Question
What is a 501(c)(3)?
A 501(c)(3) is a charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization, exempt from federal income tax and — unlike most other exempt types — able to receive contributions its donors can deduct in 2026, according to the IRS.
1,650,468 of the 1,975,975 organizations the IRS lists are 501(c)(3)s. The other subsections cover trade associations, social welfare organizations, unions and credit unions, which are exempt but are not charities.
Data retrieved
The figures behind this
| Subsection | Organizations |
|---|---|
| 501(c)(3) | 1,650,468 |
| 501(c)(4) | 68,563 |
| 501(c)(6) | 57,823 |
| 501(c)(7) | 46,668 |
| 501(c)(5) | 43,661 |
| 501(c)(8) | 35,016 |
| 501(c)(19) | 24,696 |
| 501(c)(10) | 14,396 |
Where to go next
Sources
- Exempt Organizations Business Master File — Internal Revenue Service · Public domain — U.S. Government work · retrieved October 14, 2026
- Form 990 series e-file data
Compiled automatically from Exempt Organizations Business Master File and Form 990 series e-file data by a checked SQL query · Editor: Kian O'Connor · How this site is built