Foundation Earns Candid’s Platinum Seal of Transparency, the Highest Rating Available
Posted May 10, 2026
The Minnesota State EMS LODD Memorial Foundation has been awarded the 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, the highest level Candid issues to nonprofit organizations.
Candid, formed by the merger of GuideStar and Foundation Center, is the country’s largest source of information on nonprofits. Donors, grant makers, and corporate partners across the United States rely on Candid profiles to verify that the organizations they support are credible, well-run, and accountable. The Platinum Seal sits at the top of Candid’s four-tier transparency system and is reserved for nonprofits that have publicly shared not just their mission and finances, but also measurable goals and progress toward those goals.
Earning Platinum required the Foundation to publish its leadership and governance information, financial statements, IRS Form 990, mission and program details, and the specific metrics it is using to track progress on the construction of Minnesota’s first permanent, state-sanctioned memorial for fallen EMS professionals.
For a young foundation, transparency matters more than almost anything else. Donors are being asked to trust an organization with their money before a single stone has been set on the Capitol grounds. The Platinum Seal gives those donors a way to verify, through an independent third party, that the Foundation is operating the way it says it is and that every dollar is being tracked and reported.
The full Candid profile, including financial information and program details, can be viewed here:
https://app.candid.org/profile/16179656/mn-state-ems-lodd-memorial-foundation-99-2463186
The work ahead is significant. Site selection on the Capitol Lower Mall is moving forward through the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board, design and construction costs continue to grow, and every contribution moves the project closer to groundbreaking. Readers who want to be part of this effort can support the Foundation directly:
https://www.mnemsmemorial.com/donate
Thank you to every donor, partner, board member, and volunteer who has helped get the Foundation to this point. The Platinum Seal belongs to all of you.
