The YMCA of the USA has the strongest brand among charities, according to a new report by the marketing firms Cone and Intangible Business.

The Salvation Army took second on the list of the 100 most-valued nonprofit groups, followed by the United Way of America, the American Red Cross, and Goodwill Industries International.

Perhaps not surprisingly, charities that work in the United States to meet basic needs dominated the list, which was calculated in part based on a phone survey of 1,000 people that took place in July of last year.

The size of nonprofit groups’ budgets, their potential for future growth, how many volunteers they have, and the amount of news-media coverage they receive were among other factors that determined charities’ rank.

Alison DaSilva, executive vice president of Cone, said U.S. human-services groups would probably become even better known as a result of the recession.

“More people are going to touch their services or know someone who has been helped by them,” she said. “I would imagine this strong sector is going to get even stronger.”

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