Nonprofit Analysis
In-depth research and data-driven analysis of the U.S. nonprofit sector.
How Do Nonprofits Make Money? Revenue Sources Explained
A data-driven breakdown of how America's 1.93 million nonprofits generate $4.09 trillion in annual revenue — from donations and grants to program services and investments.
Read article →Nonprofit vs. For-Profit: Key Differences Explained
What actually makes a nonprofit different from a for-profit business? A clear guide to tax status, ownership, compensation, and the legal distinctions that matter.
Read article →The 25 Biggest Nonprofits in America by Revenue
A ranked analysis of the largest nonprofit organizations in the United States, from Kaiser Permanente's $120B+ empire to the nation's wealthiest universities and foundations.
Read article →Nonprofit CEO Salary Guide: Benchmarks by Organization Size
How much should a nonprofit CEO earn? Data-driven salary benchmarks based on IRS filings, broken down by organization budget size, sector, and geography.
Read article →How to Read a Nonprofit's Form 990: A Complete Guide
Form 990 is the annual tax filing every nonprofit must submit to the IRS. Here's a section-by-section guide to reading and understanding this essential document.
Read article →The Nonprofit Overhead Ratio: Why It's Misleading and What to Use Instead
Donors have long used the overhead ratio to evaluate charities, but data from 1.93 million nonprofits shows this metric is fundamentally flawed. Here's why — and what actually matters.
Read article →The Fastest-Growing Nonprofits of 2025: Who's Scaling and Why
An analysis of which nonprofit organizations experienced the largest revenue growth in recent years, the sectors driving expansion, and what rapid growth means for the sector.
Read article →Religious Nonprofits: Financial Analysis of America's Churches and Faith Organizations
A deep dive into the finances of 199,983 religious nonprofits — from megachurch empires to storefront churches — and the unique regulatory exemptions that make this sector the least transparent in American philanthropy.
Read article →Are Nonprofit Hospitals Really Nonprofit? A Financial Investigation
Nonprofit hospitals generate $1.81 trillion in annual revenue and some accumulate billions in surplus. We investigate whether the nonprofit hospital model still serves the public interest.
Read article →University Endowments Explained: Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and the $800B Question
America's university endowments collectively hold over $800 billion. We analyze how they work, who has the most, and the growing debate about whether universities are hoarding wealth.
Read article →Nonprofit Fraud Warning Signs: Red Flags in Form 990 Filings
How to spot potential fraud, mismanagement, and self-dealing in nonprofit tax filings. A guide to the warning signs that researchers, donors, and regulators look for.
Read article →Private Foundations vs. Public Charities: Key Differences Explained
What's the difference between a private foundation and a public charity? A clear guide to the legal, tax, and operational distinctions that define these two types of 501(c)(3) organizations.
Read article →The Nonprofit Sector by State: Which States Have the Most Nonprofits Per Capita?
A state-by-state analysis of America's 1.93 million nonprofits — where they're concentrated, which states have the highest per-capita rates, and what drives regional differences.
Read article →Donor-Advised Funds Explained: The Controversial Growth of DAFs
Donor-advised funds now process more charitable giving than all private foundations combined. Here's how they work, why they're growing, and why critics call them 'the biggest loophole in philanthropy.'
Read article →Nonprofit Executive Compensation Trends: A 10-Year Analysis
How has nonprofit executive pay changed over the past decade? We analyze compensation trends across sectors, the impact of healthcare consolidation, and the growing gap between large and small nonprofit pay.
Read article →The State of American Nonprofits in 2025
A comprehensive overview of the U.S. nonprofit sector: 1.93 million organizations, $4.09 trillion in revenue, and $10.5 trillion in assets.
Read article →The Highest Paid Nonprofit CEOs in America
An analysis of executive compensation in the nonprofit sector. Why some CEOs earn millions, and why health systems dominate the top of the list.
Read article →Where Does Your Donation Actually Go?
A breakdown of how nonprofits spend money — program expenses vs. overhead vs. fundraising — and why the overhead ratio is often misleading.
Read article →The State of Nonprofit Transparency
How many nonprofits file Form 990, what data is publicly available, and where significant gaps in disclosure remain.
Read article →Healthcare Nonprofits: A $1.8 Trillion Industry
Health (NTEE E) is the largest nonprofit category by revenue. An in-depth analysis of hospital systems, health plans, and community health organizations.
Read article →Religion in the Numbers: 200K Religious Nonprofits
An analysis of the Religion category (NTEE X): 199,983 organizations, $28.9 billion in revenue, and the ongoing tax exemption debate.
