Proceeds are the money you receive from selling something or holding an event. When a school holds a bake sale and makes $200, those dollars are the proceeds from the sale. When a theater company sells tickets to a play, the proceeds help pay for costumes, sets, and future productions.

The word often appears when people donate money to a good cause. A charity concert might donate all its proceeds to help families in need, meaning every dollar earned goes directly to helping others. A book sale might give its proceeds to the library, or a lemonade stand might donate proceeds to an animal shelter.

Notice that proceeds means the total money received, not the profit after expenses. If you sell cookies for $50 but spent $20 on ingredients, your proceeds are still $50 (though your profit would be $30).