Following are the groups or categories which will assist you in making decisions about where to work in a non profit field. Information provided here is descriptive or general and may not be applicable to each group in the category. Also, none of the non profit groups have affected the market regarding efficiency and lively leadership, misconduct and dysfunction.
Health organizations:
Health organizations including hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, hospice facilities and drug rehabilitation constitutes the biggest part of the non profit industry.
Health organizations are the largest in terms of revenue, expenses, and the number of employees. As per the last version of the Non profit Almanac published by the Urban Institute, health organizations constitute almost half of the revenue that is provided to the entire non profit sector.
Educational institutions:
Including universities, colleges, and private, independent schools (which are not included in the public school system), educational institutions are the second largest group in terms of employment and revenue. Most of the educational institutes including universities and schools deeply depend on tuitions and funding from individuals, foundations and state as well as federal agencies.
Schools are known to be one of the oldest non profit institutions of America. For instance, Harvard University which is the known as the first non profit institution of U.S. was established in 1638.
The Social or Human services:
In this category, there are various groups which offer resources and services for various groups of peoples like the disabled and disenfranchised which include legal aid societies, housing support programs, soup kitchens, homeless shelter, training centers, child welfare associations, day care operations, immigrant assistance organizations, rape crisis groups, and mental health counseling etc. This group of non profit organizations is ranked third in terms of revenue and employment. Most of the non profit organizations falls in this category.
Religious organizations:
There are various religious factions including Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist associations which constitute the various religious organizations. Such religious organizations run various institutions including schools, colleges, hospitals, advocacy groups and social services agencies like the Salvation Army. However, such institutions come under the groups according to the services they offer. These organizations fall under the category of the cause that they serve or the assistance they provide. The main intention of religious organizations is to offer religious direction and culture to the people.