Independent Sector

WE ENVISION A WORLD OF ENGAGED INDIVIDUALS, ROBUST INSTITUTIONS, AND VIBRANT COMMUNITIES WORKING TOGETHER TO IMPROVE LIVES AND THE NATURAL WORLD, AND STRENGTHEN DEMOCRATIC SOCIETIES. TO HELP CREATE THIS FUTURE, WE LEAD AND CATALYZE THE CHARITABLE COMMUNITY, PARTNERING WITH GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, AND INDIVIDUALS TO ADVANCE THE COMMON GOOD.

COMMUNITY BUILDING:AT THE HEART OF INDEPENDENT SECTOR'S WORK TO CREATE A HEALTHY AND RACIALLY EQUITABLE NATION WHERE ALL PEOPLE CAN THRIVE IS OUR BELIEF IN THE TRANSFORMATIONAL POWER OF BUILDING AND SUSTAINING COMMUNITY. THROUGH INTENTIONAL AND TARGETED STRATEGIES, INDEPENDENT SECTOR BUILDS A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AMONG LEADERS, PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD CAPACITY, AND STRENGTHENS BRIDGES AND TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS TO ENSURE LEADERS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITIES ARE ALIGNED TOWARD A HEALTHY AND EQUITABLE FUTURE. WITH COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS IN MIND, OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INDEPENDENT SECTOR COMMUNITY IN 2021 CONTINUED TO BE PRIMARILY THROUGH A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT. NEVERTHELESS, WE MAINTAINED AND DEEPENED OUR CONNECTION WITH CHANGEMAKERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ENGAGING MORE THAN 3,000 THROUGH A VARIETY OF OPTIONS, INCLUDING UPSWELL POP-UPS, UPSWELL EXCHANGES, AND THE 2021 UPSWELL SUMMIT. FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR COMMUNITY BUILDING WORK THIS YEAR:- HOSTED FOUR UPSWELL POP-UPS ATTENDED BY 2,000 CHANGEMAKERS. EACH POP-UP HAD A DIFFERENT FOCUS BASED ON THE PRIMARY AREAS IN THE HEALTH OF THE U.S. NONPROFIT SECTOR REPORT. BY DIVING DEEPER AROUND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT SURROUND THE DATA IN AREAS LIKE GOVERNANCE AND TRUST, POLICY AND ADVOCACY, FINANCIAL RESOURCING, AND HUMAN CAPITAL, WE HELPED CHANGEMAKERS DEFINE HOW WE SHAPE OUR COMMUNITIES AND SYSTEMS FOR YEARS TO COME. WE ALSO HELD FOUR UPSWELL EXCHANGES, ONE AFTER EACH UPSWELL POP-UP, TO GIVE CHANGEMAKERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO UNPACK THE POP-UP PRESENTATIONS AND CONNECT THROUGH DEEPER RELATIONSHIPS WITH ONE ANOTHER.- ON OCTOBER 20-22, INDEPENDENT SECTOR BROUGHT TOGETHER MORE THAN 1,100 CHANGEMAKERS FROM ACROSS THE NATION FOR THE 2021 UPSWELL SUMMIT TO FOCUS ON OUR COLLECTIVE MISSION: BUILDING A HEALTHY AND RACIALLY JUST NATION. HELD VIRTUALLY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF PARTICIPANTS, THE SUMMIT OFFERED CONTENT FROM MORE THAN 250 BRILLIANT THOUGHT LEADERS AND 60 POWERFUL SESSIONS, INCLUDING NETWORKING AND ARTS AND WELLNESS ACTIVITIES. DURING THE UPSWELL SUMMIT, INDEPENDENT SECTOR PRESENTED THE JOHN W. GARDNER LEADERSHIP AWARD TO TWO NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED LEADERS - DR. GAIL C. CHRISTOPHER AND PROFESSOR JOHN A. POWELL. INDEPENDENT SECTOR ALSO CELEBRATED MARIA YUAN, FOUNDER AND CEO OF ISSUEVOTER AND WINNER OF THE 2021 AMERICAN EXPRESS NGEN LEADERSHIP AWARD, ALONG WITH THE SIX AWARD FINALISTS - INCLUDING A MAIN STAGE DISCUSSION BY MARIA ABOUT EXPANDING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND TALKS IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE BY THE FINALISTS ABOUT THEIR MISSIONS.- ENGAGED 28 FELLOWS THROUGH THE UPSWELL FELLOWS PROGRAM AND THE AMERICAN EXPRESS NGEN FELLOWS PROGRAM TO STRENGTHEN THEIR INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP CAPACITY, GROW THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS, AND ADDRESS THE ADAPTIVE NATURE OF LEADING IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES. AS PART OF OUR FELLOWS PROGRAM, INDEPENDENT SECTOR ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY TO ELEVATE THE WORK AND INNOVATION OF FOUR UPSWELL FELLOWS DURING THE YEAR. AT LEAST 75% OF THESE FELLOWS ARE BLACK, NATIVE, OR OTHER PEOPLE OF COLOR WORKING IN OR WITH THE NONPROFIT SECTOR.