Fastest Growing U.S. Nonprofits:
2019–2024 Revenue Data

Between 2019 and 2024, the median U.S. nonprofit grew its revenue by 23%. But this average masks enormous variation — one in five organizations at least doubled, while a quarter actually shrank. Growth was driven by a combination of sector trends, organizational size, geographic factors, and structural changes like mergers and large donations.

The 23% median growth rate over five years translates to roughly 4% annual growth — barely keeping pace with inflation. The 25th percentile actually shrank by 18%, meaning one in four nonprofits lost revenue over this period. The 75th percentile grew by 79%, showing that the top quarter of organizations significantly outperformed.

The largest absolute revenue increases were dominated by hospital systems (Bon Secours Mercy Health, Novant Health, Sentara Healthcare), major foundations receiving investment gains (Jen-Hsun & Lori Huang Foundation, Mastercard Foundation), and donor-advised fund sponsors (Renaissance Charitable Foundation, The Signatry). These categories benefit from structural advantages — hospital mergers, stock market returns, and the growing popularity of DAFs — that are distinct from organic operational growth.

The sector-level data reveals where donor and government dollars are flowing. Food & agriculture, civil rights, and environment organizations all grew at nearly double the overall median rate. These sectors benefited from increased public attention and funding during the pandemic and the social justice movements of 2020–2021.

At the bottom, arts & culture (28%) and philanthropy & voluntarism (28%) grew the slowest. Arts organizations were hit hard by pandemic closures and have been slower to recover. The philanthropy sector's lower growth rate is somewhat misleading — it includes private foundations whose revenue (investment returns) is more volatile than donation-dependent organizations.