In almost every case, nonprofits work together with business and government to be more efficient and effective. Nonprofits have an enormous impact on the Chicago-area economy. Nonprofits provide hundreds of thousands of jobs, contribute to the tax rolls, and mobilize billions of dollars in grants, in donations, and in volunteer time. A local community center offers job training programs to former welfare recipients. Through nonprofits, people can act upon their highest ideals and their deepest beliefs.
Nonprofits allow people to act upon the values of compassion, altruism, democracy, and pluralism.
These values have led people in the U.S. to join together to solve problems in thousands of ways. They've formed nonprofits to house the homeless, enrich our lives with music, and educate the young. They've formed nonprofits that conduct research on deadly diseases, protect the fragile elderly, and advocate for important social changes that empower our residents to lead dignified lives. Virtually every significant social change in the U.S. has been the result of advocacy by people who wanted to make their communities a better place. Examples include voting rights, equal access to education and employment, nutrition for low-income children, and stiffer penalties for drunk drivers.