Guide Note

Non-Profit Organizations or "NPO's" do not distribute profits to shareholders or owners. Most commonly, non-profits are engaged in activities designed to promote the public good. Most non-profit organizations have tax exempt status, meaning they are not required to pay federal taxes. Well-known non-profit organizations include Wikipedia, The Red Cross and universities. Many non-profit organizations have paid staff, but if the organization does not make money beyond what it uses to pay expenses, it can be considered a non-profit.

Fast Facts

Number of Non-profits in the U.S.: 1.5 million
Non-profits are not necessarily tax exempt
U.S. Non-profit revenue in 2006 accounted for roughly 10% of the U.S. GDP

Range of Services and Activities

Non-Profit organizations have a range of services and activities, including environmental causes, education, health and religious services.

.org and .edu

Many non-profit organizations in the internet choose to use the .org and .edu domains to signify their status as non-profit organizations.

Categories

News | Groups and Organizations | Political Groups

View Note History

Non-Profit Organizations

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Non-profit organization
GuideStar: Nonprofit information clearinghouse
Independent Sector: Nonprofit Leadership Forum
IRS.gov: Tax Information for Charities and Other Nonprofits
The NonProfit Times: Trade Publication
Idealist.org: Nonprofit FAQ
NOLO: How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation

Non-Profit Organizations News

MainStreet.com: Rising Gas Prices Are Hurting Nonprofits (June 11, 2008)
CIO: "Transitioning to the Nonprofit Sector" (2007)
The NonProfit Times: "U.S. Supreme Court OKs Advocacy and Faith Funding" (2007)
Boston Herald: "New IRS Form Targets Charities' Salaries'" (2007)
Washington Post: "A Reality Check for Nonprofit Candidates" (2007)

Non-Profit Organizations Industry Information

NCCS: Number of Nonprofit Organizations by State
Blackbaud: State of the Nonprofit Industry Survey (PDF)
NCCS: FAQ about the Nonprofit Sector
IRS.gov: Search for Charities

Federal Taxes and Tax Exemption

GSA: State Tax Exemption Forms Overview
IRS.gov: Draft Redesigned Form 990
IRS.gov: FAQ about Tax-Exempt Organizations
Wikipedia: Tax Exemption

Non-Profit Organizations Evaluators

Give.org (Better Business Bureau)
Charity Navigator
American Institute of Philanthropy
Standards for Excellence Institute
National Council of Nonprofit Associations: Rating the Raters (PDF)

Non-Profit Organizations Law

Nonprofit Issues: Trade Publication
Cornell University Law School: Non-profit Organizations
Nonprofit Expert: Nonprofit Law Resources
International Center for Not-for-Profit Law
Nonprofit Law Blog

Non-Profit Organizations Industry Publications

The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Nonprofit News Source
The NonProfit Times: Trade Publication
Nonprofit Management and Leadership: Scholarly Journal
The Nonprofit Quarterly: Trade Publication
Stanford Social Innovation Review: Trade and Scholarly Publication

Non-Profit Organizations Blogs

Have Fun • Do Good: 5 Tips to Start a Nonprofit Blog
Donor Power Blog: Who owns a nonprofit organization?
Aspiration: Nonprofit Management and Operations Blog
Nonprofit Blog Exchange
Nonprofit Tech Blog

Non-Profit Organizations Forums and Discussions

CharityVillage.com: Nonprofit Web Forum Directory
Organizational Development Network: Nonprofit Discussion List
The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Live Discussions

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