Research Findings
Seven financial archetypes, each with different survival patterns
Analysis of 1,648 nonprofits across twelve U.S. markets reveals that success follows different rules for different business models.
Curious where this goes next? Be part of where the research is headed →
Key Findings
What the data reveals about nonprofit financial health
Across 1,648 organizations, how concentrated an organization's revenue is shows no measurable relationship with how fast it grows (r = 0.012, not statistically significant). Breadth of funding is not what separates the organizations that grow from the ones that do not.
41% of organizations across twelve markets show at least one root rot stress indicator. Which conditions drive that stress, and what recovery looks like, differs by archetype.
The same seven archetypes emerged independently across all twelve U.S. markets. These are structural patterns, not artifacts of a single local ecosystem.
Methodology
How the research was built
Primary source research derived from public IRS Form 990 data, not a consulting framework or prescriptive methodology.
The Dataset
1,648 organizations
across 12 markets
Three fiscal years of IRS Form 990 filings: 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Albuquerque · Anchorage · Augusta · Boise · Colorado Springs · Dayton · Honolulu · Huntsville · Knoxville · Melbourne, FL · Spokane · Tucson
The Method
Cluster analysis
7 archetypes
The same seven clusters emerged independently across all twelve markets: structural patterns, not regional artifacts.
Stress Classification
Root Rot flags
any one = Stressed
Under the current four-condition definition, 40.8% of organizations carry at least one. Stress is classified by structural signals, not by archetype membership, and describes the window measured rather than forecasting what comes next.
Insolvency risk · Relevance decline · Margin spiral · Structural deficit
Archetype is not destiny. It is context. Every archetype holds organizations across the full range of financial health, with its own characteristic challenges and its own opportunities. Success depends on understanding and navigating archetype-specific vulnerabilities rather than which category you belong to.
I completely feel like this addresses the challenges of every nonprofit organization and fundraising/leadership employee. You address actual problems, and I found it relieving to actually read what you had to say and relate it to what I was feeling for the many years I spent in development/fundraising. You spoke to me!
— Stacy Poore
Owner, Bread and Butter Neighborhood Market
formerly Chief Development Officer & Chief Operating Officer, Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado
See the method applied to one metro, in full
The Field Guide is the complete research methodology, detailed archetype profiles, and strategic frameworks worked through for a single market: El Paso County, Colorado. If you want the seven archetypes without the metro-specific detail, start with the free Primer instead.
The Seven Archetypes
Select an archetype to explore its characteristics, performance patterns, and what distinguishes thrivers from those who struggle.
Archetype Comparison
Select two archetypes to compare their financial benchmarks side by side
Bearings
See where your own organization lands
The comparison above shows how the seven archetypes differ. Bearings takes the next step: it places your organization against its archetype peers on each financial measure, so you can see exactly where you stand.
Explore Bearings →Put this research to work.
Explore the services built on the framework, or get in touch to bring the research to your portfolio.
Curious where the research goes next? Be part of where it's headed →
Field Notes
Follow the research as it develops.
A monthly dispatch: findings, patterns, and what the data means for organizations like yours.
Follow the Research