The $4.3 trillion nonprofit sector: By the numbers

$4.3 trillion

U.S. nonprofits' total assets in 2009

$1.87 trillion

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

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