Home Aplos Short The Difference Between Nonprofit And Not-For-Profit

The Difference Between Nonprofit And Not-For-Profit

by Megan DeCosta

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between nonprofit and not-for-profit? Even some nonprofit leaders struggle with the question: Is my organization a nonprofit or not-for-profit?

Occasionally, you will hear organizations refer to themselves as not-for-profit. If the organization you work for has always referred to themselves as a nonprofit, this may be confusing. So what’s the difference between nonprofit and not-for-profit? Well, the answer may be a little anticlimactic because the truth is there’s not much difference. The two terms generally mean the same thing.

Knowing that, when is it appropriate to use the term not-for-profit? The minor difference is the term nonprofit simply describes the organization, while the term not-for-profit describes the activities it partakes in, so a nonprofit does things that are not for profit. But the majority of organizations around the world refer to themselves as nonprofits.

If you’re interested in software that was created specifically for nonprofits, check out Aplos. We provide fund accounting, deep reporting and analytics, donor management, online donations, and more—all in one place! It’s also cloud-based so you don’t need to be in your office to use it. You can even try it for free, with no obligation and no credit card.

You may also like

1 comment

Nonprofit vs Charity vs Foundation - Aplos Academy May 26, 2017 - 4:26 pm

[…] our video from last year, we went over the difference between a nonprofit and a not-for-profit organization. […]

Reply

Leave a Comment