How New Nonprofits Are Thinking Like Startups to Tap Internet-Powered Giving

Scaling a charity is statistically harder than it is to grow a business. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations registered in the U.S., including public charities, private foundations and other types of nonprofit organizations, including chambers of commerce, fraternal organizations and civic leagues. Despite their large numbers, the social impact consulting firm The Bridgespan Group reported in 2005 that only 144 nonprofits had gone "from founding to at least $50 million in revenue since 1970."

Concentration at the Top
According to Charity Navigator, 8 percent of charity dollars go to the top 1 percent of charities. Ken Berger, who served as Charity Navigator’s president and CEO from 2008 through mid-2015, said that this figure has "remained relatively static."