Non-Profit People

Economics Devision
Internal Memo
April 6, 2012

Re: Non-Profit People

If it’s okay for corporations to be called people, should it follow that people be allowed to seek non-profit status?

Profit-making has such a narrow band of activity associated with it that you couldn’t expect it to cover the entire range of productive human activity.  Because whose definition of “productive” are we going to use?  Is manufacturing Doritos productive?

There are over 1.5 million non-profits in the United States alone attempting to fill in the blanks and if you accept that artists are doing the same thing in a less tangible way you can add 2 more million to that number, not to mention all the volunteers and caregivers out there.

Too bad it’s the same problem.  Non-profits need money too.  There’s no way out, even if you’re not really playing the game.

How do we get out?