Non-profit vs not-for-profit

March 08, 2008

Posted in General.

I usually use the term non-profit. I frequently hear other variations, including not-for-profit. I don't know if there's an official term, other than having a 501(c)(3) status.

Still, there’s a subtle distinction to me. The term not-for-profit, while it doesn’t exactly roll off my tongue, implies that the organization can still be wildly successful – it just doesn’t exist to create a profit. The term “non-profit” seems like a statement of ones financial situation. What do you call it?

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