As discussed in class and throughout the readings, there a technical and cultural definition of what it means to be a non-profit. Generally, in the United States, non-profits are a tax-exempt organization that serve a public good that the government considers to be important. Culturally, they are organizations that are for a public good.

Examples of non-profits have ranged from organizations such as Democracy Works, which supplement the work of the government, by providing online voter registration and election reminders, when state governments often fail to; or United Way, which helps individuals and communities lift themselves up.

Non-profits have the ability to impact all aspects of our society — to plug the wholes where governments do not. And culturally, they all provide a greater benefit.

By providing a tax-exempt status, the federal government elevates the efforts of these organizations — by ensuring that the dollars donated to it go directly toward staffing and programming.

Government moves at a relatively slower pace, and many members realized this. However, it requires consensus and there’s too many people to bring to the table. Non-profits tend to fill those wholes, but do not not supplement or replace the core government functions.

All the while, they have the ability to push government to take these responsibilities on — essentially rendering them useless. They say non-profits are always pushing toward their own dissolution. However, this actually happening often feels few and far in between.

Overall, non-profits plug the holes of American society that need it, whether it be inefficiencies in our government, ourselves, or how we treat one another.