NCCS Data: Accessing and Analyzing Nonprofit Information

1. Resources from NCCSLinda LampkinCenter on Nonprofits and Philanthropyat the Urban InstituteSeminar on Covering PhilanthropyLos Angeles, CAMarch 2004

2. National Center for Charitable Statistics -- NCCS • Founded 1980; moved to Urban Institute in 1996 from Independent Sector • What we do: • Nonprofit data • Classification systems • Research • Work with IRS and other partners to develop and maintain high quality data on the nonprofit sector

3. NCCS Files • 140 different data files available • All tax exempt organizations -- Business Master Files from IRS • Based on IRS Forms 990 -- Core Files, GuideStar-NCCS Database, IRS Statistics of Income Samples • Others • Unified Database of Arts Organizations; Individual Taxpayer Charitable Giving Data; List of “501(h) electors”(those that report advocacy expenses under special IRS rules)

4. NCCS Data Goals • Produce cleaned, checked, organized datasets • Make them easy to access and use • Promote research and encourage use of data • Provide assistance to researchers

5. Using the Data • Geographic portraits of nonprofit sector • US • State, regional (Cape Cod) • Subsector • Using classification system (NTEE) • Local Education Funds, Community Development Corporations

6. Using the Data • Financial • US • State • City or region (Pittsburgh nonprofit expenditures on human services, compared with other comparable cities)

7. Using the Data • Spatial analysis • Map locations of organizations in neighborhood • Contrast with needs (Census data on families with children, families with low income levels, percent of elderly) • Use to identify gaps and needs

8. Using the Data • Study of Overhead Costs • Includes study of Forms 990, survey, case studies • Identify “zero cost” fundraising • Improve cost tracking and reporting • Clarify rules on proposal writing, joint cost, professional fundraising • See www.coststudy.org

9. Additional CNP Projects • Interviews with foundation staff on “effective philanthropy” • Guides on outcome measurement for nonprofits • Nonprofits and Government • Property Tax Exemptions for Nonprofits

10. Additional CNP Projects • Analyses of Form 990-PF data • Percent of grants compared to asset size • Percent of administrative costs compared to grants • Compensation • Electronic filing and electronic registration in states

11. Accessing the Data • Simple way for researchers to access and acquire data • Use what you want, when you want, in the format you need • Serve range of research questions • “How many nonprofits are there?” • “What are the differences in sources of revenues among various types of nonprofits?”

12. Answer: The Web • Use technology to ease access for the simpler questions that are more frequently asked • Create web-based tool that will enable researchers to answer more complex questions and create their own datasets

13. At http//:nccs.urban.org • Available to all: • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) • Information on all databases (public charities, private foundations, other tax exempt orgs) • Current projects (research on administrative costs at www.coststudy.org; efforts to improve data quality at www.qual990.org and e-file Form 990 at www.form990.org)

14. New at nccs.urban.org • New tools for use of National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) • Key word search • Manual • Clusters of codes • Similar tools for Nonprofit Program & Beneficiary Classification System (NPC) to analyze nonprofit activities

15. Additional Web Resources • Links, IRS Forms and Instructions • Guide to NCCS Data and KnowledgeBase • Fact Sheets and Geographic Profiles of the Nonprofit Sector • The DataWeb