A nonprofit corporation is a private corporation that works for the public's benefit. It is separate and independent from government. Churches, day care centers, arts programs, human services, and youth centers are examples of the many nonprofits with which we come into regular contact.
Nonprofits receive tax-exempt status in exchange for providing a public benefit.
Nonprofits may earn revenues, but they cannot distribute profits for private gain by individuals. Since nonprofits are guided by a specific mission, staff and volunteers focus their work on providing a specific public benefit. Governments may choose to contract with nonprofits to provide community services as a way of meeting their own public responsibilities. We often think of nonprofits serving needy people - and they do. But nonprofits do much more than that.