Operating in the nude: Another difference between for-profits and nonprofits is that nonprofits’ tax forms are public records. Small, privately held businesses can keep operating details secret, but anyone can read a nonprofit’s tax form, known as Form 990, online, learning salaries, revenue, expenditures and more. “Get prepared to get naked because of those 990s,” says Mark Grimes, a nonprofits consultant in Portland, Oregon. “You better be real comfortable with people knowing how much you make.”