Today, Guidestar and the Foundation Center announced they have joined forces under the mantle now called Candid. As a user of both resources I can see the merits to a joining of the two entities.
At first brush I will admit slight skepticism. The combined name for one is underwhelming and not what I consider a first thought about where to naturally look for the information I seek. Perhaps I will get used to it and I am confident that the smart people in the room who thunk-up this name have considered deeply this point. Next, I did appreciate that an institution that reports on the use of funds and those who use the funds might be appropriately independent of those who hold and distribute the funds. The Foundation Center has also created a network of respositories and training curricula throughout the country that will provide an increased outlet for Guidestar.
The independence, principally maintained through who constitutes the board, is what makes this matter. As long as board members hold to the principles of transparency and do not institute policies that would restrict transparency, all will be well. Those who have come to appreciate the value of what both institutions have to offer relish this transparency most.
But the benefits of a merger are clear. The Foundation Center has excelled in monetizing its offerings I believe beyond a dependency on philanthropy - an important link to independence from those it reports on albeit recognizing that what Foundation Center brings to the market is not as much the publicly available information as the technology to search and sort) and this is what is being purchased. It is my experience that Guidestar services could definitely benefit from the search and sort technology the Foundation Center has developed. That Guidestar is more philanthropically supported could, with improved offerings, wean itself from philanthropic dependence is also a definite plus.
So, presumably. the institutions will will and the customers will win from this merger. We will see.