Nonprofit History’s New Numbers (and the Need for More)

Abstract

This article describes the section on nonprofit statistics that will be in the forthcoming edition of Historical Statistics of the United States. The article provides a few examples of the use of long-term statistical series to gain perspective on the contemporary nonprofit sector and of the use of such series in evaluating standard liberal interpretations of American history in general. The historical examples in the article (such as the decline in American generosity since the 1960s) are as much suggestive as definitive but all point to valuable questions to be explored through more detailed studies.

Beyond the Liability of Newness: Nonprofit Organizations in an Emerging Policy Domain

“…The process of new births is particularly critical at the current time. The number of nonprofits in the United States has increased steadily since 1940 (Burke, 2001). Even though closures and mergers are common (Galaskiewicz & Bielefeld, 1998), the number of births far exceeds the number of deaths, creating a "demographic transition" in the nonprofit sector.…”

Nostalgia and giving to charity: a conceptual framework for discussion and research

“…Charitable giving has stagnated in the U.S. over the last 30 years (Burke, 2001). Philanthropic institutions have found it increasingly difficult to raise needed funds from givers (Eikenberry, 2005).…”

Historical research for the nonprofit sector

“…It is sometimes implied or asserted that private donations define the field and account for much of its growth. In fact, as shown in Figure 4, private giving has remained in the range of 1.7 to 2.4 percent of disposable personal income (far below the biblical injunction to tithe at 10 percent) for at least eighty years (Burke, 2001). Although the tax code and the economy have changed dramatically through these years, private giving has remained remarkably stable-notwithstanding the devastating reductions in gifts to churches and to community social services during the Great Depression (Hammack, 2002b 1 percent to 9 percent over the course of the twentieth century, private giving remained within a fairly narrow band.…”