# Press kit: The State of Youth Programs 2026

Source: https://backpr.com/press. Last updated: 2026-10-21.

Published October 20, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 · By BackPR

BackPR wrote the report and sells registration and payment software to the same kinds of programs: free for registered nonprofits and by quote for other organizations. BackPR is not one of the 48 platforms counted. The report's method, limitations and full disclosure are on the report page.

This page collects the numbers, charts and citation for The State of Youth Programs 2026. The full report is free to read and reuse.

### Key statistics
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Youth and community nonprofits | 171,592 active 501(c)(3) organizations |
| Under $50,000 in revenue or no amount on file | 77% of those organizations (73% counting only those that report under $50,000 or file the 990-N) |
| Nonprofits per 10,000 children | 23.8 nationally; 57.7 in Wyoming and 15.4 in Utah |
| Universal mandated reporting | 18 states require every adult to report suspected child abuse |
| Youth camp licensing | Day and overnight camps need a camp license or permit in 18 states; only some camp types do in 20; 13 jurisdictions, including DC, have none |
| School-age staff ratio | From 1:10 in New York to 1:26 in Texas; the median falls between 1:16 and 1:18 |
| Registration platforms reviewed | 48 registration and management platforms, from their own public pages (BackPR not counted) |
| Plan prices published | 19 of 48 |
| No nonprofit offer published | 40 of 48 |
| Annual or longer contracts | 18 of 48 |
| Card processing rates published | 10 of 48; 4 publish a rate for only some payments |

### What the report covers
- Who runs youth programs: IRS counts by state and category, plus revenue size.
- The rules: mandated reporting, camp licensing and staff ratios in 50 states and DC.
- What platforms publish about price: prices, nonprofit terms, contracts, onboarding fees and card rates at 48 platforms.
- Fees added at checkout: platform fees, card processing and Spanish support.

### Citation
BackPR. "The State of Youth Programs 2026." October 2026. https://backpr.com/resources/state-of-youth-programs-2026 (CC BY 4.0).
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Full report: https://backpr.com/resources/state-of-youth-programs-2026
Report PDF: https://backpr.com/media/report/state-of-youth-programs-2026.pdf?v=20261021