an organization chartered for other than profit-making activities
"The local library operates as a nonprofit, relying on donations rather than sales to fund its programs."
An organization that exists for reasons other than to make a profit, such as a charitable, educational or service organization.
"The local library is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free access to books and educational resources for the community."
In plain English: A nonprofit is an organization that runs without trying to make money for its owners and instead uses any extra cash to help people or support causes.
"The local nonprofit helped rebuild homes after the storm."
not commercially motivated
"The local library operates as a nonprofit organization, relying on donations rather than selling books to cover its costs."
Not seeking to produce a profit (a financial gain).
"The local library operates as a nonprofit organization that relies on donations rather than sales to serve its community."
In plain English: A nonprofit is an organization that runs for good causes instead of making money for owners to keep.
"The nonprofit organization relies on donations to help homeless families find shelter."
Usage: Use the adjective form before nouns like "nonprofit organizations" rather than after them. Distinguish this from "not-for-profit," which is often used interchangeably but can sound more formal in specific legal contexts.
The word nonprofit is a straightforward combination of the prefix non- and the noun profit. It entered English to describe organizations that operate without distributing their earnings to owners or shareholders.