The Non-profit reference article from the Simple Wikipedia on 01-May-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Non-profit

If something is non-profit, then it doesn't make a profit for its owners - it does not usually even repay them money they provide, which is called a donation. It may make money for some other good purpose and it is often run by volunteers who do not get paid for their work. Sometimes a non-profit may make money to help other people, which might include helping them start their own business or providing the with food, clothing or shelter. Some non-profits are small groups of people such as a block association or community group. Other are large and well established with many assets and many paid workers such as a trade union, university or a religion.

An organization that is non-profit is usually called a non-profit organization. When it deals with politics or international issues it can be called a non-governmental organization or NGO. One non-profit organization is Wikimedia which runs Wikipedia. It is based in Florida in the United States. It is also a corporation known as a not-for-profit corporation.

An organization that is trying to make a profit, and failing, is called unprofitable and may go bankrupt - but this does not make it a non-profit. A non-profit may be profitable just as any business, but the profits are used to further the purpose not to make the people who started it or who work there rich.

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