National Council of Nonprofits

What National Council of Nonprofits does

The National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization incorporated in the District of Columbia, operating as the largest network of nonprofits in North America. Founded in 1993, NCN connects more than 30,000 charitable nonprofits through 52 state and regional associations covering all 50 states plus DC, serving a broader addressable market of approximately 1.5 million U.S. charitable nonprofits. The organization functions as a sector-wide advocacy and capacity-building body rather than a technology company, providing free newsletters (Nonprofit Champion biweekly and Nonprofit Essentials monthly with 70,000+ subscribers), a resource library generating 5.3 million annual website pageviews, a Nonprofit Jobs career center, and the annual Network Learning Confab for state association leadership.

NCN's core offerings center on policy advocacy across all levels (federal, state, local) and all branches of government, with a documented track record of policy wins including securing $50 billion in Paycheck Protection Program loans for nonprofits (2020-2021), gaining nonprofit eligibility for $350 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funding (2021), and winning National Council of Nonprofits et al. v. McMahon (2026) to strike down a Trump administration rule on Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The organization publishes principles for ethical online fundraising (2026) and operates advocacy campaigns mobilizing nonprofits to submit regulatory comments—more than 65,000 organizations participated in opposing OMB federal grantmaking changes.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: individual and organizational donations (with suggested tiers from $50 to $5,000 via multiple payment methods), sponsorship and advertising (newsletter placements reaching 70,000+ subscribers and event sponsorship), and state association membership dues (by invitation only, with strict eligibility criteria). The organization operates with a lean staff of 1-10 employees at its Washington, DC headquarters, supplemented by its federated state association network that serves as its primary distribution channel. NCN is governed by a board and led by President & CEO Diane Yentel.

Name

National Council of Nonprofits

Legal name

National Council of Nonprofits, Inc.

Website

https://councilofnonprofits.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The National Council of Nonprofits is the largest network of nonprofits in North America, connecting 30,000+ charitable organizations across all 50 U.S. states through a federated system of state and regional associations, providing policy advocacy, capacity-building resources, and sector-wide representation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Advocacy and Membership Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Nonprofit advocacy services
• Membership association network
• Policy and lobbying support
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Charitable sector resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and organizational donations from supporters. NCN accepts one-time and recurring contributions via credit/debit card, bank transfer, PayPal, Apple/Google Pay, Venmo, cryptocurrency, donor advised funds, and stocks/securities.
2. Sponsorship and Advertising: Revenue from advertising in the Nonprofit Essentials newsletter (70,000+ subscribers), website placements, and sponsorship of the Network Learning Confab event for state association leadership.
3. State Association Membership Dues: State associations of nonprofits pay membership dues to be part of NCN's network. Membership is by invitation only and requires organizations to be 501(c)(3) incorporated, demonstrate statewide operations, and meet capacity requirements in advocacy, communication, ethical practices, learning, and leadership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The National Council of Nonprofits is a sector-wide membership and advocacy network that connects more than 30,000 charitable nonprofits across all 50 states through state and regional associations. It provides free newsletters (Nonprofit Champion and Nonprofit Essentials), an online Resource Library, policy advocacy at federal/state/local levels, coalition building, and a Nonprofit Career Center job board. Revenue is generated through donations, membership dues, newsletter advertising, and event sponsorship.

Product overview

The National Council of Nonprofits operates as a membership network and advocacy organization rather than a technology product company. Its offerings consist of informational and networking services: two newsletters (Nonprofit Champion, a biweekly policy publication, and Nonprofit Essentials, a monthly operations publication), a job board platform (Nonprofit Jobs/Career Center), an online Resource Library with articles and guides, and access to a nationwide network of state nonprofit associations. These are informational and membership services, not packaged software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nonprofit Champion Newsletter Free biweekly email newsletter providing updates on local, state, and federal policy and advocacy issues affecting charitable nonprofits; distributed to 70,000+ subscribers.
• Nonprofit Essentials Newsletter
• Online Resource Library
• Nonprofit Career Center (Job Board)
• State Association Membership Network
• Capitol Hill Day Advocacy Event
• Network Learning Confab

Quantifiable outcome

• Secured $50 billion in Paycheck Protection Program loans for nonprofits and guided 100,000+ organizations in accessing COVID-19 relief, helping preserve 6.2 million nonprofit jobs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Every.orgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Every.org, an online fundraising platform, has endorsed NCN's Principles for Ethical Online Fundraising Platforms. This partnership demonstrates that ethical nonprofit fundraising practices can coexist with platform success. Every.org is the only major fundraising platform to endorse these principles as of June 2026.
• AFSCMEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor labor union that joined NCN and other coalition partners in challenging the Trump administration's weaponization of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Coalition successfully obtained court ruling that the rule was unlawful and violated the First Amendment.
• National Education AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor education association partnered with NCN in the National Council of Nonprofits et al. v. McMahon lawsuit challenging administration rule on Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
• Democracy ForwardcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal organization representing coalition of cities, labor unions, and nonprofits including NCN in litigation challenging the PSLF rule changes.
• Protect BorrowerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal advocacy organization serving as co-counsel in National Council of Nonprofits et al. v. McMahon case challenging PSLF rule changes.
• Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEP released the State of Nonprofits 2026 report; NCN conducted an interview with CEP's Vice President of Research to discuss findings relevant to the sector.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BoardSource: National nonprofit focused on strengthening nonprofit governance and leadership through resources, training, and peer networks — overlaps with NCN's 'Running a Nonprofit' resource library and audience.
• Candid: Merged Foundation Center and GuideStar; provides data, research, and tools on nonprofits and foundations, serving the same audience of charitable nonprofits and grantmakers as NCN.
• Council on Foundations: National membership association for grantmaking foundations; comparable to NCN in serving as a sectoral infrastructure body that convenes members, advocates on policy, and publishes guidance for the philanthropic ecosystem.
• Independent Sector: National membership organization of nonprofits, foundations, and corporate giving programs that, like NCN, advocates for the charitable sector at the federal level and conducts research on sector health and trends.

Broad incumbents

• United Way Worldwide: Largest federated fundraising organization in the U.S.; shares NCN's network-of-associations structure and serves many of the same community-based nonprofits, though focused on resource mobilization rather than policy advocacy.

Peers

• Center for Effective Philanthropy: Research and consulting organization for philanthropic foundations; partners with NCN (e.g., State of Nonprofits report) and addresses overlapping questions about nonprofit sector capacity and funder effectiveness.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NatlCouncilNPs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/natlcouncilofnps
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-council-of-nonprofits
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalCouncilofNonprofits

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Council of Nonprofits