Charitable giving by individuals rose to nearly $400 billion in 2016, a record high according to philanthropy research organization Giving USA. Such donations help more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations that operate in the United States. These groups, which are organized for purposes other than generating profit, are often formed with a public benefit or mutual goal in mind.
Not all nonprofit organizations are alike. Private foundations, like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, usually have a single major source of funding — often large gifts from one family or corporation. The primary activity of these organizations is often to make grants to other charitable organizations.
Public charities, by contrast, frequently rely on funding from many sources, including the general public, governmental agencies, corporations, private foundations, or other public charities. Churches, hospitals, qualified medical research organizations affiliated with hospitals, schools, colleges, and universities are some examples of public charities.
24/7 wall St. reviewed the largest public charity in every state based on total assets using data from national nonprofit sector data clearinghouse National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS).
Universities and hospitals dominate the list, especially among the top charitable organizations nationwide. Known for having the largest endowment, the President and Fellows of Harvard College is the largest public charity in the United States, topping the list in annual contributions as well. Meanwhile, the Kaiser Foundation Hospitals is the second largest nationwide, although it receives only the fourth most annual contributions.
Click here to see the largest charitable organization in every state.
To identify the largest charitable organizations in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the total assets of top public charitable organizations in every state from 2013 IRS data compiled by national nonprofit sector data clearinghouse National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS). A total of 656 public charitable organizations were reviewed. Gross receipts (total revenue) also came from the NCCS. All data is as of the most recent period available.
1. Alabama
> Largest charity: Collegiate Housing Foundation
> Category: Temporary housings
> City: Fairhope
> Total assets: $968.48 million (309th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $187.63 million (496th out of all public charities)
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2. Alaska
> Largest charity: Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
> Category: General Hospitals
> City: Anchorage
> Total assets: $438.63 million (464th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $515.57 million (351th out of all public charities)
3. Arizona
> Largest charity: Banner Health
> Category: Community Health Systems
> City: Phoenix
> Total assets: $7.82 billion (29th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $8.58 billion (13th out of all public charities)
4. Arkansas
> Largest charity: Baptist Health
> Category: Hospital or medical research organization
> City: Little Rock
> Total assets: $836.16 million (344th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $838.22 million (253th out of all public charities)
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5. California
> Largest charity: Stanford University Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Ju
> Category: Universities
> City: Palo Alto
> Total assets: $31.54 billion (3rd out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $24.19 billion (5th out of all public charities)
6. Colorado
> Largest charity: Catholic Health Initiatives
> Category: Community Health Systems
> City: Englewood
> Total assets: $6.59 billion (41st out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $1.64 billion (148th out of all public charities)
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7. Connecticut
> Largest charity: Yale University
> Category: Universities
> City: New Haven
> Total assets: $28.91 billion (4th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $7.94 billion (14th out of all public charities)
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8. Delaware
> Largest charity: University of Delaware
> Category: Universities
> City: Newark
> Total assets: $3.13 billion (101st out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $2.70 billion (81st out of all public charities)
9. Florida
> Largest charity: Shriners Hospitals for Children
> Category: International Health Development
> City: Tampa
> Total assets: $8.97 billion (23rd out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $3.66 billion (48th out of all public charities)
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10. Georgia
> Largest charity: Emory University
> Category: Universities
> City: Atlanta
> Total assets: $11.04 billion (16th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $3.28 billion (66th out of all public charities)
11. Hawaii
> Largest charity: Trustees of the Estate of Bernice Pauahi Bishop
> Category: Elementary & Secondary Schools
> City: Honolulu
> Total assets: $7.70 billion (30th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $5.34 billion (26th out of all public charities)
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12. Idaho
> Largest charity: St Lukes Regional Medical Center
> Category: General Hospitals
> City: Boise
> Total assets: $1.30 billion (235th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $1.74 billion (136th out of all public charities)
13. Illinois
> Largest charity: Northwestern University
> Category: Universities
> City: Evanston
> Total assets: $10.89 billion (18th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $4.52 billion (38th out of all public charities)
14. Indiana
> Largest charity: University of Notre Dame Du Lac
> Category: Universities
> City: Notre Dame
> Total assets: $10.33 billion (19th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $2.91 billion (76th out of all public charities)
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15. Iowa
> Largest charity: Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corp
> City: West Des Moines
> Category: Financial institutions
> Total assets: $2.20 billion (154th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $82.76 million (587th out of all public charities)
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16. Kansas
> Largest charity: Kansas University Endowment Association
> Category: Foundations
> City: Lawrence
> Total assets: $1.56 billion (204th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $291.00 million (440th out of all public charities)
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17. Kentucky
> Largest charity: Baptist Healthcare System Inc
> Category: Community health systems
> City: Louisville
> Total assets: $2.37 billion (143rd out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $4.39 billion (40th out of all public charities)
18. Louisiana
> Largest charity: The Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund
> Category: Universities
> City: New Orleans
> Total assets: $2.18 billion (156th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $1.21 billion (191st out of all public charities)
19. Maine
> Largest charity: Bowdoin College
> Category: Undergraduate colleges
> City: Brunswick
> Total assets: $1.56 billion (205th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $577.13 million (329th out of all public charities)
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20. Maryland
> Largest charity: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
> Category: Medical disciplines research
> City: Chevy Chase
> Total assets: $19.68 billion (6th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $35.73 billion (3rd out of all public charities)
21. Massachusetts
> Largest charity: President and Fellows of Harvard College
> Category: Universities
> City: Boston
> Total assets: $72.76 billion (1st out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $83.18 billion (1st out of all public charities)
