Nonprofit Organization Research Panel (NORP)
Nonprofit Organization Research Panel (NORP) is a university-based project that supports research on nonprofit management. Research topics range from the important roles that nonprofit managers play to the innovative approaches they use to better serve the public.
NORP is an opt-in, email panel of the leaders of selected 501c3 nonprofit organizations working in the areas of arts & culture and human services who agree to participate in occasional web-based surveys. Project study topics cover the use of technology, collaboration with other entities, government contract management, grant applications, leadership, and other governance and management topics.
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Location of NORP Organizations (as of October 2020)
Census Regions
| Region | Number of Organizations | Percent |
| Northeast | 586 | 20.73 |
| MidWest | 681 | 24.09 |
| South | 890 | 31.48 |
| West | 670 | 23.70 |
| Total | 2,827 | 100 |
Census Divisions
| Division | Number of Organizations | Percent |
| Middle Atlantic | 402 | 14.22 |
| New England | 184 | 6.51 |
| East North Central | 431 | 15.25 |
| West North Central | 250 | 8.84 |
| East South Central | 135 | 4.78 |
| West South Central | 249 | 8.81 |
| South Atlantic | 506 | 17.90 |
| Mountain | 220 | 7.78 |
| Pacific | 450 | 15.92 |
| Total | 2,827 | 100 |
Click to see: Census Regions and Divisions of the United States Map
Size and Type of NORP Organizations (as of October 2020)
Click here to learn more about the type of NORP organizations (based on NTEE-cc)
What is the NTEE-cc system? The National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) system is used by the IRS and NCCS to classify nonprofit organizations. It is also used by the Foundation Center to classify both grants and grant recipients (typically nonprofits or governments). National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) and the IRS use the NTEE-CC system, described HERE.
Human Service Organizations
| Human Service Nonprofits Income Size | Freq. | Percent |
| Below $100,000 | 306 | 15.41 |
| $100,000 – $249,999 | 310 | 15.61 |
| $250,000 – $499,999 | 291 | 14.65 |
| $500,000 – $999,999 | 277 | 13.95 |
| $1 million – $4.99 million | 542 | 27.29 |
| $5 million and more | 260 | 13.09 |
| Total | 1,986 | 100 |
Arts and Culture Organizations
| Arts Nonprofits Income Size | Freq. | Percent |
| Below $100,000 | 239 | 31.00 |
| $100,000 – $249,999 | 169 | 21.92 |
| $250,000 – $499,999 | 111 | 14.40 |
| $500,000 – $999,999 | 102 | 13.23 |
| $1 million – $4.99 million | 121 | 15.69 |
| $5 million and more | 29 | 3.76 |
| Total | 771 | 100 |
Based on gross receipts from most recently filed Form 990. Note that human service nonprofits and arts and culture nonprofits comprise most NORP organizations, but there are about 70 organizations that fall outside these two major categories.
Why is nonprofit research necessary?
Social science research helps to discern trends in specific areas of interest. Nonprofits increasingly face challenges such as unexpected cuts in funding, changes in contract terms, an untimely departures of key personnel, or the need to adapt to new technology. NORP aims to provide a platform through which nonprofit leaders can collectively find better ways to cope with such challenges without incurring disruptions in service to the community or loss of public confidence.
With better knowledge, nonprofits can effectively position themselves in the environments that are often uncontrollable. Research can provide answers to how a nonprofit can design a maximally viable competitive position in a field or whether to join collaborative arrangements or not, and if it does, under what circumstances.