1) Non-Profit just means that profits can&#x27;t go directly to shareholders &#x2F; founders &#x2F; investors (except in the form of a salary, which is a giant loophole).  Essentially the profits must be re-invested in the company.  They can be just as profit-seeking as a for-profit company and do so legally.  They can grow just as rapidly.<p>2) I am pretty sure it is illegal for a non-profit (at least 501c3) to lobby the government.  If they are lobbying then they are not the traditional non-profit.  There is a different category of &quot;non-profit&quot; that allows lobbying, but the rules are different.  I don&#x27;t think donations are tax deductable to a lobbying-type non-profit and I think they have to pay some taxes.<p>Of course I am not a lawyer or accountant and it has been a few years since I was involved with a non-profit.  If someone more knowledgeable about this can fix my misconceptions I would be grateful.