"Nonprofit" Name Change?

"Nonprofit" is "the worst possible summary we could give of ourselves and our work," says philanthropy expert Dan Pallotta, who explains that in Latin, "profit" means "progress." Other popular designations are just as unhelpful, Pallotta argues: "Third sector" gives the impression of being a low priority; "independent sector" is inaccurate, since every organization in society is dependent on others; and "voluntary sector" leads people to believe philanthropic work should be done for free, when in reality, it is many people's careers. "What brings us to this work is our humanity. And what makes the work happen is the generosity of countless people from all socioeconomic levels, who make donations out of their humanity," says Pallotta. Thus, the "humanity sector."