The Fastest Growing Nonprofits by Ben Taylor, FindTheCompany
Nonprofits come in all shapes and sizes, whether they’re community soup kitchens or nationwide medical clinics. While just about every nonprofit begins as a small, local organization, many go on to become household names. Indeed, some of the nation’s biggest companies — like Kaiser Permanente, Doctors Without Borders and Teach for America — count themselves among the nonprofit ranks.
With this in mind, FindTheCompany set out to find the biggest up-and-comers in the nonprofit space. We compiled data from thousands of Form 990s (the form that nonprofits must file with the Internal Revenue Service) to find the charities, organizations, school systems and health networks that are growing the fastest.
We started with all nonprofits that had at least $10 million in assets as of 2010. We then calculated the compound annual growth rate — or CAGR — over five years, from 2010 to 2014 (latest data available). None of the companies had identical CAGRs, but for simplicity, we’ve rounded each rate to the nearest tenth. The following 25 companies have seen the greatest growth during that time.
#25. IBA Group Insurance Trust – Indianapolis, Indiana
CAGR: 14.4 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $20,967,963
The IBA Group is an Indiana-based insurance trust underwritten by Anthem Blue Cross and Principal Life Insurance. The trust provides a group insurance program for members and employees.
#24. DonorsChoose.org
CAGR: 14.5 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $35,796,219
DonorsChoose.org allows public school teachers to propose projects, then offers donors a chance to fund the initiatives. The New York City organization also received top marks from Charity Navigator, which scores nonprofits on accountability, transparency, expenses and more.
#23. Penland School of Crafts Inc.
CAGR: 14.5 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $38,458,826
The Penland School of Crafts is all about fostering artistic creativity. Headquartered in North Carolina, the organization provides resources for drawing, glasswork, ironmaking, photography and much more.
#22. San Diego Interfaith Housing Foundation
CAGR: 14.9 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $25,682,205
Founded by a coalition of local churches in 1968, the San Diego Interfaith Housing Foundation helps low- and moderate-income families find a place to live. The organization also provides services for senior citizens and disabled persons.
#21. GiveWell Community Foundation Inc.
CAGR: 15.2 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $129,506,437
The GiveWell Community Foundation allows individuals to donate to a community fund, which the organization uses to support various associations, from food banks to kids’ recreation centers.
#20. Ben Archer Health Center
CAGR: 15.6 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $27,383,751
This New Mexico-based health center has opened several new locations, each with an emphasis on preventative — rather than reactionary — care.
#19. Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties
CAGR: 15.9 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $63,390,881
Founded in 1974, the Second Harvest Food Bank brings food to low-income families in one of the fastest-growing regions of the country.
#18. Independent Colleges & Universities Benefits Association Inc.
CAGR: 16.0 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $30,852,791
This Orlando-based cooperative provides healthcare for Florida education employees across the state.
#17. Spokane United Methodist Homes
CAGR: 16.0 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $155,154,613
Also known as “Rockwood,” this growing retirement organization provides housing for seniors in the Spokane area — an increasingly popular region.
#16. Retiree Health Trust
CAGR: 16.3 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $258,125,021
The organization provides medical, dental and vision benefits to educators in the Clark County School District — which comprises Las Vegas and the surrounding cities.
#15. United States Fund For UNICEF
CAGR: 16.8 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $155,154,613
This fund exists to support UNICEF, a humanitarian program started in 1947 to assist children and mothers in developing countries.
#14. Utah Navajo Health System Inc.
CAGR: 18.9 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $32,636,077
The Utah Navajo Health System provides healthcare for rural communities in Utah, with a focus on underserved Navajo populations.
#13. HEDCO Inc.
CAGR: 19.5 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $28,492,411
This nonprofit in Hartford, Conn., helps grow small- and medium-sized businesses with both financial and technical support.
#12. Noble Network of Charter Schools
CAGR: 19.9 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $145,581,560
The Noble Network of Charter Schools serves the popular Chicago area. To date, the organization has 16 campuses with open enrollment.
#11. Greater Salina Community Foundation
CAGR: 22.2 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $142,588,420
Serving the greater Salina area in Kansas, this foundation helps connect donors with a variety of local nonprofits, from organized sports to education.
Fastest growing nonprofits – #10. Upstate New York Engineers Health Fund
CAGR: 23.7 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $83,153,165
This nonprofit insures engineering professionals in Upstate New York against illness, accident, death and other unforeseen health issues.
Fastest growing nonprofits – #9. CSA America Inc.
CAGR: 24.1 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $34,556,669
CSA America tests and certifies products to ensure they pass performance and safety requirements, with an overall mission to make the world better and safer.
Fastest growing nonprofits – #8. United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America in Edison, New Jersey
CAGR: 26.5 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $86,661,360
A building trade union, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners boasts more than 4,000 members — each a construction or wood-product professional.
Fastest growing nonprofits – #7. Washoe County School District OPEB Trust
CAGR: 26.7 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $66,173,324
This Nevada-based trust provides benefits to school district employees after they retire.
Fastest growing nonprofits – #6. Anabaptist Financial
CAGR: 26.9 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $189,072,609
Anabaptist Financial allows church communities to donate funds, which the organization then uses to offer loans and investment resources to local individuals and businesses.
Fastest growing nonprofits – #5. City of Raleigh North Carolina Medical Benefits Trust
CAGR: 27.5 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $35,304,082
This nonprofit provides benefits to Raleigh, N.C., employees post-employment.
Fastest growing nonprofits – #4. Idea Public Schools
CAGR: 29.0 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $356,448,342
Idea Public Schools provides tuition-free education to more than 24,000 students in the Rio Grande Valley, which is located in the southernmost tip of Texas.
Fastest growing nonprofits – #3. Cherry Street Services Inc.
CAGR: 30.0 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $54,013,903
Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich., Cherry Street Services provides healthcare for the community’s underserved populations.
Fastest growing nonprofits – #2. Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center For the Developmentally Disabled Inc.
CAGR: 30.0 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $59,376,166
This Los Angeles nonprofit advocates for patients’ rights while providing services for the developmentally disabled and their families.
Fastest growing nonprofits – #1. Ole Miss Athletics Foundation
CAGR: 35.0 percent
Total Assets in 2014: $94,803,204
With an enormously popular football program, Ole Miss Athletics takes the No. 1 spot, a nonprofit organization focused on supporting the school’s athletic programs. Donors can earn tickets, parking privileges and more.
