Council on Foreign Relations - Competitors

Council on Foreign Relations Competition

Now Viewing Council on Foreign Relations's competition in: Nonprofit Institutions

Recent Developments

Contributions Decline After Bank Failures, Mergers - Contributions to many nonprofits may decline due to problems in the banking industry. Banks were the second-largest corporate givers to US nonprofits in 2007, according to the Conference Board, but contributions are likely to decline due to bank closures and mergers caused largely by defaults or expected defaults on mortgages. Contributions from other businesses are also declining as the US economy weakens.

IRS to Examine Charitable Organizations More Closely - IRS may begin revoking the charitable status of poorly performing charities, according to The Charity Rating Guide & Watchdog Report. IRS plans to increase the use of the commensurate test to determine if nonprofits are spending enough of their resources on charitable activities. The test asks if a charity's programs and activities are in line with its financial resources. Loss of charitable status can mean that donations to organizations are no longer tax deductible for donors; organizations may also lose their tax-exempt status.

Weak Economy may not Affect Charitable Work - Increasing economic weakness may not result in a decline in charitable giving by US nonprofits. Foundation giving in inflation-adjusted dollars increased during each recessionary period since 1975, according to The Foundation Center. Foundations that determine their yearly grantmaking budgets based on a rolling average of their asset values over two- to five-year periods maintain stable levels of giving over time.

Competitive Landscape

Organizations receive nonprofit status because their primary purpose is charitable, educational or civic in nature. The success of nonprofits often depends on efficient operations, to be able to match expenses with a changeable level of revenue. Large nonprofits are advantaged in fundraising due to better name recognition. Small nonprofits can be successful if they serve a dedicated membership or have a dependable source of revenue.

Full Industry Overview For Nonprofit Institutions

Nonprofit Institutions Industry Forecast

from Hoover's/D&B subsidiary First Research

The output of US religious, grantmaking, civic, and professional organizations, an indicator for nonprofits, is forecast to grow at an annual compounded rate of 5.7 percent between 2008 and 2013.

Non-Profit Indicator Growth Steady

First Research forecasts are based on INFORUM forecasts that are licensed from the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. (IERF) in College Park, MD. INFORUM's "interindustry-macro" approach to modeling the economy captures the links between industries and the aggregate economy.