The voluntary sector of a nation's economy consists of those entities which are not for profit and yet, at the same time, are not agencies of the state - i.e: charities, volunteer community centres and religious organisations. They may, in some countries, be subject to state scrutiny if they wish to qualify for charitable status.

See also

• Alternative society
• nationalisation
• Non-governmental organization
• private sector
• public sector
• privatization
• State-owned enterprise
• Volkseigener Betrieb (VEB)