Youth development charities, by the numbers.
7,556 of them filed a full Form 990 and spent $13.3B between them.
- 7,556
- charities filing a full Form 990, 2,083 spending $1M+
- $13.3B
- spent in their latest year, with $9.4B coming in as gifts and grants
- 19%
- of all that spending by the 10 biggest
What “youth development” covers.
The biggest slice is youth development programs, at 46% of all spending in the cause. Spending outside these groups is in charities the IRS coded more generally.
Spending in each charity's latest e-filed Form 990 (Part I, line 18), grouped by the NTEE code in the IRS master file.
The biggest 398 youth development charities.
| # | Charity | Spending | Program share | Cost to raise $1 | Savings | CEO pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Child Care Resource Center Chatsworth, CA · Scouting · FY 2025 | $767.5M | 93% | 0¢ | 1 mo | $689K |
| 2 | Young LifeOur file Colorado Spgs, CO · Youth development programs · FY 2025 | $535.8M | 85% 85% CPA view | 8¢ 8¢ CPA view | 9 mo | $540K |
| 3 | Boy Scouts of AmericaOur file Irving, TX · Scouting · FY 2024 | $277.8M | 80% | 1¢ | 11 mo | $666K |
| 4 | Boys & Girls Clubs of AmericaOur file Atlanta, GA · Youth centers and clubs · FY 2024 | $273.4M | 86% | 8¢ | 3 mo | $2.25M |
| 5 | Fellowship of Christian AthletesOur file Kansas City, MO · Youth development programs · FY 2025 | $249.2M | 83% | 7¢ | 8 mo | $299K |
| 6 | Girl Scouts of the United States of New York, NY · Scouting · FY 2025 | $123.3M | 89% | 6¢ | 23 mo | $893K |
| 7 | Willits Hospital Roseville, CA · Scouting · FY 2024 | $96.5M | 79% | 0¢ | 10 mo | $3.97M |
| 8 | Iptay Clemson, SC · Youth development programs · FY 2025 | $76.0M | 77% | 0¢ | 20 mo | $529K |
| 9 | Heartland for Children Bartow, FL · Youth development programs · FY 2025 | $68.1M | 97% | 0¢ | 1 mo | $174K |
| 10 | Pace Center for Girlsinc Jacksonville, FL · Youth centers and clubs · FY 2025 | $66.4M | 80% | 12¢ | 4 mo | $463K |
| 11 | Junior Achievement USA Colorado Spgs, CO · Youth development programs · FY 2025 | $59.4M | 86% | 4¢ | 11 mo | $672K |
| 12 | Youth for Tomorrow-New Life Center Bristow, VA · Youth development programs · FY 2025 | $56.6M | 96% | 3¢ | 1 mo | $970K |
| 13 | Alternative Education Academy Columbus, OH · Youth development programs · FY 2025 | $55.1M | 98% | 0¢ | -3 mo | – |
| 14 | Conservation Legacy Durango, CO · Youth development programs · FY 2024 | $53.5M | 92% | 0¢ | 4 mo | $191K |
| 15 | Coalition for Responsible Community Los Angeles, CA · Youth development programs · FY 2024 | $46.3M | 87% | 1¢ | 5 mo | $324K |
| 16 | B'nai B'rith Youth Organization Washington, DC · Youth development programs · FY 2025 | $46.3M | 87% | 13¢ | 3 mo | $697K |
| 17 | National 4-H Council Washington, DC · Youth development programs · FY 2025 | $44.3M | 62% | 20¢ | 33 mo | $541K |
| 18 | Tejano Center for Community Houston, TX · Youth development programs · FY 2025 | $43.0M | 95% | 0¢ | 11 mo | $320K |
| 19 | Homeboy Industries Los Angeles, CA · Youth development programs · FY 2024 | $41.7M | 80% | 9¢ | 23 mo | – |
| 20 | Onegoal Chicago, IL · Youth development programs · FY 2025 | $41.5M | 75% | 17¢ | 15 mo | $337K |
| 21 | National Boy Scouts of America Foundation Irving, TX · Scouting · FY 2024 | $37.7M | 92% | 1¢ | 41 mo | $666K |
| 22 | Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston Boston, MA · Youth centers and clubs · FY 2025 | $37.5M | 75% | 13¢ | 49 mo | $403K |
| 23 | Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula Menlo Park, CA · Youth centers and clubs · FY 2025 | $36.2M | 80% | 7¢ | 18 mo | $539K |
| 24 | St David's Minneapolis, MN · Youth development programs · FY 2025 | $34.7M | 81% | 29¢ | 8 mo | $218K |
| 25 | Future Farmers of America Indianapolis, IN · Youth development programs · FY 2025 | $34.2M | 80% | 0¢ | 12 mo | $281K |
Program share = program expenses ÷ total expenses (Part IX, line 25). Cost to raise $1 = fundraising expenses ÷ contributions (Part IX, Part VIII line 1h). Savings = net assets ÷ annual spending × 12, which includes buildings, endowments and restricted gifts, so zoos and aquariums run high. CEO pay is reportable compensation from the charity (Part VII). “CPA view” moves joint fundraising costs reported on line 26 out of programs. Names link to our file where we have one, otherwise to the filing on ProPublica.
Benchmarks for youth development.
Medians across 2,083 charities spending $1M or more. Use them to judge any charity in this cause.
- 82%
- median program share, as reported
- 7¢
- median cost to raise $1, among charities taking in $100K+ in gifts
- 11 mo
- median net assets, in months of spending
| Annual spending | Charities | Median CEO pay | Median program share |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1–5M | 1,597 | $125K | 81% |
| $5–25M | 444 | $208K | 82% |
| $25–100M | 36 | $357K | 84% |
| $100M+ | 6 | $678K | 86% |
The yes-or-no answers.
Counts of youth development charities answering “yes” (or failing a basic check) in their latest Form 990. The charities answer these themselves.
charities told the IRS they discovered a significant diversion of assets (theft, embezzlement or misuse).
charities reported a paid fundraiser that kept half or more of what it raised.
charities reported an excess benefit transaction with an insider.
charities had $2M+ in revenue and no audited financial statements.
charities had $1M+ in revenue and no conflict-of-interest policy.
charities reported loans to or from officers or directors.
A “yes” is a reason to read the filing, not a verdict. Learn what each answer means in how to check a charity, and see how we read a 990.
Every youth development charity we cover.
Questions about youth development charities.
What is the largest youth development charity?
By spending, Child Care Resource Center (CA), at $767.5M in its fiscal year ending 2025, per its Form 990.
How much do youth development charity CEOs make?
The median CEO of a youth development charity spending $1–5M a year was paid $125K. At charities spending $100M or more, the median was $678K. Figures are reportable compensation from the charity, Form 990 Part VII.
What percentage of donations to youth development charities goes to programs?
The median youth development charity spending $1M or more reported 82% of its spending on programs, on Form 990 Part IX. That is the charity's own split. Some charities count part of their fundraising mail as program work; our pages show the number both ways.
How many youth development charities are there?
7,556 youth development organizations filed a full Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, 2,083 of them spending $1 million or more. Thousands more file the short 990-EZ or the 990-N postcard.
Where this comes from.
Each charity's latest Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, joined to the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File for its NTEE cause code. Organizations that file as charities but aren't funded like one (research contractors, sports bodies and similar) are left out of the comparison table. Charities that file a 990-EZ or 990-N aren't included. Figures are as filed; we haven't reviewed each one, except where a charity has our full file.
Charity Math, “Youth development charities, by the numbers,” data as of 2026-11-07. https://charitymath.com/causes/youth-development/