The $4.3 trillion nonprofit sector: By the numbers

Nonprofits make up nearly one-tenth of the U.S. economy

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the U.S.'s largest grant foundation with an endowment of $36.4 billion.
(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

$4.3 trillion

U.S. nonprofits' total assets in 2009

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Nonprofits' revenue in 2009

9

Percent of the economy's wages that came from nonprofits in 2009

5.4

Percent of GDP that comes from nonprofits

1.5 million

Nonprofits in the U.S.

$3.9 billion

Donations the United Way, the U.S.'s largest nonprofit, received in 2011

$1.8 billion

Amount raised by faith-based nonprofits in 2011

25

Percent by which the number of public charities grew between 2001 and 2011

$49,000

Average salary for a nonprofit job

3.9

Percent of charities reporting annual expenses of $10 million or more

84.8

Percent of total public charity spending accounted for by the top 3.9 percent of charities

39,536

Nonprofits in California

979

Nonprofits in Wyoming

15 billion

Total hours Americans volunteered in 2009

40.9

Percent of Utah residents who volunteer, more than in any other state

20.7

Percent of New York residents who volunteer, less than in any other state

Carmel Lobello is the business editor at TheWeek.com. Previously, she was an editor at DeathandTaxesMag.com.