Ireland's nonprofit sector – Benefacts Analysis

How does Benefacts classify nonprofits into sectors and sub-sectors?

Benefacts has adapted and localised the international classification standard for nonprofit organisations.

Using evidence from their constitution, regulatory declarations or other publications, we classify all of the nonprofits in our database into one or other of the sub-sectors in this classification system. This facilitates comparative and trend analysis, including international comparison. Use advanced find to search for nonprofits by sector or sub-sector.

Sector Sub Sectors
1   Arts, culture, media
  • heritage and visitor attractions
  • media, film
  • museums and libraries
2   Recreation, sports
  • sports organisations
  • recreational clubs, societies
  • agricultural fairs
3   Education, research
  • primary education
  • secondary education
  • education support
  • research
  • adult and continuing education
  • pre-primary education
  • third-level education
  • vocational and technical education
4   Health
  • health services and health promotion
  • mental health services
  • hospitals
  • addiction support
  • residential care centres
  • hospices
  • residential mental health services
5   Social services
  • pre-school childcare
  • family support services
  • services for people with disabilities
  • services for older people
  • youth services
  • services for Travellers and ethnic minorities
  • emergency relief services
  • homelessness services
6   Local development, housing
  • local development
  • job creation
  • social housing
  • social enterprise
  • sheltered housing
7   Environment
  • group water schemes
  • animal welfare
  • environmental enhancement
  • environmental sustainability
8   Advocacy, law, politics
  • advocacy
  • civil and human rights
  • legal services
  • politics
9   Philanthropy, voluntarism
  • fundraising
  • philanthropy
  • voluntarism
10   International
  • international development
  • international affiliation
11   Religion
  • religious associations
  • places of worship
  • dioceses, parishes
12   Professional, vocational
  • professional or sector representative bodies
  • trade unions, employer organisations
  • chambers of commerce

 

Read more about how Benefacts classifies nonprofits (download).

If you’d like to discuss the classification we have assigned to any nonprofit, contact us.

 

Last updated 21 May 2020

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