Profile Archive
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 these 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.