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Meaning & use

not-for-profit organization

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌnɒt fə ˈprɒfɪt ˌɔːɡənaɪˈzeɪʃən/
US/ˌnɑːt fər ˈprɑːfɪt ˌɔːrɡənəˈzeɪʃən/

Meaning

  1. nouncountable

    An organization whose main aim is to serve a social, educational, or charitable purpose rather than to make money for owners.

    Grammar: Countable: you can say a not-for-profit organization or several not-for-profit organizations.

    Patterns

    • run a not-for-profit organization
    • work for a not-for-profit organization
    • set up a not-for-profit organization

    She works for a not-for-profit organization that helps refugees find housing.

    The city gave the not-for-profit organization a small grant to run its after-school program.

    Unlike a business, a not-for-profit organization must put any surplus back into its work.

Word forms

pluralnot-for-profit organizations

Common combinations

a registered not-for-profit organization
Only a registered not-for-profit organization can apply for this tax relief.
a not-for-profit organization dedicated to something
They founded a not-for-profit organization dedicated to cleaning up the river.
run a not-for-profit organization
It is hard to run a not-for-profit organization without reliable donations.
donate to a not-for-profit organization
Many people prefer to donate to a not-for-profit organization they can visit.
a not-for-profit organization's budget
The not-for-profit organization's budget is reviewed by an independent board.

Synonyms and how they differ

nonprofit
The usual American shortening; it means the same thing but sounds more informal and is common in everyday speech.
charity
A charity is a kind of not-for-profit organization, but it usually focuses on helping people in need rather than on education or research.
NGO
An NGO is a not-for-profit group that works across borders, often on political or humanitarian issues; not every not-for-profit organization is an NGO.

Opposites

for-profit company

Word family

not-for-profit adjective
Describing an organization of this kind, as in a not-for-profit hospital.
nonprofit noun
The shorter American word for the same kind of organization.
profit noun
The money a business keeps after costs, the opposite of what these groups are set up to pursue.

Commonly confused: not-for-profit organization or non-profit-making?

not-for-profit organization vs non-profit-making

This is a British adjective meaning the same thing, but it describes the organization rather than naming it; you would say a non-profit-making body, not a non-profit-making.

Practice

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