Читать книгу Nonprofit Kit For Dummies - Stan Hutton, Beverly A. Browning - Страница 15

Not everyone thinks that nonprofit sector is the best name. That’s because of the array of organizations with different types of nonprofit status. Some of these organizations are formed to benefit their members — such as fraternities and labor unions — and don’t share a broad public-serving intent. Another reason nonprofit sector may not be the best choice of terms is its negative connotation. After all, what’s worse than not making a profit? But, as we point out earlier, and we remind you again in later chapters, not making a profit isn’t the determining factor. Here are some alternative terms you may hear:

 Voluntary sector: This term emphasizes the presence of volunteer board members and the significance of voluntary contributions and services to the work of 501(c)(3) organizations. In this definition, the organizations alone don’t represent the meaning of nonprofit; the definition includes the vast web of supporters who participate as volunteers and donors.

 Independent sector: This term emphasizes the public-serving mission of these organizations and their volunteers and their independence from government. (Independent Sector is also the name of a nonprofit organization that provides research, advocacy, and public programs for and about the nonprofit sector.)

 Charitable sector: This term emphasizes the charitable donations these organizations receive from individuals and institutions.

 Third sector: This term emphasizes the sector’s important role alongside government and the for-profit business economy.

We use the term nonprofit sector throughout this book, but we want you to understand its limitations and be familiar with other commonly used terms.