used for?
Candid is most often used for a development director building a list of foundations that have actually funded organisations of your size, sector and geography in the past three years, a funder verifying us tax exempt status before releasing a grant payment, a software vendor embedding nonprofit organisation data and charity verification into its own product, a nonprofit maintaining a transparency seal on its public profile because institutional funders check it before giving. Of those, a development director building a list of foundations that have actually funded organisations of your size, sector and geography in the past three years and a funder verifying us tax exempt status before releasing a grant payment are not what Galaxy Digital is typically brought in for.
What can Candid do that Galaxy Digital cannot?
Candid covers Foundation Directory, 990 based grant records, Nonprofit Profiles, Charity check. Galaxy Digital covers Email marketing, Social media management, Online advertising, Analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Candid: Is Candid the same as GuideStar?

GuideStar is now part of Candid, merged with Foundation Center in 2019. GuideStar nonprofit profiles continue under the Candid brand.

Galaxy Digital: What does Galaxy Digital's Get Connected do?

Get Connected is a volunteer management platform that helps nonprofits recruit, schedule, track, and report on volunteer engagement at scale through centralized scheduling and impact reporting.

Source
Candid: Can I use Foundation Directory for free?

Yes, in person. Hundreds of partner libraries and nonprofit resource centres in the Funding Information Network provide free access, which is a genuine alternative to a subscription for occasional research.

Galaxy Digital: Does Get Connected integrate with social media platforms?

Yes. Get Connected includes social media integration with quick-share icons and direct posting to volunteers' social networks, plus live infographic-style impact reporting shareable on social media.

Source
Candid: How current is the grant data?

It is drawn largely from Form 990 filings and lags real time by roughly a year to eighteen months. Treat it as evidence of past funding behaviour, not current priorities.

Galaxy Digital: What is the current status of Galaxy Digital?

Get Connected by Galaxy Digital was acquired by and is now part of Better Impact, which continues to provide the volunteer management and social media integration services.

Source
Candid: Does Candid help outside the United States?

Only marginally. The data model is built on US tax filings and US registered organisations.

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