Quick Facts About Nonprofits in the USA  

Nonprofit Organizations

• 1,409,430 tax-exempt organizations, including:
• • 948,769 public charities
  • 96,655 private foundations
  • 364,006 other types of nonprofit organizations, including chambers of commerce, fraternal organizations and civic leagues.

(Source: NCCS Business Master File 12/2013)

• In 2010, nonprofits accounted for 9.2% of all wages and salaries paid in the United States.
  (Source: The Nonprofit Almanac, 2012)
• Nonprofit Share of GDP was 5.5% in 2012. (Source: The Nonprofit Almanac, 2012)
  
• There are an estimated 325,855 congregations in the United States in March 2014.
  (Source: American Church Lists)

Quick Links

• Largest Public Charities: Top 10 Lists
• Largest Public Charities: By State
• Largest Organizations: By IRS Subsection Code
• Build your own report:  Custom Report Builder
• Request data and browse the NCCS Web.
   

Public Charity Finances

• In 2011, public charities reported over $1.59 trillion in total revenues and $1.49 trillion in total expenses.  Of the revenue:
• • 22% came from contributions, gifts and government grants.
  • 72% came from program service revenues, which include government fees and contracts.
  • 6% came from "other" sources including dues, rental income, special event income, and gains or losses from goods sold.

(Source: NCCS Core Files 2011)

• Public charities reported $2.87 trillion in total assets in 2011.
  (Source: NCCS Core Files 2011)
   

Volunteering and Charitable Giving Charitable Giving in America: Some Facts and Figures

• Approximately 25.4% of Americans over the age of 16 volunteered through or for an organization between September 2009 and September 2013.  This proportion has remained relatively constant since 2003 after a slight increase from 27.4% to 28.8% in 2003.
  (Source: Current Population Survey, September 2013)
• Charitable contributions by individuals, foundations, bequests, and corporations reached $316.23 billion in 2012, an increase of 0.6% from the revised 2011 estimates and after adjusting for inflation. Of these charitable contributions:
• • Religious organizations received the largest share, with 32% of total estimated contributions.
  • Educational institutions received the second largest percentage, with 13% of total estimated contributions.
  • Human service organizations accounted for 13% of total estimated contributions in 2012, the third largest share.

(Source: Giving USA 2013)

• Individuals gave $228.93 billion in 2012, an increase of 3.9 percent from 2011.
  (Source: Giving USA 2013)
   

Foundation Giving

• Foundations gave $50.9 billion in 2012, up just less than one percent from 2011.
  (Source: The Foundation Center, 2013)
   
• Of total giving in 2012:
• • 72% came from individual (living donors)
  • 4% came from corporations (excludes corporate foundations)
  • 8% came from individuals (bequest)
  • 16% came from foundations.

(Source: The Foundation Center, 2013)
NCCS  >  Quick Facts About Nonprofits     Quick Facts About Nonprofits For the most recent data on the philanthropic sector please refer to The Nonprofit Almanac 2012. 
For the latest figures and quick facts please also refer to The Nonprofit Sector in Brief.