What are Program Services? (2024)

Program Services

In the context of a nonprofit organization, program services refer to the activities that fulfill the organization’s mission or purpose. These are the core functions of the nonprofit, delivering the impact and change that the organization is set up to achieve. The costs associated with these activities are called program expenses or program costs, as I previously explained.

For example:

• In a nonprofit hospital, program services might include patient care, surgeries, medical tests, and health education.
• In an educational nonprofit organization, program services might encompass teaching, scholarships, tutoring, and research.
• In a nonprofit environmental organization, program services could involve conservation activities, research studies, public awareness campaigns, and policy advocacy.

Nonprofits report their expenses for program services to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and often provide detailed descriptions of these services in their annual reports. This allows donors, supporters, and the public to understand what the organization does and how it uses its resources to achieve its mission.

Example of Program Services

Let’s consider a hypothetical non-profit organization called “GreenEarth Foundation” that focuses on environmental conservation and education.

Here are some examples of the program services GreenEarth Foundation might provide:

• Conservation Programs: These might include activities such as tree planting, habitat restoration, clean-up events for parks or beaches, and other hands-on work to preserve and restore natural environments.
• Education and Outreach: The foundation might run educational programs in schools, organize workshops and seminars about environmental issues, and create educational materials and resources. Their outreach might also involve public awareness campaigns to inform the community about ways to reduce their environmental impact.
• Research and Advocacy: The foundation could conduct research on local environmental issues, or compile and analyze research done by others. Based on this research, they might advocate for environmental policies at the local, state, or national level.
• Community Engagement: GreenEarth Foundation might host community events, such as Earth Day celebrations or eco-fairs, to foster community involvement in environmental preservation.

Each of these program services directly fulfills GreenEarth Foundation’s mission of environmental conservation and education. The costs associated with these activities (like salaries for program staff, costs of materials for educational programs, or costs of organizing events) would be considered program expenses.