- CONTINUED TO REFINE AND EXECUTE AROUND A DATA-DRIVEN SENSE OF COMMUNITY THEORY OF CHANGE BASED ON QUARTERLY SENSE OF COMMUNITY SURVEYS, DISTRIBUTED TO ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN OUR DATABASE. THESE SURVEYS FOUND THAT WHILE MEMBERS OF THE INDEPENDENT SECTOR COMMUNITY HAVE A STRONG EMOTIONAL CONNECTION AND TRUSTED RELATIONSHIP AMONG ONE ANOTHER, THEY DIDN'T NECESSARILY FEEL THAT INDEPENDENT SECTOR WAS MEETING THEIR NEEDS AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OR THAT THEY HAD MUCH INFLUENCE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE ORGANIZATION/COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. THIS DATA CONTINUES TO SHAPE OUR STRATEGIES MOVING FORWARD.- IN APRIL, LAUNCHED A NEW MONTHLY CHANGEWORKS NEWSLETTER ABOUT INDEPENDENT SECTOR MEMBERS AS A NEW WAY OF SHARING POWERFUL AND INSPIRING STORIES ABOUT HOW INDEPENDENT SECTOR MEMBERS AND THEIR LEADERS WERE CREATING REAL CHANGE THROUGH THEIR WORN EFFORTS TOWARD A HEALTHIER AND MORE EQUITABLE FUTURE FOR US ALL. TO DATE, 92 INDEPENDENT SECTOR MEMBERS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN CHANGEWORKS, INCLUDING 25 FEATURED IN STORIES, Q&A BLOGS, OR ESSAYS.

PUBLIC POLICY LEADERSHIP:PUBLIC POLICY IS ABOUT SYSTEMS. INDEPENDENT SECTOR, FORTIFIED BY OUR MEMBERS AND PARTNERS, PLAYS A KEY ROLE AS A NATIONAL, SECTOR-SPANNING INFRASTRUCTURE ORGANIZATION WITH THE CAPACITY TO ADVANCE FEDERAL POLICIES. TO REALIZE A SOCIETY WHERE EVERY PERSON CAN THRIVE, THE RESOURCES AND REACH OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARE ESSENTIAL. THIS YEAR, WE WIELDED OUR POSITION OF INFLUENCE WITH BOTH IMMEDIATE AND FUTURE FOCUSES. WE REMAIN IN THE GRIPS OF A CRIPPLING PANDEMIC, WHICH DEMANDS THAT WE COLLABORATE WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS TO CONTINUE PROVIDING MEANINGFUL RELIEF TO OUR SECTOR.WE ALSO KNOW THAT OUR NATION'S INFRASTRUCTURE HAS BEEN LONG NEGLECTED. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A COALITION OF 75 ORGANIZATIONS, WE ARE LEADING THE CHARGE TO REBUILD THE NATION TO A PLACE BETTER THAN BEFORE, PRIORITIZING INVESTMENTS THAT ADVANCE EQUITABLE OUTCOMES FOR BLACK, NATIVE, LATINX, AND OTHER COMMUNITIES OF COLOR THAT HAVE BORNE THE BRUNT OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AND DEEPLY IMBEDDED STRUCTURAL INEQUITIES. FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR PUBLIC POLICY LEADERSHIP WORK THIS YEAR:- CREATED IN 2021 THROUGH A PROPOSED EXECUTIVE ORDER AND DRAFT LEGISLATION, INDEPENDENT SECTOR'S "SEAT AT THE TABLE" INITIATIVE WOULD CREATE PERMANENT, STRUCTURAL MECHANISMS FOR THE SECTOR TO HELP SHAPE AND IMPROVE FEDERAL POLICY, WHILE ALSO EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH THE SECTOR TO ACHIEVE SHARED GOALS. THE INITIATIVE CREATES A THREE-PART STRUCTURE TO DEEPEN THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE NONPROFIT SECTOR AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE ON THE NONPROFIT SECTOR (ONS) AND THE INTERAGENCY COUNCIL WILL COORDINATE WITHIN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE POLICIES ARE DESIGNED WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SECTOR'S CAPACITY TO REALIZE CRITICAL PRIORITIES IN A WAY THAT MAXIMIZES THE BENEFIT TO COMMUNITIES AND OUR NATION. THROUGH OUR WORK WITH REP. BETTY MCCOLLUM AND AS A RESULT OF HER PASSION FOR THE NONPROFIT SECTOR, REP. MCCOLLUM PLANS TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO PUT NONPROFITS IN THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT BY ESTABLISHING A WHITE HOUSE OFFICE ON THE NONPROFIT SECTOR (WHITE HOUSE ONS) AMONG THE COMPONENTS OF THE "SEAT AT THE TABLE" INITIATIVE.