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22. Michigan
> Largest charity: Trinity Health Corporation
> Category: Community health systems
> City: Livonia
> Total assets: $5.12 billion (55th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $989.15 million (229th out of all public charities)
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23. Minnesota
> Largest charity: Mayo Clinic
> Category: Community health systems
> City: Rochester
> Total assets: $8.53 billion (25th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $5.32 billion (27th out of all public charities)
24. Mississippi
> Largest charity: North Mississippi Medical Center Inc
> Category: Hospitals
> City: Tupelo
> Total assets: $958.18 million (314th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $1.17 billion (201st out of all public charities)
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25. Missouri
> Largest charity: Washington University
> Category: Universities
> City: St Louis
> Total assets: $9.81 billion (21st out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $6.99 billion (18th out of all public charities)
26. Montana
> Largest charity: Montana Higher Education Student Assistance Corporation
> Category: Scholarships & student financial aid
> City: Helena
> Total assets: $1.19 billion (257th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $34.97 million (634th out of all public charities)
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27. Nebraska
> Largest charity: University of Nebraska Foundation
> Category: Foundations
> City: Lincoln
> Total assets: $1.96 billion (167th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $774.44 million (269th out of all public charities)
28. Nevada
> Largest charity: Renown Regional Medical Center
> Category: General hospitals
> City: Reno
> Total assets: $841.90 million (341th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $639.93 million (308th out of all public charities)
29. New Hampshire
> Largest charity: Trustees of Dartmouth College
> Category: Universities
> City: Hanover
> Total assets: $6.17 billion (44th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $5.51 billion (25th out of all public charities)
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30. New Jersey
> Largest charity: Trustees of Princeton University
> Category: Universities
> City: Princeton
> Total assets: $22.27 billion (5th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $4.96 billion (34th out of all public charities)
31. New Mexico
> Largest charity: Presbyterian Healthcare Services
> Category: Community health systems
> City: Albuquerque
> Total assets: $2.53 billion (138th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $1.93 billion (120th out of all public charities)
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32. New York
> Largest charity: Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
> Category: Universities
> City: New York
> Total assets: $14.64 billion (8th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $6.25 billion (20th out of all public charities)
33. North Carolina
> Largest charity: Duke University
> Category: Universities
> City: Durham
> Total assets: $11.38 billion (15th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $12.97 billion (6th out of all public charities)
34. North Dakota
> Largest charity: Sanford
> Category: Community health systems
> City: Fargo
> Total assets: $2.31 billion (149th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $3.41 billion (57th out of all public charities)
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35. Ohio
> Largest charity: Cleveland Clinic Foundation
> Category: Community health systems
> City: Cleveland
> Total assets: $10.97 billion (17th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $8.86 billion (11th out of all public charities)
36. Oklahoma
> Largest charity: George Kaiser Family Foundation
> Category: Public foundations
> City: Tulsa
> Total assets: $3.32 billion (95th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $294.39 million (437th out of all public charities)
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37. Oregon
> Largest charity: Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
> Category: Community health systems
> City: Portland
> Total assets: $39.71 billion (2nd out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $28.46 billion (4th out of all public charities)
38. Pennsylvania
> Largest charity: Milton Hershey School & School Trust
> Category: Elementary & secondary schools
> City: Hershey
> Total assets: $1.20 billion (12th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $3.13 billion (71th out of all public charities)
39. Rhode Island
> Largest charity: Brown University of Providence
> Category: Universities
> City: Providence
> Total assets: $4.40 billion (65th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $1.64 billion (145th out of all public charities)
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40. South Carolina
> Largest charity: South Carolina Student Loan Corporation
> Category: Scholarships & student financial aid
> City: Columbia
> Total assets: $3.07 billion (103th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $116.94 million (554th out of all public charities)
41. South Dakota
> Largest charity: The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society
> Category: Nursing facilities
> City: Sioux Falls
> Total assets: $1.65 billion (194th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $1.42 billion (167th out of all public charities)
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42. Tennessee
> Largest charity: Vanderbilt University
> Category: Universities
> City: Nashville
> Total assets: $7.60 billion (32nd out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $7.64 billion (15th out of all public charities)
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43. Texas
> Largest charity: Brazos Higher Education Authority Inc
> Category: Scholarships & student financial aid
> City: Waco
> Total assets: $6.75 billion (38th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $217.36 million (480th out of all public charities)
44. Utah
> Largest charity: Ihc Health Services Inc
> Category: Community health systems
> City: Salt Lake Cty
> Total assets: $7.67 billion (31st out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $8.85 billion (12th out of all public charities)
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45. Vermont
> Largest charity: President & Fellows of Middlebury College
> Category: Universities
> City: Middlebury
> Total assets: $1.53 billion (206th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $351.50 million (409th out of all public charities)
46. Virginia
> Largest charity: Nature Conservancy
> Category: Natural resources conservation & protection
> City: Arlington
> Total assets: $6.17 billion (43rd out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $2.07 billion (108th out of all public charities)
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47. Washington
> Largest charity: Providence Health & Services Washington
> Category: Community health systems
> City: Renton
> Total assets: $7.12 billion (36th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $5.29 billion (28th out of all public charities)
48. West Virginia
> Largest charity: West Virginia Univ Foundation Inc
> Category: Foundation
> City: Morgantown
> Total assets: $1245.46 million (244th out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $321.43 million (421st out of all public charities)
49. Wisconsin
> Largest charity: Aurora Health Care Inc
> Category: Group health practices
> City: Milwaukee
> Total assets: $3807.29 million (81st out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $3.63 billion (49th out of all public charities)
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50. Wyoming
> Largest charity: University of Wyoming Foundation
> Category: Foundations
> City: Laramie
> Total assets: $509.32 million (441st out of all public charities)
> Annual revenue: $62.77 million (610th out of all public charities)
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