When Positive Being first decided to incorporate, we had two choices. Either we were for profit or not-for-profit. Naturally, we chose non-profit status because it has many advantages for the community. For example, it means generous contributions to the cause are tax-deductible. We certainly had no thought of monetary gain for ourselves – but that does not mean our work is profitless.
On the contrary, the very reason we incorporated was to profit our community. However, the IRS doesn’t have a “community profit” or “social profit” category. The government is not interested in any kind of profit except dollars and cents – but we are. Positive Being owes its existence to the idea of reaching out and – literally – touching those in the community who had been isolated or ostracized because of AIDS. We find profit in that.
We are a proud to be a part of the history, much of it being written here in San Francisco, of social profit. In the face of government apathy toward the epidemic, we joined the movement in our community to take it upon ourselves to bring healing to those among us in need.
At Positive Being, we still believe the American dream is ethical, not economic. The fact that a grass roots organizations like ours can thrive for nearly a decade, keeps that dream alive. Thanks for sharing our dream.
