2008/11/27 Robert Rohde rarohde@gmail.com:
On Thu, Nov 27, 2008 at 1:40 PM, Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com wrote:
And, in fact, wikimediafoundation.org says "nonprofit charitable organization". I don't know why people generally say "non-profit" instead of "charity", then - charity would be more precise and would probably be better perceived.
I agree that the WMF fits the legal definition of a charity, but when one says "charity" the first thing that comes to my mind are organizations that take donations (often including food or clothes) for the primary purpose of redistributing most of them to the needy. You know, the Red Cross, United Way, Goodwill, food banks, etc. Obviously the WMF's mission and the use of their income is somewhat different from that, even though promoting the dissemination of knowledge is ultimately a charitable purpose. So at least in my mind calling the WMF a charity feels less precise and more confusing. Just my two cents. Your reaction may vary.
Same in Australia, really. A wider meaning for the word "charity" is common in the UK, though.
- d.