Top-Rated Nonprofits in Kentucky 2026
Kentucky has 11 nonprofits with $10.6B in combined revenue. The top-rated organization is Norton Hospitals Inc with an Efficiency Score of 87/100.
Kentucky has 11 nonprofits in the IRS Form 990 dataset ranked here by efficiency score. The LakeQuality nonprofit efficiency rubric combines program-spending ratio (50%), revenue growth consistency (20%), fund reserves (20%), and CEO compensation ratio (10%) into a 0-100 composite.
Reading the ranking: top of the list typically combines strong program-spending discipline (the highest-weighted factor) with stable multi-year revenue and reasonable executive compensation. Large hospital and university systems often appear near the top in any state — their scale lets them keep program ratios high while still investing in infrastructure. Each nonprofit links to its full Form 990 profile. For donors trying to choose between organizations, the efficiency grade is a useful triage — but the underlying program-spending ratio, the multi-year revenue trend, and the comp ratio matter more than the composite letter on any individual decision.
Top 11 Nonprofits in Kentucky
| # | Organization | Category | Revenue | CEO Pay | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norton Hospitals Inc | Health | $3.0B | $0 | A (87) |
| 2 | Baptist Healthcare System Inc | Health | $3.7B | $0 | A (86) |
| 3 | St Elizabeth Medical Center Inc | Health | $1.9B | $0 | A (86) |
| 4 | Campbellsville University Inc | Education | $133.1M | $0 | A (86) |
| 5 | University Of Louisville Research Foundation Inc | Education | $631.9M | $0 | A (81) |
| 6 | Bellarmine University | Education | $135.9M | $0 | A (81) |
| 7 | University Of Kentucky Research Foundation | Education | $463.0M | $0 | A (80) |
| 8 | Kentucky Medical Services Foundation Inc | Education | $373.7M | $0 | B (75) |
| 9 | University Of The Cumberlands Inc | Education | $177.5M | $0 | B (68) |
| 10 | American Printing House For The Blind Inc | Arts, Culture & Humanities | $43.9M | $0 | B (68) |
| 11 | Crosswater Canyon Inc | Arts, Culture & Humanities | $37.3M | $0 | B (68) |
Nonprofit financial data for Kentucky is sourced from IRS Form 990 filings, which all tax-exempt organizations must file annually.
Frequently Asked Questions
Norton Hospitals Inc is the top-rated nonprofit in Kentucky with an Efficiency Score of 87/100 (Grade A) and $3.0B in annual revenue.
Kentucky has 11 nonprofits in our database with a combined $10.6B in total revenue.
The Efficiency Score (0-100, A-F) measures nonprofit effectiveness based on program expense ratio (50%), revenue growth consistency (20%), fund reserves (20%), and CEO compensation ratio (10%). Higher scores indicate more efficient organizations.
Efficiency Score: program expense ratio (50%), revenue growth consistency (20%), fund reserves (20%), CEO compensation ratio (10%).