A common misconception is that all nonprofits are charities. The terms "nonprofit" and "charity" are often used interchangeably, and it can be confusing to hear about a nonprofit that doesn't have a charitable mission, such as the National Football League.

In fact, several kinds of nonprofits are not charitable organizations. They have different 501 tax statuses, and contributions made to them are not tax-deductible. Social welfare organizations, business leagues, and credit unions are common examples. The table below contains the full list of non-charitable 501 classifications.

Social Welfare organizations are the most numerous, followed by Business Leagues and Social Clubs. Credit Unions and Cooperatives are also well represented in Arizona. Credit unions top the list financially, with $5.72 billion in assets.

While there are many smaller non-501(c)3 organizations, 98 percent of total reported revenue comes from organizations large enough to file a full form 990. The chart below shows the total revenue reported by organizations that met the assets-income threshold to file either a full 990 or a 990EZ form in 2012.

Revenue reported by non-501(c)3 nonprofits
by 990 form type
Source: NCCS Circa 2012 and IRS 2014

Click to read more about Arizona’s Social Welfare Organizations or Business Leagues.