BDO's 2019 Nonprofit Benchmarking Survey

At BDO, more than a century of experience working with nonprofits has given us a firsthand look into how these organizations are changing the world for the better. Whether it’s working to protect the environment, combat poverty or offer life-saving medical services to those in need, nonprofit organizations are an invaluable resource—each one has a unique story and serves a unique purpose. The world needs nonprofits to continue pushing for positive change—but to do that, they must be financially healthy and sustainable.

The nonprofit sector’s diversity is important, but it also makes assessing performance to ensure sustainability a perennial challenge. One of the most common questions we hear from industry contacts is, “Is my organization normal?” To help address this question, The BDO Institute for Nonprofit ExcellenceSM developed Nonprofit Standards, an annual benchmarking survey that provides leaders with the data they need to make informed decisions that can keep their mission moving forward. At BDO, we advise organizations to balance a nonprofit heart with a business mindset. Now in its third year, Nonprofit Standards outlines key issues and trends in the sector and helps nonprofits do just that with data across a variety of areas—including strategic planning, human resources, operations, scope and impact, and governance matters.

Our hope is that this benchmarking survey can help today’s and tomorrow’s nonprofit leaders continue to do great—and necessary—work for our world.