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Research & Reports

Nonprofit Association of Washington conducts research and produces reports to demonstrate the scope and impact of the nonprofit sector and to identify the capacity building needs of nonprofit organizations. In addition to our own publications, we also share reports produced by partners that contribute to understanding the nonprofit sector locally and nationally.
2022 Nonprofit Economic Impact Report, December 2022, Nonprofit Association of Washington

2022 Nonprofit Economic Impact Report

Learn about the scope and economic impact of the nonprofit sector, including interactive maps showing nonprofit job and wage data by county or legislative district.

Washington Nonprofits Government Contracting Report Thumbnail

2022 Nonprofit Association of Washington Government Contracting Report

In December 2021, Nonprofit Association of Washington launched a survey to assess the nonprofit experience with government contracting. Survey respondents were asked to identify challenges they’ve experienced, prioritize the challenges they want addressed, describe any positive experiences they have had with government contracting, and identify policy solutions they would like to see.

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Labor Shortage Survey

Learn more about how the labor shortage affected nonprofits in late 2021.

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2021 Nonprofit Economic Impact Report cover

2021 Nonprofit Economic Impact Report

Learn about the scope and economic impact of the nonprofit sector, including interactive maps showing nonprofit job and wage data by county or legislative district.

Additional Research from Local Partners

Local Impacts of a Global Crisis: How Washington State Nonprofits are Responding to a Global Crisis

University of Washington Evans School of Public Affairs (November 2020)

Resilience amid Uncertainty: The ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on nonprofits in Washington State

University of Washington Evans School of Public Affairs (December 2021)

Putting People First: Building a Stronger Nonprofit Sector Together

501Commons and King County Nonprofit Compensation Survey (April 2022)

National Research

The Scope and Impact of Nonprofit Workforce Shortages

National Council of Nonprofits (December 2021)

Results of a national survey of over 1000 nonprofits regarding the impact of the labor shortage on their work.

Nonprofit Impact Matters

National Council on Nonprofits (2019)

Comprehensive impact report for the nonprofit sector nationally. In addition to the full report, check out this infographic as well as Washington-specific data.

2020 Nonprofit Employment Report

Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies. This is a detailed analysis of nonprofit employment and job trends using federal data.

Trust in Civil Society

Independent Sector (July 2021)

Trends around the public’s trust in nonprofits and philanthropy, and strategies to build trust.

Race to Lead

Building Movement Project (2019)

Multiple reports about nonprofit staff experiences of race and leadership and recommendations related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Leading with Intent

BoardSource (2021)

Data about nonprofit boards, including trends and recommendations.

State of the Nonprofit Sector

Nonprofit Finance Fund (2018)

NFF surveyed almost 3400 nonprofit leaders to better understand nonprofit health and financial sustainability. Washington-specific data is available via the survey analyzer.

Strengthening State and Local Economies in Partnership with Nonprofits: Principles, Recommendations, and Models for Investing Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds

National Council of Nonprofits (June 2021)

An argument for the inclusion of nonprofits as partners in implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), especially in partnership with cities and counties receiving ARPA funding.

Nonprofit Association of Washington Listening and Needs Assessment Projects

Nonprofit Association of Washington exists to support nonprofits of all types and sizes. We regularly listen to community members and strive to hold ourselves accountable to nonprofit board and staff members. The following are reports on intentional listening projects by Nonprofit Association of Washington.

Volunteer Managers Needs Assessment

(February 2020)

Executive Learning Needs Assessment

(Summer 2020)

Nonprofit Association of Washington Listening Tour Report

(Fall 2017)

Efforts to Understand Nonprofit Capacity in Washington State

How do we strengthen nonprofits? What are the biggest needs, gaps, and obstacles to creating an ecosystem of powerful, impactful nonprofits throughout our state? Below are some key efforts to better understand nonprofit health and identify ways to improve it. Nonprofit Association of Washington took these learnings into consideration as we built our programs.

Click here to read the 2016 Northwest Nonprofit Capacity Report

2016 Northwest Nonprofit Sector Report

Washington Nonprofits partnered with the four other northwest state nonprofit associations to release a comprehensive study on the capacity, strengths, and challenges of the region’s nonprofit sector. The 2016 Northwest Nonprofit Capacity Report: Our Strengths – Our Challenges – Our Resilience was developed using survey data from over 1,000 nonprofits in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. The report highlights the progress nonprofits are making in creating a resilient sector.

2016 Washington State Report

Download information from the Northwest Nonprofit Capacity Project specific to Washington State.

Statewide Capacity Collaborative (SCC) Reports

2016 Leadership Scan

The Statewide Capacity Collaborative released an assessment of the best ways to develop and support strong nonprofit leaders across Washington State. You can read more on their website.

Ecosystem Report

The Assessment of Nonprofit Capacity — commonly known as the Ecosystem Report– was published in 2009. It represents the foundational document from which Washington Nonprofits was created and around which capacity building in Washington took shape.

Nonprofit Fundamentals

Get NAWA's nonprofit fundamentals resources on boards, finance, legal compliance, strategic planning, advocacy, and running an effective nonprofit.

Nonprofit Jobs

Looking for a job in the nonprofit sector? NAWA partners with Mac's List to promote career opportunities.