Social Advocacy Organizations NAICS 8133
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Industry Summary
The 16,800 social advocacy organizations in the US promote social, environmental, and political causes, such as human rights, the environment and wildlife, and community issues. Organizations charge fees for services, solicit contributions, and sell memberships. Sources of revenue include programming services; government and private contributions, gifts, and grants; and investments. Social advocacy organizations work to create social change that will accomplish a specific goal that benefits a constituency.
Dependence on Government Funding
Some social advocacy organizations, especially groups with revenue of less than $1 million, depend on government grants and contracts to fund programming.
Competition for Funding
Social advocacy groups compete for attention and funding with other nonprofits and charitable causes, including religious organizations; civic, social, and professional organizations; business associations; and political groups.
Recent Developments
May 7, 2025 - Trump Administration Proposal Would Cut $163 Billion In Federal Funding
- President Trump unveiled a budget plan with $163 billion in spending cuts to non-military programs. Social advocacy organizations that rely on federal funding may be negatively impacted if funding is reduced. The agencies facing proposed reductions that would start on October 1 include the Environmental Protection Agency, the Energy Department, the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Health and Human Services, according to USA Today. The May 2 Trump administration proposal comes after courts have blocked many of those cuts, however.
- President Trump signed an executive order requiring all agencies to review grants and contracts for wasteful spending, fraud, and abuse. Some social advocacy organizations, especially groups with revenue of less than $1 million, depend on government grants and contracts to fund programming. The order also directed agency leaders to build a payment and contract recording system alongside employees of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Teams of DOGE personnel have been assigned to each agency to develop the system, which will be used to review and justify all expenditures made by employees.
- Charitable giving increased in 2024, according to the Growing Power of Giving: An Outlook report from Foundation Source CEO Joe Mrak. Grantmaking organizations like foundations and donor-advised funds experienced the strongest growth as wealthy donors continued to invest in the future of the non-profit sector. Foundation giving was up to 19% of overall giving, crossing into the $100 billion threshold for the second consecutive year.
- Social advocacy industry employment decreased slightly and average wages for nonsupervisory employees increased slightly during the first month of 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Social advocacy industry revenue is forecast to increase at a 3.03% compounded annual rate from 2024 to 2028, slower than the growth of the overall economy, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. Social advocacy organizations generate revenue through fees and contracts for programming and services and contributions, gifts, and grants from public and private sources.
Industry Revenue
Social Advocacy Organizations
Industry Structure
Industry size & Structure
The average social advocacy organization operates out of a single location, employs about 16 workers, and generates $3 million annually.
- The social advocacy industry consists of about 16,800 organizations that employ over 275,000 workers and generate about $51 billion annually.
- The total industry is concentrated at the top and fragmented at the bottom; the top 50 organizations account for about 40% of industry revenue. Within the human rights segment, the top 50 organizations account for almost 70% of revenue.
- Environmental, conservation, and wildlife organizations account for over 40% of firms and 37% of industry revenue. Human rights groups account for 18% of firms and almost 30% of industry revenue.
- Large organizations include the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Greenpeace, and Habitat for Humanity.
Industry Forecast
Industry Forecast
Social Advocacy Organizations Industry Growth
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