Configure GuideStar Charity Check

GuideStar Charity Check, part of Candid, is an add-on feature in SmartSimple that validates nonprofit organizations against IRS Publication 78 and 990 data to verify compliance with IRS requirements. The feature includes over 60 fields of data, including deductibility codes and limitations, and generates a GuideStar Charity Check PDF as auditable evidence of due diligence compliance.

Who: Staff who perform due diligence.

When to Use GuideStar Charity Check

Use GuideStar Charity Check when:

• Confirming a grantee's or applicant's tax-exempt status before approving a grant. This includes verifying IRS Publication 78 and 990 data during due diligence review. 
• Keeping compliance records current on an ongoing basis. This includes running the charity check automatically through a workflow on a recurring schedule or when an organization's status changes.

↑ Back to top

Configure GuideStar Charity Check

To configure GuideStar Charity Check:

1. Click the System Administration gear in the upper navigation bar, select Global Settings from the drop-down menu, and click the Integrations tab.
2. Locate the Services Settings section, toggle Enable GuideStar Integrations on, and click Save.
3. In the same Services Settings section, click GuideStar Charity Check.

4. On the Settings page, configure the following options:

   • EIN Field – The custom field used for searching on GuideStar.
   • PDF Store To Field – After the charity check, the returned PDF file will be saved to this field.
   • Available Roles – A lookup to select roles. Users assigned these roles are permitted to view the GuideStar Charity Check option on the organization record.
   • Available Status – A lookup to select statuses. The GuideStar Charity Check option will be displayed for organizations with these statuses.
   • Available Categories – A lookup to select categories. The Charity Check option will be visible for organizations within these categories.
   • Field Mappings – Mapping of GuideStar fields to fields in SmartSimple. Once mapped, the values from the GuideStar fields will be saved to the corresponding organization fields in the system.
   • Frequency – Determines the frequency of when the check will run using the date you enabled the recurring check, either quarterly or monthly.
   NOTE  Each GuideStar field can be mapped only once. When adding a new row, previously added fields will not appear in the combo box. Additionally, there is a validation process upon saving to check for any duplicate GuideStar fields.
5. Click Save.

↑ Back to top

Use GuideStar Charity Check

Users can access GuideStar Charity Check from the Options menu when all of the following conditions are met:

• The instance has the Enable GuideStar Integrations toggle activated.
• The user has roles that align with those configured in Available Roles.
• The organization has a status that corresponds to those configured in Available Status.
• The organization belongs to a category that matches those configured in Available Categories.

Selecting GuideStar Charity Check from the Options menu initiates a charity check, populates any mapped fields, and saves the returned PDF file to the designated field. Each call is also recorded for auditing purposes.

↑ Back to top

Configure Workflows for GuideStar Charity Check

There are two options to use workflows in conjunction with GuideStar Charity Check in your SmartSimple instance.

Stamp the Date a Charity Check Runs

Stamp the date updates in a field on the organization profile when the charity check is run. A date field on the organization profile is needed to populate.

1. Click the Menu icon in the upper navigation bar, and then select Workflows from the drop-down menu.
2. Click the New Workflow [+] button to create a new company workflow.
3. Add one task to update a custom field value.
4. Select the date updated field and stamp with @date(currentdate)@.
5. Add all the connectors; branching is not needed here.
6. On the GuideStar upload field settings, select the workflow to run on upload.

When the charity check is run manually or automatically, the date run is populated on the organization's record.

↑ Back to top

Run the Charity Check by Status or On Demand

Trigger from an Organization Record

To run the charity check when an organization record reaches a certain status or on demand:

1. Click the Menu icon in the upper navigation bar, and then select Workflows from the drop-down menu.
2. Click the New Workflow [+] button to crate a new company workflow.
3. Add the GuideStar charity check task.
4. Connect all the connectors.
5. Set the workflow to run on demand or on a certain status. 
   • For example, when an organization reaches approved status.

Trigger from a Grant or Payment Record

To run the charity check when a grant or payment record reaches a certain status:

1. Set up the company workflow on the organization to run the charity check when an organization record reaches a certain status, or on demand.
2. From the grant or payment record workflow, add a task to trigger the workflow on the workflow you are editing. 
3. Trigger the previously configured charity check workflow and use variable syntax to point to the correct org record.
   • For example, @client.companyid@, @parent.client.companyid@, or list syntax for multiple associated organizations.

↑ Back to top

System Call

GuideStar Charity Check can also be executed programmatically via a system call:

<!--SysCall_charitycheck(companyid)-->

↑ Back to top