Those same hospitals may have nonprofit "foundations" that fundraise like a charity with the donations being tax-deductable for people who donate to that foundation. These are often directed at purchases of equipment and facilities.
You may be farther away from working for a nonprofit than you realize.
I think the distinction is important because I happen to know some really rich people who run, IMO, phony-baloney foundations that I'd term "vanity charities." I rather despise the way they've turned a self-serving hobby enterprise into a fatuous "philanthropy."
All you say is true, but the truth is, that my organization is officially a nonprofit corporation and any donations to the foundation are tax deductible. Actually, the majority of American hospitals are 501c organizations.
I don’t see anything inherently good or bad in that, it is simply a way of organizing the hospital’s operations. It doesn’t mean we help poor people or underprivileged people to a greater or lesser degree, or that we are in some way better than one of the big for-profit hospital organizations. I feel that if they can make a profit, give it back to their shareholders and provide quality care that patients are happy with, then I think that is great.
What it means is we do not have shareholders, and all of our “profits” must be re-invested into the organization in some way, not paid out to individuals of any kind.
Personally, I don’t get any kind of lift or feeling of superiority by saying I work for a nonprofit. It is not relevant or important to me, except in the key way that the organization is focused on its own perpetuation by being forced to invest profits in itself, so I feel that it makes our perpetuation more likely and our institution more viable.
We are also a non-union hospital, and THAT gives me a great deal of satisfaction.