- INDEPENDENT SECTOR COMPILED A LIST OF RESOURCES AND EDUCATIONAL CONTENT ABOUT THE ACCELERATING CHARITABLE EFFORTS (ACE) ACT WHICH REVISES CURRENT LAWS DICTATING THE PACE AND TRANSPARENCY OF RESOURCES FLOWING FROM PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS AND DONOR ADVISED FUNDS AND, MORE BROADLY, PHILANTHROPY REFORM. THIS COMPILATION IS PART OF OUR EFFORTS TO FOSTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUES ACROSS THE SECTOR TO DRIVE ACTION, SUCH AS BEST PRACTICES, STANDARD-SETTING, AND PUBLIC POLICY. THESE RESOURCES AND EVENTS OFFERED BALANCED VIEWPOINTS, DATA-DRIVEN CONTENT, AND REGULAR ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.- NOW IN ITS SECOND YEAR, NONPROFIT INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT ADVOCACY GROUP (NIIAG), COFOUNDED BY INDEPENDENT SECTOR AND KABOOM!, CONTINUES TO ENGAGE OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE CHARITABLE NONPROFIT SECTOR TO IDENTIFY AND ADVOCATE FOR THE ESSENTIAL FEDERAL INVESTMENTS NEEDED TO REBUILD THE NATION FOLLOWING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE ECONOMIC CRISIS, AND RACIAL INJUSTICE. THE COALITION, NOW MORE THAN 50 ORGANIZATIONS STRONG, WROTE CHAIRMAN DEFAZIO AND CHAIRMAN PALLONE IN SUPPORT OF H.R. 3684, THE INVEST IN AMERICA ACT OF 2021. THE ACT IS INTENDED TO BOLSTER COMMUNITY AND CIVIC STRUCTURES THAT ENSURE ALL COMMUNITIES ACROSS AMERICA, ESPECIALLY THOSE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, CAN REBUILD, ENGAGE, AND THRIVE.- THE CHARITABLE DEDUCTION FACED A GRAVE THREAT IN 2021: AN EARLIER PROPOSAL FROM THE BIDEN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN THAT COULD HAVE ELIMINATED BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN GIVING. THROUGH WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE, MEDIA ATTENTION, AN INDEPENDENT SECTOR-ORGANIZED MEETING WITH SENIOR TREASURY DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS, AND CONTINUED PRESENCE, OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ABLE TO CONVINCE THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION NOT TO PUT THIS POLICY FORWARD IN ITS ANNUAL BUDGET OR OTHER LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORKS. THIS SUCCESS HAS PROTECTED THE RESOURCES OUR SECTOR NEEDS TO SERVE COMMUNITIES, WHILE ALSO ALLOWING US TO FOCUS ADVOCACY ON OTHER URGENT ISSUES.

ACCELERATING SECTOR IMPACT:WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH MEMBERS AND OTHER PARTNERS, INDEPENDENT SECTOR CREATES, CURATES, AND DISSEMINATES KNOWLEDGE DESIGNED TO HELP ORGANIZATIONS RESPOND TO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES, INCREASE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS, AND FULFILL THEIR MISSIONS. COVID-19 PRESENTED NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO CURATE AND DISTRIBUTE RESOURCES RAPIDLY, ESPECIALLY IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF 2020. QUICKLY THOUGH, OUR COVID-19 RESOURCES BECAME LESS ABOUT RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS AND MORE ABOUT HELPING ORGANIZATIONS MANAGE THEIR "NEW NORMAL." FIRST INITIATED IN 2020, WE FOLLOWED UP IN 2021 WITH OUR SECOND ANNUAL EDITIONS OF TWO PUBLICATIONS: THE "TRUST IN CIVIL SOCIETY" REPORT, AND THE "HEALTH OF THE NONPROFIT SECTOR" REPORT. FOLLOWING IS AN OVERVIEW OF THESE BODIES OF WORK, AS WELL AS OTHER ACCELERATING SECTOR IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS DURING THIS YEAR:- INDEPENDENT SECTOR, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EDELMAN DATA & INTELLIGENCE, RELEASED