Nonprofit Data
If you work in fundraising, grant writing, B2B sales, or nonprofit consulting, there's a good chance you've searched this exact question. The answer matters — not as a trivia fact, but because it tells you how large the addressable market is, how much competition exists for donor dollars, and how the sector is evolving year over year.
The short answer: there are approximately 1.9 million registered nonprofit organizations in the United States as of 2026. But that number only scratches the surface. When you include unregistered organizations like small grassroots groups and religious congregations that aren't required to file with the IRS, the real total likely exceeds 2.5 million.
This guide breaks down the full picture — by state, by type, by sector, and by growth trends — so you can use this data to make smarter decisions about outreach, sales, partnerships, or research.
According to IRS data and the National Center for Charitable Statistics, the United States has approximately 1.9 million registered nonprofit organizations. This figure includes all tax-exempt entities that have registered with the IRS, from massive hospital systems and universities to tiny community food pantries.
However, not every nonprofit is required to register. Organizations with less than $5,000 in annual revenue and most religious congregations are exempt from filing, so they don't appear in the IRS count. Researchers at Indiana University estimate that including these unregistered entities pushes the real total to more than 2.5 million nonprofits operating in the country.
The distinction matters because if you're trying to build a comprehensive list of nonprofit contacts for outreach, the IRS master file alone won't capture the full landscape. That's one of the reasons why curated nonprofit databases — like the one we maintain with 1.65 million records across all 50 states — are valuable for professionals who need more than just a name and EIN.
Not all nonprofits are the same. The IRS recognizes dozens of different tax-exempt classifications under Section 501(c), and understanding these categories is important if you're targeting specific segments for outreach, partnership, or research.
Here's a breakdown of the most common types:
| Classification | Description | Approx. Count | % of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 501(c)(3) | Charitable, educational, religious, scientific | 1,480,000 | 78% |
| 501(c)(4) | Social welfare organizations, civic leagues | 81,000 | 4.3% |
| 501(c)(6) | Business leagues, chambers of commerce | 63,000 | 3.3% |
| 501(c)(7) | Social and recreational clubs | 46,000 | 2.4% |
| 501(c)(5) | Labor, agricultural, horticultural organizations | 43,000 | 2.3% |
| 501(c)(8)–(10) | Fraternal beneficiary societies, lodges | 52,000 | 2.7% |
| Other 501(c) | Various other classifications | ~135,000 | 7% |
Source: IRS Exempt Organizations data, updated through 2025 filing year.
The 501(c)(3) classification dominates the landscape, making up roughly 78% of all registered nonprofits. These are the organizations most people think of when they hear "nonprofit" — charities, churches, hospitals, schools, food banks, and community foundations. They're also the ones that qualify for tax-deductible donations, which is why they represent the largest share.
If you're interested in exploring what it takes to earn this designation, we cover that in detail in our article on what a 501(c)(3) is and how it works.
Nonprofit density varies dramatically by state. Population is the biggest driver, but economic conditions, philanthropic culture, and state-level regulations also play a role.
| Rank | State | Registered Nonprofits | Per 10,000 Residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 196,400 | 50.3 |
| 2 | Texas | 134,200 | 44.8 |
| 3 | New York | 122,800 | 62.1 |
| 4 | Florida | 98,500 | 42.9 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 82,700 | 63.6 |
| 6 | Illinois | 72,100 | 57.2 |
| 7 | Ohio | 68,400 | 58.4 |
| 8 | Michigan | 51,300 | 51.3 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 48,600 | 69.5 |
| 10 | Virginia | 47,200 | 54.1 |
Source: IRS Business Master File extract; population estimates from U.S. Census Bureau.
An interesting pattern emerges when you look at nonprofits per capita rather than total count. States like Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Vermont have significantly higher nonprofit density than faster-growing states like Texas and Florida. This likely reflects deeper philanthropic traditions and more established donor ecosystems in the Northeast.
For those working in nonprofit outreach — whether selling technology, fundraising services, or consulting — these per-capita numbers can help you identify markets that are undersaturated relative to the number of organizations operating there.
We maintain state-level nonprofit data for all 50 states, with record counts, contact details, and revenue breakdowns for each.
Nonprofits aren't just a social good — they're a massive economic force. If the US nonprofit sector were a country, it would rank as the fifth-largest economy in the world. That's not a throw-away statistic. It reflects the sheer scale of employment, spending, and economic activity generated by mission-driven organizations.
The nonprofit sector accounts for approximately 5.7% of US GDP, contributing an estimated $1.5 trillion annually to the economy. Total aggregate revenue across all nonprofits reaches $3.7 trillion when you include government contracts, program fees, investment income, and donor contributions.
The revenue breakdown might surprise people who assume nonprofits run primarily on donations. In reality, about 70.8% of 501(c)(3) revenue comes from program service fees — things like hospital billing, university tuition, and museum admissions. Contributions and grants account for roughly 22.8%, while the remainder comes from investment income and other sources.
For a deeper look at how nonprofits fund their operations, check out our guide on how nonprofits make money.
The nonprofit sector is one of the largest employers in the United States. Approximately 12.5 million people work for nonprofit organizations, representing about 10% of the entire private-sector workforce. That makes the nonprofit sector the third-largest employer category in the country.
Where do these jobs actually sit? The distribution is heavily concentrated in two areas:
For B2B vendors selling to nonprofits — whether it's CRM software, office supplies, insurance, or staffing services — these employment numbers help size the market. A healthcare nonprofit with 500 employees has fundamentally different purchasing needs than a two-person environmental advocacy group, and both are counted the same in the IRS registry.
The nonprofit sector has been growing steadily for decades. In 1998, there were roughly 1.16 million registered nonprofits. By 2017, that number had grown to 1.8 million, and today it sits at approximately 1.9 million — representing a 64% increase over 25 years.
Several factors drive this growth:
However, growth isn't uniform. While the number of nonprofits continues to rise, donor counts are declining nationally. According to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, fewer households are giving — even as total dollar amounts increase, driven by larger gifts from wealthier donors. This creates a sustainability challenge for smaller nonprofits that depend on broad-based individual giving.
For anyone considering starting a new organization, we recommend reading our guide on how to start a nonprofit organization, which covers the practical steps, costs, and common pitfalls.
National charitable giving exceeded $592 billion in 2024, according to Giving USA. While that sounds like a lot, it's important to understand how that money is distributed. The vast majority of donor dollars flow to a relatively small number of large organizations — hospitals, universities, major national charities — while the long tail of smaller nonprofits competes for a much smaller share.
Here's a breakdown of giving by source:
| Source | Amount (2024) | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Individuals | $374B | 63.2% |
| Foundations | $105B | 17.7% |
| Bequests | $64B | 10.8% |
| Corporations | $49B | 8.3% |
Source: Giving USA 2025 report.
Individual donors remain the dominant source of charitable funding, but the landscape is shifting. Corporate giving programs, donor-advised funds, and planned giving through bequests are growing as percentages of total giving. Meanwhile, 80% of all nonprofit revenue comes from government grants and contracts rather than private donations — a critical point that many people outside the sector don't fully appreciate.
Our database covers 1.65 million nonprofit organizations across all 50 states — with phone numbers, email addresses, contact names, revenue data, and employee counts. Built for B2B sales teams, fundraising consultants, and researchers who need accurate data.
Get the Full Database →