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SUNNY Temp: 68 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Sunday, September 28, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 27, 2003 Since You Asked Nonprofit has many meanings There was a story in the paper a few days ago about a man who sorts through the trash digging out treasures for Goodwill to resell. Your reporter described Goodwill as a nonprofit organization, but don’t they make a lot of money reselling the stuff that people give them? — John D., Medford "Nonprofit" is one of those words that means different things to different people, John. Newspapers generally use the word to describe organizations that have qualified for tax-free status under the Internal Revenue Code. They’re often described as "501(c)(3)" organizations after the section of the tax code that defines them. Advertisement To be tax-exempt in the IRS’s sight, none of an organization’s earnings can be distributed to any private shareholder or individual (beyond paying salaries to employees). Southern Oregon Goodwill Industries does indeed have 501(c)(3) status. The income Goodwill earns in its resale shops is used to help people learn job skills that will help them find work, says Russ Levin, our local Goodwill’s development director. There’s more to nonprofit status than just the money angle. The IRS requires all nonprofit organization to be engaged in work that can be broadly defined as charitable, religious, educational, scientific, or literary; or work that promotes public safety, or fosters national or international amateur sports, or prevents cruelty to children or animals. Those broad criteria cover a wide range of activities, so it’s no wonder there are hundreds of thousands of "nonprofits" out there. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541- 776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times