Research, Reports, and Data on the Nonprofit Sector
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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.
Nonprofit Impact Matters: How America’s Charitable Nonprofits Strengthen Communities and Improve Lives
The story of the nonprofit sector, told from the nonprofit perspective for the first time.
Read the report and view additional data
Note - see also our page listing state-specific surveys and other data on how the coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis are affecting nonprofits
State Nonprofit Economic Impact Reports
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Nonprofits Count (2016)
- Florida
- Hawai`i
- Idaho
- State of the Sector Report (2022)
- Illinois
- Giving in Illinois (2019)
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nebraska's Nonprofit Sector (2019)
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Nonprofit Wisconsin in Brief (2019)
- Wyoming
Reports from the National Council of Nonprofits
- The Scope and Impact of Nonprofit Workforce Shortages (December 2021, updated July 2022)
- Strengthening State and Local Economies in Partnership with Nonprofits: Principles, Recommendations, and Models for Investing Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (October 2021, updated April 2022)
- Nonprofit Impact Matters (September 2019)
- 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
- Giving USA (Giving USA Foundation)
- Nonprofit Impact Matters (National Council of Nonprofits - national and state-level data)
- Leading with Intent (Governance data from BoardSource)
- 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
