National Statistics

From 1998 – 2008, the U.S. nonprofit sector has seen an overall 33% growth, from 1,158,031 to 1,536,134 organizations.  501(c)(3) public charities represent the largest portion of the sector (63%) followed by 501(c)(3) private foundations and other 501(c) organizations.  The following 2 charts present the growth of the national sector from 1998-2008 and the 2009 breakdown of the type of organizations represented by 501(c)(3) Public Charities.
 

Source: IRS Business Master File 04/2009 (with modifications by the National Center for Charitable Statistics at the Urban Institute)