charitable organizations

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Groups that collect money or goods and use them to help people in need, rather than to make a profit.

   Grammar: Always plural in this form; for one group say 'a charitable organization'.

   Patterns

   • a charitable organization for someone
   • set up a charitable organization
   • donate to a charitable organization

   Several charitable organizations in the city provide free meals on weekends.

   She has worked for charitable organizations for most of her career.

   The concert raised money for three local charitable organizations.

2. 2nounpluraltechnical

   Such groups seen as a sector of society, often discussed in law, tax and policy.

   Grammar: Used as a general category; often appears with words like 'registered' or 'nonprofit'.

   Patterns

   • registered charitable organizations
   • the regulation of charitable organizations

   The new law changes how charitable organizations report their income.

   Donations to registered charitable organizations may reduce your tax bill.

Common combinations

a registered charitable organization

Only a registered charitable organization can issue this kind of receipt.

donate to a charitable organization

They donate to a charitable organization every December.

set up a charitable organization

He set up a charitable organization after retiring.

a nonprofit charitable organization

It is a nonprofit charitable organization with no paid staff.

support a charitable organization

Local businesses support a charitable organization each spring.

Synonyms and how they differ

charity

Shorter and more common in everyday speech; 'charity' can also mean the idea of giving, while 'charitable organization' names the body itself.

nonprofit

American term for any organization not run for profit, which may or may not give money to people in need.

non-profit organization

The full form of 'nonprofit'; it stresses the legal status rather than the helping work.

Opposites

Word family

charity noun

an organization that helps people, or the act of giving help

charitable adjective

willing to give help or money to people in need

charitably adverb

in a kind way that gives others the benefit of the doubt

Commonly confused: charitable organizations or charity?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “charitable organizations”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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