Statistics describing the independent sector are incomplete and ambiguous. This is especially true in the area of services provided to youths between the ages of 16 and 24. According to Internal Revenue Service files, the independent sector consists of 821,000 organizations, including nonprofit organizations, churches, colleges and universities, hospitals, and foundations. Of these, 32,500 are youth organizations, which means that 50 percent or more of their members or clients are between the ages of 12 and 19. Among membership-oriented organizations, participation declines dramatically as youngsters enter their teen years. An additional 156,000 human service organizations have 50 percent or more of their clients and/or members in the 20-59 age range. Forty-three percent of churches sponsor youth groups. Among agencies catering to children and youth, 25 percent are engaged primarily in recreation. Nearly 7 out of every 10 organizations concerned with employment and training, housing and community development, and legal and advocacy assistance receive some form of government support as opposed to only 5.5 of every 10 agencies involved in culture, arts, and recreation. Poor persons constitute over half the clientele at 29 percent of agencies, and 15 percent serve blacks primarily. Disinterested assessment of independent sector programs is rarely undertaken. Consequently, neither the participation rates of youth nor the impact of that participation on their quality of life are known. (This paper includes commentaries by Leonard W. Stern and Virginia Hodgkinson.) (MN)