Editing Voluntary sector (section)

{{Short description|Social activity undertaken by non-governmental nonprofit organizations; "third sector"}}
{{Economic sectors}}
In relation to public services, the '''voluntary sector''' is the realm of social activity undertaken by [[non-governmental organization|non-governmental]], [[nonprofit organizations|not for profit]] [[organization]]s.<ref>Potůček, Martin (1999) ''Not Only the Market: The Role of the Market, Government, and the Civic Sector''. Central European University Press. p. 34.</ref> This sector is also called the '''third sector''' (in contrast to the [[public sector]] and the [[private sector]]), '''community sector''', and '''nonprofit sector'''.<ref>See for example: 
{{cite book
| editor1-last          = Evers
| editor1-first         = Adalbert
| editor2-last          = Laville
| editor2-first         = Jean-Louis
| title                 = The Third Sector in Europe
| url                   = https://books.google.com/books?id=dyK4xo6taPUC
| series                = Globalization and welfare
| publisher             = Edward Elgar Publishing
| date                  = 2004
| isbn                  = 9781843769774
| access-date           = 2014-08-05
}}{{cite web |url=http://www.huckfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/02-HM-Treas-Role-of-VCS-in-Service-Delivery-Sep.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505233226/http://www.huckfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/02-HM-Treas-Role-of-VCS-in-Service-Delivery-Sep.pdf |title=The Role of the Voluntary and Community Sector in Service Delivery – A Cross Cutting Review|publisher=HM Treasury |website=Leslie Huckfield Research |archive-date=5 May 2019 |date=September 2002}}</ref> "Civic sector" or "social sector"<ref>Department for Culture, Media and Sport (UK), [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-society-strategy-building-a-future-that-works-for-everyone/about-the-strategy About the Civil Society Strategy], published 9 August 2018, accesses 15 May 2024</ref> are other terms used for the sector, emphasizing its relationship to [[civil society]]. Voluntary sector activities are important in many areas of life, including [[social care]], child care, [[animal welfare]], sport and [[environmental protection]].