Nonprofit organizations serve a very significant role in our society. They very often provide services, support or advocacy for people or animals in need. Nonprofit organizations can vary widely from local churches to animal shelters to schools and research institutes.
Since there are so many issues that people care about, nonprofit organizations also have a wide variety of focus depending on their mission statement. Most nonprofits have a mission statement that clearly defines what and who they intend to help and how. Women’s shelters provide a place to stay and various services for women in need of help. Animal shelters work to provide a safe and healthy environment for abused animals or strays. Churches can often have multiple charities or nonprofits that focus on a variety of important issues.
Nonprofit organizations exist all over the world to help make the world a better place. Depending on the country they are based in, the legal requirements for setting up a new nonprofit organization vary. In the United States, nonprofits can apply for tax exempt status from the federal government, also making it possible for anyone who donates money to the nonprofit to use the donation as a deduction on their income taxes if the nonprofit is organized under the tax code 501(c) 3. The money that the nonprofit gains from that donation are likewise not taxed as income for the nonprofit organization by the federal government.
Sizes for nonprofit organizations also vary widely. Many states require a nonprofit to name both a president and a secretary as part of its board of directors, so most nonprofits have at least two employees working for them. But nonprofit organizations can also provide services in several countries around the globe and have hundreds of people working to make the company run smoothly and effectively.
