The nonprofit sector refers collectively to institutions and organizations in American society that are neither government nor business. It is also commonly called the not-for-profit sector, the third sector, the independent sector, the philanthropic sector, the voluntary sector, or the social sector. Outside the United States, nonprofits are often called nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) or civil society organizations. The nonprofit sector plays an important role in American society by providing services that might not otherwise be supplied by the government or businesses.