Nonprofits by the Numbers
Philadelphia is home to more than 2,200 nonprofit organizations (NPOs). These organizations perform important functions for maintaining the health of the city and its residents. This month, we examine summary statistics for the city as a whole.
Nonprofit organizations filing IRS-form 990 combined for $31.7 billion in revenues in 2018. Much of this revenue is concentrated among the largest nonprofit organizations. While total revenue translates to an average of $20.3 million per nonprofit organization, 81 percent of the nonprofit revenue is concentrated among the top five percent of revenue-generating organizations.
We see a similar trend when examining assets. IRS form 990-filers maintained $63.7 billion in assets in 2018. While this translates to a per-organization average of nearly $41 million, 86 percent of nonprofit assets belong to the top five percent of organizations.
On a per-capita basis, Philadelphia nonprofits generated $20,094 in revenue per capita in 2018. They also maintained $40,419 in assets per capita. In both categories, Philadelphia’s figure is more than twice the national average. In 2018, nonprofit organizations in the United States generated $7,224.85 in revenue per capita and maintained $15,247.79 in assets per capita.
Urban areas typically contain more nonprofit organizations and larger nonprofit organizations compared to rural, less densely-populated areas. The discrepancy between Philadelphia and the national average can be broadly attributed to these two factors.
Philadelphia is home to more nonprofits per capita than the national average. The 2,283 organizations in the City of Philadelphia are equivalent to 1.45 organizations per 1000 residents. Nationwide, the United States has only 1.27 nonprofit organizations per 1000 residents.
Philadelphia nonprofit organizations are also larger than the average nonprofit organization in the U.S. Among 990-filing nonprofit organizations, the median reported revenue for Philadelphia nonprofits was roughly $680,000 while the national average was only $489,000. Similarly, Philadelphia nonprofits maintained $1.14 million in assets while the average 990-filing U.S. nonprofit maintained only $779 thousand.
In summary, Philadelphia’s nonprofit ecosystem outperforms the national average in both revenue and assets, a dynamic consistent with the density of its population. Additionally, much of Philadelphia nonprofits’ revenues and assets are concentrated among the top five percent of 990-filing organizations.
Philly Nonprofits by the Numbers is a monthly series published by the Gupta Governance Institute in its monthly newsletter.
