Contents
- Community organization funding statistics: Nonprofit revenue by source
- Community organization funding statistics: Revenue streams nonprofits report and prioritize
- Community organization funding statistics: Government grant receipt and exposure
- Community organization funding statistics: Community foundation operations and costs
- Community organization funding statistics: Cash reserves and nonprofit financial pressure
- Community organization funding statistics: Community foundation grantmaking and local reach
- Sources
Community organization funding statistics: Nonprofit revenue by source
In 2024, the typical nonprofit’s revenue mix was led by private sources. The Health of the U.S. Nonprofit Sector report describes private sources as 50% of funding, followed by government sources at 28%, earned revenue at 18%, and other sources at 4%. These figures describe the mix of funding for a typical nonprofit, rather than the percentage of surveyed organizations that received each type of revenue. The report attributes the revenue mix to Tomasko et al. (2025).
| Source of funding | Share of typical nonprofit funding, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Private sources | 50% |
| Government sources | 28% |
| Earned revenue | 18% |
| Other sources | 4% |
Source: Health of the U.S. Nonprofit Sector 2025, page 7, Figure 3.
The categories help distinguish several ways that community-serving organizations may bring in funds. Private sources form the largest single category in this 2024 mix. Government funding is a substantial second category, while earned revenue and other sources make up smaller portions. Those shares are not a statement that every nonprofit has the same mix; the report calls this the typical nonprofit’s funding profile.
A separate NFF survey measure looks at how many organizations reported particular sources, and how often a source ranked among their top 2. That is a different lens from revenue share: a common source can be reported by many organizations without being one of their largest sources. The figures below keep these measures separate.
Community organization funding statistics: Revenue streams nonprofits report and prioritize
In the NFF survey reporting revenue sources for 2024, individual donations were widespread: 88% of surveyed nonprofit organizations said they received them. Yet 35% identified individual donations as one of their 2 largest revenue sources. Foundation grants were reported by 81%, and 41% said they were one of their 2 largest sources. This contrast shows why source prevalence and financial rank should not be read as interchangeable statistics.
Corporate donations were reported by 62% of organizations, while 13% placed them among their 2 largest sources. Fees or service charges were reported by 48%, and 16% ranked them in their top 2. Investment income appeared in 38% of organizations’ reports, but 3% said it was one of their 2 largest sources. Sales revenue was reported by 20%, with 5% ranking it in their top 2.
| Revenue source | Reported by organizations in 2024 | Among 2 largest sources |
|---|---|---|
| Individual donors | 88% | 35% |
| Foundations | 81% | 41% |
| Corporate donations | 62% | 13% |
| Fees and/or service charges | 48% | 16% |
| Investment income | 38% | 3% |
| Sales | 20% | 5% |
Source: Health of the U.S. Nonprofit Sector 2025, page 7, Figure 4; corporate donation figures are also described on page 8. The survey/reporting period is labeled 2024.
Government revenue also appears in the NFF source-prevalence results. State-government revenue was reported by 53% of organizations, and 28% said it was among their 2 largest sources. County or local-government revenue was reported by 51%, with 20% placing it among their 2 largest sources. Federal-government revenue was reported by 45%, and 25% identified it as one of their 2 largest sources.
| Government revenue source | Reported by organizations in 2024 | Among 2 largest sources |
|---|---|---|
| State government | 53% | 28% |
| County or local government | 51% | 20% |
| Federal government | 45% | 25% |
Source: Health of the U.S. Nonprofit Sector 2025, page 7, Figure 4. These percentages represent organizations reporting a source and its rank, not the share of total revenue it contributed.
Across the listed private and earned revenue streams, individual donors and foundations were most frequently named as sources. Foundations also had the highest top-two share among the listed sources. For government sources, state revenue was reported by slightly more organizations than local or federal revenue, while federal revenue’s top-two share was higher than the local-government figure. These comparisons describe survey responses only and do not establish the dollar amounts behind each source.
Community organization funding statistics: Government grant receipt and exposure
Government funding reaches a broad geographic footprint in the United States. The Independent Sector report says government grants to nonprofits flow to every state, every congressional district, and 95% of U.S. counties. It also reports that, among more than 100,000 nonprofits reporting government grants on IRS Form 990, two-thirds would operate at a deficit without those reported grants. The cited passage does not specify the underlying data year for these county and Form 990 analyses, so these should not be treated as 2025 or 2024 measurements.
For 2024, 37% of nonprofits in nationally representative survey data specifically reported receiving federal government funding. The report’s definition includes federal grants, contracts, fee-for-service payments other than Medicare/Medicaid, and loans. That defined federal-funding measure should be kept distinct from the broader NFF revenue-source survey category labeled “Federal Government.”
The report also cites a separate survey finding: 33% of nonprofits represented by the National Survey of Nonprofit Trends and Impacts said they experienced disruptions to government funding during the first 4 to 6 months of 2025. This is a time-bounded report of disruption, not a measure of all government-supported nonprofits or the value of funds affected.
Source: Health of the U.S. Nonprofit Sector 2025, page 9, “Government Funding Is at Risk,” including the federal-funding definition in its footnote. County coverage and Form 990 findings have no specific underlying year stated in the cited passage.
Together, the figures convey two distinct kinds of exposure: the geographic spread of government grants and the reported reliance or disruption among organizations. The Form 990 analysis describes potential deficit status without grants for a large group of grant-reporting nonprofits; it does not say that all nonprofits depend on government funding. Likewise, the 2025 disruption percentage applies to respondents in the cited survey and its stated first 4 to 6 months, not to an entire calendar year.
