Number of Registered Tax-Exempt Organizations in 2012

The number of charities and foundations registered with the Internal Revenue Service increased by just 1,761 organizations in 2012, but there are more than twice as many now as there were in 1991.

The number of groups applying for 501(c)(3) charitable status with the Internal Revenue Service has been on the decline since 2008, the first full year of the recession. Nearly all applications are approved; fewer than 1 percent are rejected.

Related: Number of Charities and Foundations Rose Slightly in 2012