The American government provides many services and programs to assist citizens in securing basic necessities (job training, food assistance, subsidized housing, etc.), as well as addressing wider social issues (environmental preservation, immigrants’ rights, etc.) These programs are, by necessity, supplemented and extended by the efforts of countless not-for-profit or non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Such organizations make up the “voluntary” or “third” sector of society---in addition to the “public” (governmental) and “private” (business/enterprise) sectors. Not-for-profit organizations that fulfill specific federal guidelines (such as not lobbying for political candidates, etc.) are granted tax-exempt status by the government. Volunteer participation in and financial support for such organizations is considered by vast numbers of American citizens both a right and a responsibility. In the United States, all religious organizations are considered part of this nonprofit sector of society.
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