The following profile was prepared in 2006 to provide information about and demonstrate the impact data of Oregon’s nonprofit sector. Please select the topic below to view that profile information.

• Statewide Numbers

• Numbers by Region

• Percentages by Activity

• Growth of Oregon's Nonprofit Sector

• Nonprofits by Expenditure

• Economic Impact

• Employment Data by Region

• Download Profile Data

• Sources

Statewide Numbers

Oregon is home to 26,308 nonprofits

13,851 are public benefit corporations,* working in the areas of social services, health care, education, the arts, and others to improve the quality of life in their communities.

5,627 are mutual benefit corporations, which are membership organizations like homeowners associations and clubs.

6,728 are religious corporations, such as churches, synagogues, and temples.

*This profile focuses on public benefit organizations, which it refers to as "nonprofits".

Numbers by Region

Percentages by Activity

Oregon’s nonprofit organizations provide a wide variety of services

The bulk of Oregon’s nonprofits work in the following areas:

A smaller number of nonprofits focus their activities in the areas of:

• 7% health
• 4% community improvement, capacity building
• 3% housing
• 3% youth development

Growth of Oregon's Nonprofit Sector

4,358 new Oregon nonprofits were established between 1996 and 2004.

Oregon’s nonprofit sector grew by 51% between 1996 and 2004, compared to a national nonprofit growth rate of 54% during the same period.

Nonprofits by Expenditure

The majority of Oregon's nonprofits are small

Just as Oregon is known as a state of small businesses, it is also a state with a much higher percentage of small nonprofit organizations than is found across the nation.

The majority of nonprofit organizations in Oregon — 51% — are small organizations with expenditures less than $100,000. Nationally, only 42% of nonprofits have expenditures under $100,000.

Until 2008, nonprofits with incomes of less than $25,000 a year were not required to file an annual return with the IRS. If those organizations were included in these figures, the percentage of Oregon nonprofits with expenditures less than $100,000 would be even greater.

Economic Impact

Nonprofits make a significant contribution to Oregon’s economic vitality

• 7,150 nonprofits employ approximately 141,000 Oregonians.
• 10% of Oregon's private workforce works for a nonprofit.
• Nonprofits add $4.6 billion to Oregon’s economy through paid wages.
• 12% of nonprofit employers are in the health services arena and employ 50% of all nonprofit employees.

Nonprofits contribute more than wages to Oregon’s economy. Nonprofits purchase services and buy supplies and equipment, and their employees buy houses, food and goods. Nonprofit organizations make a significant economic impact in every region of our state.

Employment Data by Region

Please download the data to view this information.

Download this Profile of Oregon's Nonprofits

Download this .pdf version of Oregon Involved's report about Oregonians' views of and experiences with nonprofits.

Where Did This Information Come From?

The data in this profile comes from these five sources:

• Oregon Corporation Division
• Oregon Department of Justice
• Oregon Employment Department
• National Center for Charitable Statistics’ database of IRS Master Business File data
• The Oregon Community Foundation's 2006 Giving in Oregon Report