Read article →Education Nonprofits: From Preschools to Universities
A deep dive into the Education category (NTEE B): 181,546 organizations, $517.7 billion in revenue, dominated by universities.
Read article →America's Foundations: Who's Giving What
An analysis of the Philanthropy & Grantmaking category (NTEE T): 104,351 organizations, $136.7 billion in revenue, and $1.48 trillion in assets.
Read article →The Other 90%: Small Nonprofits Under $1M
Most nonprofits are tiny organizations. An analysis of the revenue distribution, challenges, and importance of small nonprofits.
Read article →Which Nonprofit Sectors Are Growing Fastest?
A comparison of growth across nonprofit categories — healthcare booms, technology nonprofits emerge, and traditional sectors evolve.
Read article →Nonprofits in California: A Data Deep Dive
California leads the nation with 199,451 nonprofits generating $540 billion in revenue. From Kaiser's $93B empire to Silicon Valley philanthropy, explore the Golden State's nonprofit landscape.
Read article →Nonprofits in New York: A Data Deep Dive
New York's 122,818 nonprofits generate $414.9 billion in revenue. From Wall Street donor-advised funds to world-class cultural institutions, explore the Empire State's nonprofit landscape.
Read article →Nonprofits in Texas: A Data Deep Dive
Texas has 150,172 nonprofits generating $196.8 billion in revenue. From Houston's Texas Medical Center to oil-funded philanthropy and the nation's highest concentration of religious organizations.
Read article →Nonprofits in Florida: A Data Deep Dive
Florida's 111,400 nonprofits generate $167.1 billion in revenue. From healthcare systems to environmental conservation and hurricane relief, explore the Sunshine State's nonprofit landscape.
Read article →Nonprofits in Pennsylvania: A Data Deep Dive
Pennsylvania's 79,340 nonprofits generate $239.2 billion in revenue. Anchored by UPMC's $25.7B empire and historic philanthropy from Carnegie and Pew, explore the Keystone State's nonprofit landscape.
Read article →Nonprofits in Illinois: A Data Deep Dive
Illinois is home to 72,340 nonprofits generating $182.4 billion in revenue. From Chicago's healthcare giants to the state's deep philanthropic roots, explore the Prairie State's nonprofit landscape.
Read article →Nonprofits in Ohio: A Data Deep Dive
Ohio's 60,912 nonprofits generate $159.8 billion in revenue. From the Cleveland Clinic to Rust Belt community organizations, explore the Buckeye State's nonprofit landscape.
Read article →Nonprofits in Massachusetts: A Data Deep Dive
Massachusetts's 50,283 nonprofits generate $213.7 billion in revenue. From Harvard's $74B endowment to Mass General Brigham's healthcare empire, explore the Bay State's extraordinary nonprofit density.
Read article →Nonprofits in Washington State: A Data Deep Dive
Washington's 46,187 nonprofits generate $98.3 billion in revenue. From the Gates Foundation's $78.7B empire to tech philanthropy and environmental organizations, explore the Evergreen State's nonprofit landscape.
Read article →Nonprofits in Georgia: A Data Deep Dive
Georgia's 52,914 nonprofits generate $107.6 billion in revenue. From Atlanta's civil rights legacy to Emory's healthcare empire and the CDC's orbit, explore the Peach State's nonprofit landscape.
Read article →The Fastest Growing Nonprofits in America
Which nonprofit organizations are experiencing the biggest revenue jumps? We analyzed IRS filing data to identify the 500 fastest-growing nonprofits and what's driving their explosive growth.
Read article →Foundation Giving Trends: Who's Funding What
An analysis of the largest foundations in America, their giving patterns, and how the rise of donor-advised funds is reshaping philanthropy's power structure.
Read article →Nonprofit CEO Pay: Are Executives Overpaid?
A deep dive into nonprofit executive compensation — who earns the most, how pay compares to for-profit peers, and whether high salaries correlate with organizational effectiveness.
Read article →The Nonprofit Overhead Myth: Why Low Overhead Doesn't Mean Effective
Data debunking the persistent myth that good nonprofits have low overhead. Analysis shows why the overhead ratio is a misleading metric and what donors should look at instead.
Read article →Religious Organizations: The $125B Tax-Exempt Sector
An analysis of the 199,983 religious nonprofits in America — their revenue, assets, geographic distribution, and unique regulatory status within the nonprofit sector.
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