Be you a for-profit or non-profit enterprise, the basics of commerce (def. the buying and selling of goods) apply and will dictate your success.  At the core is this equation in the customer's mind, "does the value of what I gain from this product/service equal or exceed what I give up (spelled M-O-N-E-Y) to gain it?"  If the answer is "yes" for enough customers and you can find them, your enterprise will continue to grow.  Failure to maintain that equation ultimately means failure of the business.