GuideStar Blog

As the leading provider of user-generated reviews of nonprofit organizations, GreatNonprofits.org (GNP) encourages people to rate more than 1.2 million nonprofits directly on our Web site, or on GuideStar.

By collecting feedback from those who have direct experience with nonprofit groups—clients, volunteers, board members, donors, and partners—GNP is in the process of assembling a comprehensive database of stakeholder perspectives for the entire sector.

There are three main types of benefits from user reviews:

• Nonprofits can improve their effectiveness through feedback from their stakeholders.
  Until recently, most nonprofits did not have a fast, easy way to collect and aggregate stakeholder feedback. By making it easy for stakeholders to provide reviews of nonprofits in the form of nonprofit reviews, GNP enables nonprofits to see quickly and easily what they excel at, and what areas they can improve upon.
  
  
• Reviews help inspire and inform prospective donors and volunteers.
  GNP reviews help donors and volunteers differentiate between nonprofits, find ones that they trust, and feel more confident in donating time or money. This informed approach leads to a more efficient overall allocation of scarce resources among organizations.
  
  
• Reviews level the playing field.
  Relatively small nonprofits operating on a grassroots level can often provide the most appropriate level of service in their communities. GNP reviews provide a free form of viral marketing that allows these groups to compete in finding new donors and volunteers.