Candid - La Piana

Project Background

Foundation Center, founded in 1956, and GuideStar, founded in 1994, were the leading sources of information about philanthropy and nonprofits, respectively, both in the U.S. and globally. The synergies between these two powerhouses were obvious to an inspired team of board members and senior executives. As a result, in 2019, Foundation Center and GuideStar merged to become Candid. While working on internal integration of their complex systems, in 2020 they are working to set out a bold ten-year vision for the combined entity.

Services & Solutions

La Piana Consulting worked intensively with Candid through its first-year post-merger to ensure a smooth cultural integration. This included facilitating a culture change workstream and even designing and guiding a highly successful all-staff retreat with more than 250 participants. Later, we provided strategic and governance support as Candid develops its vision for 2030 and a strategic plan to implement it.

Outcome & Results

Candid today is a healthy organization with a merged board of directors and a well-integrated senior staff team, having accomplished the crucial task of merging cultures in a large, geographically dispersed organization in a short amount of time. As the strategy unfolds, it is poised to have even greater impact in the coming years.