Statistics and Datasets

This section provides primary data sources on charitable and tax exempt organizations as well as philanthropy. These statistics and datasets come from reliable government sources, including the IRS, U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as think tanks and relevant nonprofit organizations.

Datasets
Statistics

The following resources provide information to datasets related to charities, tax exempt organizations, and volunteers.

Charities & Other Tax-Exempt Organizations Statistics OneSheet (IRS)
The Microdata includes annual samples include Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3) organizations and section 501(c)(4)–(9) organizations. Sampling rates ranged from 1 percent for small-asset classes to 100 percent for large-asset classes. Microdata records contain information on balance sheets and income statements, as well as weights (to estimate the population), for each organization.
Tax Exempt Organization Search Bulk Data Downloads (IRS)
You can download data sets of information about organizations' tax-exempt status and filings.
Volunteers Count Report - Neighborhoods (NYC Open Data ) External
The annual NYC Volunteers Count report is the City’s largest scan of residents volunteering at organizations across New York City. Organizations, including City agencies, Mayoral offices, and nonprofits, are surveyed to understand how residents volunteer within the city’s infrastructure to strengthen communities at the neighborhood level.

The following links to government and organization information on the nonprofit sector, including industry information. Government resources are drawn from the IRS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and U.S. Census Bureau.

Charitable and Exempt Organization Statistics (IRS)
This site provides statistical tables, articles, and other information on charities and other tax-exempt organizations. There is a breakdown of types of tax exemptions and nonprofit financial reporting and 990 statistics back to 1988.
Corporate Giving and Matching Gift Statistics (Double the Donation) External
This is designed to provide information on matching gifts, a complex source for nonprofit funding. Includes statistics and suggestions for utilizing gift opportunities.
Crowdfunding Statistics (Fundly) External
Includes up-do-date global statistics, crowdfunding, public awareness, and effective nonprofit communication. Also offers articles with crowdfunding and fundraising suggestions.
Current Industrial Reports (U.S. Census Bureau)
The Current Industrial Report (CIR) program has provided monthly, quarterly, and annual measures of industrial activity for many years.
Economic Census Data Tools, (U.S. Census Bureau)
Interactive applications, created by the Census Bureau, to help you find, customize, and even visualize, statistics and information from multiple censuses, surveys, and programs.
National Center for Charitable Statistics, (Urban Institute ) External
NCCS is a national clearinghouse for data on nonprofit organizations and their activities. Browse compatible national, state, and regional databases and uniform standards for reporting on the activities of charitable organizations.
National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities, NCCS (Urban Institute) External
The National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) system is used by the IRS and NCCS to classify nonprofit organizations. NCCS offers classification tools to help with classification as well as data analysis tools. NCCS data on U.S. nonprofit sector is downloadable for a fee.
Philanthropy Classification System (Foundation Center) External
A taxonomy for philanthropy by the Foundation Center based on the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities.
Prospect Research and Wealth Screening Statistics, (DonorSearch) External
This is a resource for nonprofit organizations to identify prospective donors, corporate and otherwise. There are also links to various other corporate and planned giving statistics gathered by DonorSearch.
Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations: NAICS 813, Industries at a Glance,(Bureau of Labor Statistics)
This BLS document provides workforce statistics, occupations, employment projections, earnings and hours, workplace injuries, and industry trends.
Research Data on the Nonprofit Sector(Bureau of Labor Statistics)
This newly developed data on employment, wages and establishment provided by BLS covers only a portion of the nonprofit sector—those that receive 501(c)3 classification. The BLS website provides downloadable data sets, the statistical methodology and encourages feedback. They are not yet an official published series of BLS data.
Tax-Exempt and Government Entities Division (IRS)
Provides statistical information about Tax-Exempt Organizations with a link to data sets mentioned separately in this research guide and an A-Z index for nonprofit organizations to help you navigate the IRS nonprofit information.

Relevant Research Guides

Datasets at the Library of Congress: A Research Guide - This guide provides information about various dataset collections, and suggests sites and resources for data science and machine learning projects.

Datasets are a structured collections of data generally associated with a unique body of work. This guide provides information about various dataset collections, and suggests sites and resources for data science and machine learning projects.

U.S. Census Connections: A Resource Guide - This guide identifies useful resources for locating census data and publications at the Library of Congress and online.

General reference publications and census finding aids help researchers identify sources for U.S. decennial and economic census information. This guide identifies useful resources for locating census publications at the Library of Congress and online.

The Nonprofit Sector in the United States: A Resource Guide

Statistics and Datasets

Relevant Research Guides

Datasets at the Library of Congress: A Research Guide - This guide provides information about various dataset collections, and suggests sites and resources for data science and machine learning projects.

U.S. Census Connections: A Resource Guide - This guide identifies useful resources for locating census data and publications at the Library of Congress and online.