What Is a Nonprofit- and What It Is Not
An educational note from Prima Nota Inc, with a quiet nod to Mother’s Day
At Prima Nota Inc, we often work alongside other multicultural and ethnic community organisations. Many are formally registered as nonprofits- yet the core purpose of a nonprofit is not always well understood.
So let’s clarify.
A nonprofit is:
• Created to serve a public or community purpose
• Reinvests all income into its mission
• Operates with fairness, transparency, and collaboration
• Never distributes profit to individuals
A nonprofit is not:
• A private club or closed circle
• A business seeking to dominate or eliminate others
• A gatekeeper deciding who “belongs” in the community space
Why this matters:
The nonprofit sector is built on inclusion, mutual support, and collective wellbeing.
When nonprofits treat others as threats or competitors, they step outside their role- and risk losing community trust or breaching basic standards of governance.
A Mother’s Day reflection:
Real care- like that of a mother- isn’t about control.
It’s about holding space, nurturing growth, and welcoming many voices at the table.
That’s also what being a nonprofit is about.
— Prima Nota Inc