Q: Is your organization a Nonprofit? Or is it a Community Benefit Organization?

A: What’s in a name? While a rose by any other name would certainly smell as sweet, when it comes to the work of improving our communities, we say quite a lot just in what we call ourselves.

We know that names affect the people who sport them. We know that children who grow up being called Stupid tend to think they are stupid. And we know that all the rest of the nasty names both children and adults are called will dramatically affect their view of themselves in relation to the rest of the world.

Community Benefit Organizations
Community Benefit is why our organizations are granted tax exemption. Community benefit is what we do. It is our purpose.

Just as the sweetest sound any of us can hear is our name, we attach our self-image to our names. So what might be different if your organization’s self-image was that of a Community Benefit Organization?

• What would be different at your board table if, for every decision, your board asked, “How will this benefit the community?”
• What would be different at staff meetings if, for every project, every assignment, every action, you asked, “How will this benefit the community?” Or “How can we do this in a way that will provide MORE benefit to the community?”
• What would be different about the way you raise money?
• And most importantly, what would be different about the degree to which you engage the community in creating that benefit?

So what’s in a name? Looking at the first half of the name non-profit, the work we do is certainly not “non” anything. It is positive, powerful, impactful.

Considering the second half of the name non-profit, that work also clearly is not about “profit.” Profit is simply one of many means we use to achieve end results. And what sort of organization would call itself by its means? (Me? Human? No sir - I’m water-based!)

So what are all these organizations about at their core? They are about results. They are about purpose. They are about Community Benefit.

So ask your board at its next meeting:
Are we a nonprofit or nongovernmental organization? Or are we a Community Benefit Organization?

• Are we a Nonprofit Hospital, or a Community Benefit Hospital?
• Are we a Nonprofit Theater Company, or a Community Benefit Theater Company?
• Are we a Nonprofit Animal Shelter, or a Community Benefit Animal Shelter?

Once you have made that choice, remind yourself at every decision-point. Are we making this decision as a Nonprofit? Or are we making this decision as a Community Benefit Organization? We look forward to hearing about the difference that makes.