About This Report
How The Waymark is produced
The Waymark is a quarterly sector intelligence brief for nonprofit leaders in the Pacific Northwest, with an Oregon-specific lens. It is produced by Waymark Research, an independent research practice focused on nonprofit financial health and sector analysis.
Each edition synthesizes publicly available data from national research organizations, government agencies, Oregon-specific sources, and direct analysis of nonprofit financial data. The Waymark is written for executive directors and senior leaders — not finance specialists — and prioritizes clarity and actionability over technical precision.
National figures are drawn from authoritative sector research organizations including Giving USA, the National Council of Nonprofits, the Urban Institute's National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), and the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Oregon and Pacific Northwest figures draw from the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Department of Human Services, and the Oregon Community Foundation, among others.
Data Currency Notice: The Waymark is published quarterly. Some figures referenced in a given edition reflect the most recently available data at time of publication, which may lag real-world conditions by 6–18 months depending on the source. Data published by Giving USA, for example, typically reflects the prior calendar year. Where figures are estimates or projections, this is noted explicitly.
How to read the verification status tags
Each source entry carries a status tag indicating where it is in the verification process. Use these to prioritize which sources to confirm before publishing.
✓ Verified
Source confirmed, figure accurate, link live
~ Pending
Source credible, figure needs confirmation before publish
⚠ Illustrative
Placeholder — replace with real data before publishing
Oregon 990 Dataset
About the underlying financial health research
Waymark Research maintains an ongoing dataset of Portland-area nonprofit financial filings (IRS Form 990) covering organizations with annual revenues between $500K and $10M. The current dataset includes 200 completed organizational profiles assessed across five financial health pillars: Cash, Revenue Diversification, Margin, Efficiency, and Debt.
This dataset serves as the empirical backbone for Waymark Research's Financial Health Assessment service and informs the sector-level observations published in The Waymark. Organizations included in the dataset are anonymized in all published materials. Raw 990 data is sourced from IRS public filings via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and Candid (formerly GuideStar).
The full Portland Nonprofit Financial Health Report — presenting aggregated findings from the 990 dataset across fiscal years 2022–2024 — is published separately. See the Waymark Research report archive for the current edition.
The Landscape — Trends
Sources for national and Oregon sector trend data
Giving USA Foundation / Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Giving USA Annual Report on Philanthropy
Primary source for total individual giving figures, year-over-year trend data, and giving by cause category. Used for: $103B foundation giving figure, individual giving totals, trend direction by sector.
~ Pending
Fundraising Effectiveness Project / Association of Fundraising Professionals
FEP Fundraising Report — Donor Retention & Participation Trends
Source for donor participation rate decline data over time. Used for: 53% to 36% household giving participation trend (2000–2023).
~ Pending
National Philanthropic Trust
Donor-Advised Fund Report
Annual report on DAF asset levels, contributions, and grant distributions. Used for: $230B+ DAF reserve figure and DAF growth trend.
~ Pending
Oregon Health Authority
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Oregon Call Volume Data
Oregon-specific data on 988 crisis line utilization since launch. Used for: Oregon 988 call volume increase since 2022 reference.
⚠ Illustrative
Urban Institute — National Center for Charitable Statistics
Nonprofit Sector in Brief / The Nonprofit Almanac
Sector-wide financial and organizational data for U.S. nonprofits. Used for: Sector revenue mix benchmarks, government funding concentration averages.
~ Pending
The Signals — Legislation & Policy
Sources for legislative tracking and policy analysis
U.S. Congress / Congress.gov
HR1 — "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (119th Congress)
Primary legislative text and committee status for federal reconciliation bill. Used for: HR1 summary, Medicaid and SAMHSA cut descriptions, risk assessment.
~ Pending
Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)
Medicaid Block Grant and Per Capita Cap Analysis
Policy analysis of Medicaid restructuring proposals and their state-level implications. Used for: Block grant description, optional benefit cut risk, Oregon CCO context.
~ Pending
U.S. Department of the Treasury
ARPA State & Local Fiscal Recovery Funds — Final Rule & Reporting
Official guidance on ARPA SLFRF obligation and expenditure deadlines. Used for: December 2024 obligation deadline and December 2026 expenditure deadline.
