%0 Electronic Article %A Dollhopf, Erica J. %I Wiley-Blackwell %D 2015 %G English %@ 1468-5906 %T Initial Results from a Survey of Two Cohorts of Religious Nonprofits %J Journal for the scientific study of religion %V 54 %N 1 %P 156-165 %U http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jssr.12165/abstract %U https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.12165 %X Next to congregations, religious nonprofit organizations represent one of the most numerous categories of religious organizations in the United States. However, very few data exist that shed light on this sector. In this research note we introduce new data from a survey of two cohorts of religion-related public charities, also known as 501(c)(3)s or simply as religious nonprofits. We also present initial findings from these data. Specifically, we provide a descriptive profile of religious nonprofits’ founders and how these individuals compare to leaders and founders of other organizations, including congregations. We also provide a descriptive profile of these organizations’ activities, staffing, and structure. This note serves as the first step in what we hope will be an expanding literature on religious nonprofit organizations.