What is the social sector?
The US social sector consists of private organizations (nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrids of the two), groups, and individuals acting to advance social missions as their primary purpose. This definition includes incorporated organizations as well as unincorporated groups and movements, and institutions as well as individuals.
Social Sector Organizations
Social sector organizations are incorporated entities—nonprofits, for-profits, or hybrids of the two—whose main purpose is to achieve a social mission.
Nonprofit examples include:
501(c)(3) charitable organizations
501(c)(4) social welfare organizations
Religious organizations
For-profit examples include:
Worker cooperatives
Social enterprises
Certified B corporations
Nonprofit/for-profit hybrid examples include:
Philanthropic limited liability companies
Social Sector Groups
Social sector groups are groups of individuals united around a common social purpose in the short or long terms that do not have nonprofit, for-profit, or hybrid business status.
Examples include:
Mutual aid societies
Neighborhood associations
Faith communities
Giving circles
Social movements
Social Sector Individuals
Social sector individuals are people acting in their own capacity to achieve a social mission.
Examples include:
Organizers
Voters
Volunteers
Donors
Project Credits
This interactive graphic of the constantly evolving social sector infrastructure was produced by the Urban Institute and George Mason University in 2021 and 2022.
- Research Laura Tomasko, Faith Mitchell, Alan Abramson, Benjamin Soskis, Hannah Martin, and Kristen Kinneberg
- Design and Development Mobility Labs
- Editing Zach VeShancey
We would also like to thank Elizabeth Boris and Jesse Lecy for serving as senior advisors to this project, and Ren MacLean, Tanvi Punja, and Adam Goudjil for initial research assistance.
About This Project
This project is funded by New Venture Fund. We are grateful to them and to all our funders.
We appreciate the guidance we received from members of the Urban/GMU Social Sector Infrastructure Advisory Committee and the New Venture Fund–hosted Infrastructure Research Collaborative, a coordinated effort of funders and practitioners that supports our efforts to better understand the country’s social sector infrastructure.
To see a list of advisors, learn more about this project, and read publications associated with this study, see our project page.
