Ventura County – September 23, 2026 -- Ventura County's nonprofit sector generated more than $3.6 billion in economic activity in 2024, roughly 5% of the county's GDP, yet 46% of operating nonprofits recorded an operating deficit that year, the highest rate in a six-year study period, according to a new report from the Center for Nonprofit Leadership (CNL) at California Lutheran University.
Nonprofit revenue per resident trails California by 63%
The 2026 Ventura County Nonprofit Sector Report found nonprofit revenue per resident stood at approximately $4,388 in 2024, about 37% of California's statewide level. Nonprofit assets per resident reached roughly $5,836, only 29% of the state figure, despite Ventura County having a comparable number of nonprofits per capita as California overall.
Charitable giving falls to one-third of state and national averages
Estimated per-resident charitable giving in Ventura County reached $186 in 2024, up since 2019 but still about one-third of California and U.S. levels. Funding remains concentrated among a small pool of major donors, limiting the diversification of the sector's revenue base.
Nearly one in four nonprofits now exceeds $500,000 in annual revenue
The report, based on the Ventura County Nonprofit Financial Health Index, credits the sector with a mature organizational structure spanning small, mid-sized and larger nonprofits, with no significant "missing middle" segment. Data was compiled using IRS-sourced financial records from Candid.org and workforce indicators from the Ventura County Civic Alliance's State of the Region reports, covering 2019 through 2024.
"Ventura County does not have a shortage of capable nonprofit organizations. It has a shortage of the resources those organizations need to reach their potential,