✓ Verified
National Council of Nonprofits
Federal Funding Freeze & Grant Rescission Tracker
Ongoing documentation of federal agency restructuring impacts on nonprofit grantees. Used for: DOGE/HHS restructuring impacts, grant delay and rescission descriptions.
~ Pending
Oregon Health Authority
Oregon Coordinated Care Organization Program Overview
Documentation of Oregon's CCO structure and federal-state Medicaid relationship. Used for: Oregon CCO partial insulation from federal Medicaid restructuring context.
~ Pending
U.S. Senate Finance Committee / Congress.gov
Universal Charitable Deduction Legislation (ACE Act / Related Proposals)
Legislative history of above-the-line charitable deduction proposals for non-itemizers. Used for: Universal deduction description and bipartisan status note.
⚠ Illustrative
The Crossroads — Strategic Decisions
Sources for financial management benchmarks and sector norms
Nonprofit Finance Fund
State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey
Annual survey of nonprofit financial health indicators including reserves, cash position, and leadership decision-making. Used for: Operating reserve benchmarks (3–6 months), sector-wide financial stress data.
~ Pending
CompassPoint / Nonprofits & Philanthropy Research
Underdeveloped: A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising
Research on the state of fundraising infrastructure and individual giving programs in small and mid-size nonprofits. Used for: Individual giving infrastructure gap, unrestricted revenue discussion.
⚠ Illustrative
Waymark Research — 990 Dataset (Portland Metro, n=200)
Portland Nonprofit Financial Health Analysis — Internal Research
Proprietary analysis of 200 Portland-area nonprofit 990 filings, FY2022–2024. Used for: Revenue concentration norms, reserve levels, and financial visibility observations specific to Oregon organizations. Findings inform strategic decision framing throughout The Crossroads.
~ Pending
IRS / ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
Form 990 Public Filings — Portland Metro Nonprofit Organizations
Primary data source for Waymark Research's 990 dataset. Used as underlying data for financial health benchmarks, revenue mix analysis, and reserve level observations.
✓ Verified
The Opening — Opportunities
Sources for market gap analysis and opportunity identification
Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)
Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) Designations — Oregon
Federal designation data identifying geographic areas with insufficient healthcare providers. Used for: Rural behavioral health shortage designation pathway, FQHC look-alike eligibility context.
~ Pending
Oregon Health Authority
Oregon Medicaid Adult Dental Benefit Restoration (OHP)
Documentation of Oregon's 2023 restoration of adult dental coverage under Oregon Health Plan. Used for: Adult dental opportunity section, Medicaid billing pathway context.
~ Pending
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Peer Support Services — Medicaid Billing Guidance
Federal guidance establishing Medicaid reimbursement pathways for certified peer support specialists. Used for: Peer-delivered recovery services opportunity, Medicaid billing pathway description.
~ Pending
Oregon Housing and Community Services
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) & HOME Investment Partnerships Program
Oregon-specific housing finance tools available to nonprofit housing developers. Used for: Transitional and supportive housing opportunity, LIHTC and HOME grant availability.
~ Pending
Meyer Memorial Trust / Oregon Community Foundation
Grantmaking Focus Areas & Current RFPs
Oregon foundation grantmaking priorities and open funding cycles. Used for: Foundation interest signals in behavioral health, dental, and economic mobility opportunity areas.
⚠ Illustrative
Candid / Foundation Center
Foundation Funding Trends — Emergency & Rapid Response Grantmaking
Data on foundation grantmaking patterns during periods of federal policy volatility. Used for: Emergency grantmaking trend, $4.2B rapid response estimate, foundation response to federal cuts.
⚠ Illustrative
A Note on Illustrative Data
What to verify before publishing
Several figures in this edition are currently marked Illustrative — meaning they are directionally accurate based on sector knowledge but require verification against a primary source before the report is published publicly. These are clearly tagged throughout this sources page.
Priority items to verify before Q2 2025 publication: Oregon 988 call volume data (OHA), emergency grantmaking total ($4.2B figure needs a primary source or should be removed), Meyer Memorial Trust and OCF current grantmaking priorities, and the CompassPoint fundraising research publication date and relevance.
Publication standard: No figure marked Illustrative should appear in a published edition of The Waymark. All Illustrative placeholders must be either verified and updated or removed before distribution.