CDings Plain comparisons of small-business tools

Candid Foundation Directory vs Grants.gov in 2026

Compare Candid Foundation Directory and Grants.gov on what each does, what it costs, how to start, and what a small-business owner should check first.

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CDings is published by the makers of Raise Buddy and ProductCost, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Candid says its search covers 1.9 million organizations. [1] It lists a Premium annual plan at a $100/month starting price. [2] Grants.gov states that federal agencies do not publish personal financial assistance opportunities on it. [3] Check each source against your own needs.

OptionListed priceWhat the price covers
Candid Foundation DirectoryPremium monthly $219/month; Premium annual $100/month; Ultimate annual $142/month [4] [2] [5]Starting prices; annual plans billed at $1,199 and $1,699 a year. Registration is free. [2] [5] [6]
Grants.govnot publishednot published
Raise BuddyPlus $14.99 a month, Pro $199 a month [7]Free opens programs offering up to $1,000; Plus up to $5,000; Pro every program, whatever the amount. [7]

The short answer

Candid says its search covers 1.9 million organizations by name, EIN, or keyword. [1] Candid also says registration is free. [6]

Grants.gov's page says federal agencies do not publish personal financial assistance opportunities on it. [3] If you need money for yourself as a person, that statement matters before you spend any time there.

Candid says its monthly plan allows grants downloads of up to 250 grants per month. [8] Candid lists up to 750 profiles per month in limited downloads. [9] The sources here do not describe what Grants.gov lists, so read its own pages for that.

What each tool does

Candid Foundation Directory. Candid says you can search 1.9 million organizations by name, EIN, or keyword. [1] It says it offers 3 million annual grant transactions. [10]

Candid says it offers APIs that provide real-time data updates. [11] It also says you can request nonprofit data sets customized to your needs. [12] Its Ultimate plan adds charts of funding trends on top of Premium. [13]

Grants.gov. Its page says federal agencies do not publish personal financial assistance opportunities on it. [3] It also posts notices about its own service, including a Contact Center closure on October 12 for Columbus Day. [14] The sources here give no further description, so check its own pages for what it lists and how to apply.

What Raise Buddy is built for

Raise Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site. You paste your website or describe what you do, and it lists grants, loans, credits, prizes and other funding you may be able to apply for. [15]

Each match says whether you can apply, what one step stands in the way, or what is unclear, with the funder's own words. [16] It includes private foundations that take applications, read from their own tax returns, which private foundations file (Form 990-PF). [17]

It can build a draft profile from tax documents [18], says whether you can apply [16], and includes private foundations [17] and sources in several countries [19].

It covers 25 other ways to raise money (such as SAFEs, SBA loans, equity crowdfunding), each with its official rules and a first step. [20] It keeps track of where each of your applications stands, but you apply on the funder's own site. [21]

Pricing and fees

Candid Foundation Directory. Candid lists a Premium monthly plan starting at $219/month, billed monthly. [4] Its Premium annual plan is listed at a $100/month starting price, $1,199 billed annually. [2] The Ultimate annual plan is listed at a $142/month starting price, $1,699 billed annually. [5] Candid says its monthly plan allows grants downloads of up to 250 grants per month. [8] Candid lists up to 750 profiles per month in limited downloads, where a profile is the page describing one organization. [9] Registration is free, according to Candid. [6]

Grants.gov. The sources here give no price or fee, so treat it as not published here and check its own pages.

Raise Buddy. Plus $14.99 a month, Pro $199 a month [7]. The Free plan opens programs up to $1,000, and Plus up to $5,000. [7] On every plan, the first three matches in each list of results can be opened. [7]

Getting started

Candid Foundation Directory. Candid says you can register for free. [6] After that, its search takes a name, an EIN, or a keyword. [1] Its sources do not say how long setup takes, so look at what the free registration includes before you pick a paid plan.

Grants.gov. The sources here do not describe signing up or searching. They do show that the site lists maintenance windows, with the next one listed as September 19-21, 2026. [22] That date has passed, so check the site for the current schedule.

Raise Buddy. The web app needs no install. [23] You start by pasting your website or describing what you do. [15] If you want to use your tax forms, you confirm the draft profile it builds from them. [18] On Pro, an AI assistant can search for you [24].

Things to check before you choose

Ask these of any tool, including the ones here.

How to choose

If you want to search 1.9 million organizations by name, EIN, or keyword, Candid's source says its search does that. [1] Candid says it offers APIs that provide real-time data updates. [11] It also says it can provide custom nonprofit data sets. [12]

If you need personal financial assistance, note that Grants.gov says federal agencies do not publish it there. [3]

If you want a list of funding matched to a description of your business, with a statement of whether you can apply, Raise Buddy's claims say it does that. [15] [16] It covers 25 other ways to raise money (such as SAFEs, SBA loans, equity crowdfunding), each with its official rules and a first step. [20]

You may want more than one source.

Frequently asked questions

Is Candid Foundation Directory free?

Candid says registration is free. [6] It also lists paid plans, with Premium monthly starting at $219/month, billed monthly. [4] Check what the free registration includes before you buy a plan, since the sources here do not spell out its limits.

How much does Candid Foundation Directory cost per year?

Candid lists a Premium annual plan at a $100/month starting price, $1,199 billed annually. [2] It lists an Ultimate annual plan at a $142/month starting price, $1,699 billed annually. [5] These are starting prices, so confirm the final amount on Candid's own page.

Does Grants.gov list personal financial help?

Grants.gov says federal agencies do not publish personal financial assistance opportunities on it. [3] If your need is personal rather than for a business or organization, read its pages closely before you spend time there, and look at other sources of funding too.

Does Grants.gov have a price or fee?

The sources used for this page give no price or fee for Grants.gov, so a price is not published here. Check its own pages for any cost.

What does Raise Buddy cost compared with Candid?

Plus $14.99 a month, Pro $199 a month [7]. The Free plan opens programs up to $1,000, and Plus up to $5,000. [7] Candid lists Premium monthly from $219/month, billed monthly. [4] Its Premium annual plan starts at $100/month, $1,199 billed annually. [2] The two tools do different jobs, so compare what each includes.

Free plan opens programs up to $1,000; Plus is $14.99 a month (up to $5,000); Pro is $199 a month (every program, advisors' review, AI connection). The first three matches in each section open on every plan. [7]

Try Raise Buddy

Sources

  1. Candid Foundation Directory, candid.org, read 2026-10-07
  2. Candid Foundation Directory, candid.org/find-funding, read 2026-10-07
  3. Grants.gov, grants.gov, read 2026-10-07
  4. Candid Foundation Directory, candid.org/find-funding, read 2026-10-07
  5. Candid Foundation Directory, candid.org/find-funding, read 2026-10-07
  6. Candid Foundation Directory, candid.org, read 2026-10-07
  7. Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  8. Candid Foundation Directory, candid.org/find-funding, read 2026-10-07
  9. Candid Foundation Directory, candid.org/find-funding, read 2026-10-07
  10. Candid Foundation Directory, candid.org, read 2026-10-07
  11. Candid Foundation Directory, candid.org, read 2026-10-07
  12. Candid Foundation Directory, candid.org, read 2026-10-07
  13. Candid Foundation Directory, candid.org/find-funding, read 2026-10-07
  14. Grants.gov, grants.gov, read 2026-10-07
  15. Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  16. Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  17. Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  18. Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  19. Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  20. Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  21. Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  22. Grants.gov, grants.gov, read 2026-10-07
  23. Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  24. Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)
  25. Raise Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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