Community organization funding statistics: Community foundation operations and costs
CF Insights’ 2024 operations results provide a closer view of community foundations. Administrative fees accounted for most operating revenue in each reported asset cohort. The reported revenue-mix averages were 67% for foundations with $0–$25 million in assets, 70% for $25–$50 million, 66% for $50–$100 million, 73% for $100–$250 million, 71% for $250–$500 million, and 72% for foundations with $500 million or more. The revenue-mix table notes that averages were used to total 100% and gives an overall sample of 232 foundations.
| Community foundation assets | Administrative fees as share of operating revenue |
|---|---|
| $0–$25 million | 67% |
| $25–$50 million | 70% |
| $50–$100 million | 66% |
| $100–$250 million | 73% |
| $250–$500 million | 71% |
| $500 million or more | 72% |
Source: 2024 CF Insights Results: Operations, revenue-mix table; overall n=232.
Operating expenses show personnel as the larger component overall: personnel expenses represented 63% of operating budgets across reporting foundations, while non-personnel expenses represented 37%. By asset cohort, personnel’s share was 59% for $25–$50 million foundations, 65% for $50–$100 million, 64% for $100–$250 million, 67% for $250–$500 million, and 67% for $500 million or more. In the $0–$25 million cohort, non-personnel expenses were 44% of the operating budget. The expense table covers 184 reporting foundations.
| Foundation asset cohort | Personnel expenses | Non-personnel expenses |
|---|---|---|
| All reporting foundations | 63% | 37% |
| $0–$25 million | — | 44% |
| $25–$50 million | 59% | — |
| $50–$100 million | 65% | — |
| $100–$250 million | 64% | — |
| $250–$500 million | 67% | — |
| $500 million or more | 67% | — |
Source: 2024 CF Insights Results: Operations, operational expenses table; n=184. Dashes indicate values not included in the selected observations, not zero.
Budget growth and year-end operating position offer additional context. Among 165 responding community foundations, 80% grew their operating budgets over the previous year. At FY24 close, 22% of 230 responding foundations were in the significant-surplus category, defined as revenues divided by expenses greater than 125%. The operations results also report that more than two-thirds carried an operating surplus, but the 22% figure specifically identifies the significant-surplus category. These measures use different respondent counts and should not be combined as if they came from one identical sample.
Source: 2024 CF Insights Results: Operations, budget-growth narrative and surplus-versus-subsidy table; n=165 and n=230 respectively.
Community organization funding statistics: Cash reserves and nonprofit financial pressure
NFF’s 2025 survey findings describe considerable financial pressure among respondent organizations. 81% struggled to raise enough funds to cover all of their costs, and 36% ended their most recent fiscal year with an operating deficit. The fiscal-year reference is specific to each respondent’s most recent fiscal year, rather than a single shared year for all respondents.
Cash on hand was distributed across four reported duration categories. 32% of organizations had less than 3 months of cash available; 20% reported exactly 3 months; 28% had 4 to 6 months; and 20% reported more than 6 months. The categories preserve the source’s cash-on-hand time bands. They do not specify how reserves were restricted or available for particular uses.
| Cash-on-hand duration reported in 2025 | Share of organizations |
|---|---|
| Less than 3 months | 32% |
| 3 months | 20% |
| 4–6 months | 28% |
| More than 6 months | 20% |
Source: Health of the U.S. Nonprofit Sector 2025, page 8, “Many Nonprofit Organizations Are on the Financial Edge,” and Figure 5.
These measures describe different aspects of financial condition: difficulty covering costs, a deficit in a respondent’s latest fiscal year, and the number of months of cash reported. They provide a snapshot of survey respondents, not a prediction about any individual organization. Reading the indicators together is useful for understanding the range of financial situations represented, while keeping their separate definitions intact.
Community organization funding statistics: Community foundation grantmaking and local reach
UK Community Foundations’ member-submitted figures show the scale and stated reach of grantmaking in 2024–25. The 21 UKCF members submitting data reported that more than £183 million was awarded throughout the UK to support communities. They also reported more than 38,000 grants to community-led groups and charities, with an average grant size of £5,500. These are UK member-reported totals and averages, not a census of all community foundation activity across the country.
The same members reported that more than £874,000 was raised and distributed in local emergency response during 2024–25. The source also breaks down reported funding by theme: 34% supported health and wellbeing, 16% supported equality and inclusion, and 15% supported community development and safety. Each percentage refers to thematic funding allocations reported by the 21 members.
| UKCF member-reported measure, 2024–25 | Reported value |
|---|---|
| Funding awarded to support communities | More than £183 million |
| Grants awarded to community-led groups and charities | More than 38,000 |
| Average grant size | £5,500 |
| Raised and distributed in local emergency response | More than £874,000 |
Source: Our impact: UK Community Foundations, “In 2024–25”; data submitted by 21 UKCF members.
The theme figures add a view of where member-reported funding was directed: health and wellbeing had the largest listed share, followed by equality and inclusion, then community development and safety. The listed themes are selected reported categories; they are not presented here as an exhaustive allocation of all funding. Together, the totals, average award, emergency-response amount, and theme percentages describe both grant volume and some of the purposes supported in the reporting period.
Source: Our impact: UK Community Foundations, “Funding from 2024–25 broken down into themes”; data submitted by 21 UKCF members.