Research, Reports, and Data on the Nonprofit Sector

Nonprofits depend upon quality research to, among other things, increase their understanding, improve their operations and programs, and advance their public policy and public awareness initiatives.

State Sector Economic Impact Reports

• Arkansas: Charity and Prosperity: The Economic Impact of Public Charities in Arkansas, 2006-2010
• Alaska:
  • Alaska's Nonprofit Sector: Generating Economic Impact  (2018)
  • Alaska Nonprofit Capacity Report (2016) 
• Arizona:
  • Social Return on Investment Study (2018)
  • Arizona Nonprofits: Economic Power, Positive Impact (2016)
• California: Causes Count: The Economic Power of California's Nonprofit Sector (2014)
• Colorado
  • Return on Investment: The Economic Impact of the Nonprofit Sector in Colorado (2008)
• District of Columbia: Nonprofits Count (2016)
• Florida: Economic Impact Report (2017)
• Hawai`i: Hawaii's Nonprofit Sector Report (2016)
• Idaho:
  • The Economic Impacts of Idaho's Nonprofit Organizations (2017)
  • 2016 Northwest Nonprofit Capacity Report (2016)
• Illinois
  • Building a Stronger Illinois
  • Giving in Illinois (2017)
• Kentucky: More Than Charity: Kentucky's Nonprofit Sector
• Louisiana: Why are nonprofits important to Louisiana? (2012)
• Maine: Adding Up Impact: Maine Nonprofits at Work (2017)
• Maryland: Nonprofits Count (2016)
• Massachusetts
  • Beyond Social Value: The Economic Impact of the Human Services Sector (2015)
  • Poverty in Massachusetts: Lower Than Average But Far Too High, Especially for Children
  • The Massachusetts Nonprofit Sector: 529,000 Jobs Make It Larger, Stronger, and More Resilient than Expected (2016)
• Michigan
  • Economic Benefits of Michigan's Nonprofit Sector (2014)
  • 2015 Michigan Civic Health Index
• Minnesota: Minnesota Nonprofit Economy Report (2014)
• Missouri: 2015 Landscape Report: Quantifying Missouri's Nonprofit Sector
• Montana: 
  • The Montana Nonprofit Industry 2015
  • 2016 Northwest Nonprofit Capacity Report (2016)
• Nebraska: Nebraska Nonprofits: Essential and Vibrant, Economic Impact Report 2012
• New Hampshire: New Hampshire's Nonprofit Sector in Brief  (2012)
• New Jersey:
  • New Jersey Nonprofits 2018: Trends and Outlook
  • An Economic Force, 2009-10 Edition
• North Carolina: Nonprofits' Impact on North Carolina (2016)
• North Dakota: Nonprofits Matter: The Impact of North Dakota's Nonprofit Sector (2016)
• Oregon: 
  • 2017 Oregon Nonprofit Economic Snapshot (2017)
  • 2016 Northwest Nonprofit Capacity Report (2016)  
• South Carolina: South Carolina Nonprofits: A Power Industry & Powerful Partners (2014)
• Tennessee: Inside the Mid-South Nonprofit Sector (2014)
• Utah: Utah Economic Report to the Governor (2015)
• Virginia: Nonprofits Count (2016)
• Vermont: 
  • Vermont's Nonprofit Sector: By the Numbers (2016)
  • Fast Facts: The Economic Power of Vermont’s Nonprofit Sector (2015)
• Washington: 
  • Washington State Nonprofit Sector Report (2016)
• Wisconsin: Nonprofit Wisconsin in Brief (2015)
• Wyoming: Wyoming's Nonprofit Sector (2016)

Recent Reports from the National Council of Nonprofits

• The Nonprofit Overtime Implementation Conundrum (July 2016)
• Toward Common Sense Contracting: What Taxpayers Deserve (May 2014)
• A Dozen Common Sense Solutions to Government-Nonprofit Contracting Problems (December 2013)
• Investing for Impact: Indirect Costs Are Essential for Success (September 2013)
• Partnering for Impact: Government-Nonprofit Contracting Reform Task Forces Produce Results for Taxpayers (April 2013)
• Three Simple Things Statewide and Local Elected Officials Can Do to Strengthen Communities, Improve Government, and Save Taxpayers Money (October 2012)
• Three Simple Things State Legislators Can Do to Strengthen Communities, Improve Government, and Save Taxpayers Money (October 2012)
• Costs, Complexification, and Crisis: Government’s Human Services Contracting “System” Hurts Everyone (October 2010)
• State Budget Crises: Ripping the Safety Net Held by Nonprofits (March 2010)

Notable Regularly Updated Reports on Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Sector

• Digital Giving Index (Network for Good)
• Foundation Stats (Foundation Center)
• Giving USA (Giving USA Foundation)
• Key Facts on US Foundations (Foundation Center)
• Key Facts on Corporate Foundations (Foundation Center)
• Key Facts on Community Foundations (Foundation Center)
• The Nonprofit Almanac (Urban Institute)
• Leading with Intent (Governance data from BoardSource)
• The Nonprofit Sector in Brief: Public Charities, Giving, and Volunteering (Urban Institute)
• State of the Sector Survey (Nonprofit Finance Fund)

Sources of Research on the Nonprofit Sector

• Association for Research on Nonprofits and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA)
• Congressional Research Service
• Council on Foundations
• Foundation Center
• Government Accountability Office
• Grand Valley State University, Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership
• International Society for Third-Sector Research
• Johns Hopkins University, Nonprofit Economic Data Project
• The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University
• National Center for Charitable Statistics
• National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
• Nonprofit Quarterly
• Stanford Social Innovation Review
• Urban Institute