OUR SECOND ANNUAL "TRUST IN CIVIL SOCIETY" REPORT OF SURVEY FINDINGS THAT EXPLORE THE NUANCES OF TRUST IN AMERICAN NONPROFIT AND PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS. BUILDING ON INDEPENDENT SECTOR'S FOUR DECADES OF BRINGING TOGETHER THE CHARITABLE COMMUNITY FOR THE COMMON GOOD AND EDELMAN'S EXPERIENCE STUDYING TRUST IN BOTH THE GLOBAL AND U.S. CONTEXT, WE CONDUCTED TWO NATIONAL SURVEYS, TOTALING 8,000 AMERICAN ADULTS, TO ASSESS GENERAL POPULATION TRUST IN PHILANTHROPY AND NONPROFITS AND UNCOVER THE FACTORS THAT DRIVE TRUST IN THE SECTOR.- INDEPENDENT SECTOR, WITH THE DOGOOD INSTITUTE, ANNOUNCED THAT THE LATEST VALUE OF A VOLUNTEER HOUR IS $28.54 - UP 4.9% FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. ESTIMATED FROM DATA COLLECTED IN 2020, THE FIGURE SHOWS THE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS VOLUNTEERS MAKE TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES AND COUNTRY.- INDEPENDENT SECTOR RELEASED OUR SECOND ANNUAL "HEALTH OF THE U.S. NONPROFIT SECTOR" REPORT, AN EVOLVING RESOURCE THAT COLLECTS THE MOST CURRENT DATA ON THE HEALTH OF THE U.S. NONPROFIT SECTOR ACROSS MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS IN A SINGLE, ACCESSIBLE FORMAT. THIS REPORT INCLUDES ORIGINAL RESEARCH FROM INDEPENDENT SECTOR, SPECIFICALLY ANALYSIS OF FEDERAL DATA ABOUT THE NONPROFIT SECTOR'S ECONOMIC IMPACT AND DEMOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION. OTHER DATA IS SOURCED FROM A WIDE RANGE OF EXISTING RESEARCH ON NONPROFIT INSTITUTIONS ESSIBLE FORMAT. THIS REPORT INCLUDES ORIGINAL RESEARCH FROM INDEPENDENT SECTOR, SPECIFICALLY ANALYSIS OF FEDERAL DATA ABOUT THE NONPROFIT SECTOR'S ECONOMIC IMPACT AND DEMOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION. OTHER DATA IS SOURCED FROM A WIDE RANGE OF EXISTING RESEARCH ON NONPROFIT INSTITUTIONS.

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE:A HEALTHY AND EQUITABLE CIVIL SOCIETY IS ESSENTIAL TO ACHIEVING THE GOAL OF ALL PEOPLE LIVING IN THE U.S. THRIVING. INDEPENDENT SECTOR WAS FOUNDED TO FOCUS ON AND LEAD THE SECTOR IN FUNDAMENTALLY CONTRIBUTING TO A HEALTHY AND EQUITABLE SECTOR. TO REALIZE THIS LONG-TERM GOAL, INDEPENDENT SECTOR EMBRACES EXCELLENCE IN THE EXECUTION OF OUR DAILY EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL WORK, AND IN DRIVING INNOVATION TO MEET OUR GOAL MORE EXPEDITIOUSLY AND EFFECTIVELY. THIS INCLUDES ENSURING INDEPENDENT SECTOR IS A HEALTHY AND EQUITABLE ORGANIZATION; THAT THE INDEPENDENT SECTOR COMMUNITY IS KNOWN FOR OUR VALUES-DRIVEN CULTURE; THAT NONPROFIT AND FOUNDATION CHANGEMAKERS BUILD AND IDENTIFY WITH THE INDEPENDENT SECTOR COMMUNITY TO ENSURE ALL PEOPLE LIVING IN THE U.S. THRIVE, AND ARE HEALTHIER AND MORE EQUITABLE AS A RESULT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INDEPENDENT SECTOR COMMUNITY; AND THAT NONPROFIT AND FOUNDATION CHANGEMAKERS ACT OUTSIDE OF THEIR ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THE NONPROFIT SECTOR AND ENSURE ALL PEOPLE IN THE U.S. THRIVE. FOLLOWING IS AN OVERVIEW OF OUR OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE HIGHLIGHTS DURING THE YEAR:- WITH INVESTMENTS FROM A GIFT FROM MACKENZIE SCOTT IN 2020, WE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS TOWARD A COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF IS'S DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH UPGRADES TO THE CRM SYSTEM AND NEW INDEPENDENT SECTOR WEBSITE (DUE TO LAUNCH IN 2022). THE CRM AND WEBSITE ALLOW INDEPENDENT SECTOR TO PROVIDE AN IMPROVED USER EXPERIENCE THROUGHOUT, MORE ACCURATE DATA THAN THE CURRENT DATABASE, MORE IMPROVED INTEGRATION FOR COMMUNITY MEMBER TARGETING AND CUSTOMIZATION, ONLINE DONATIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND ENGAGEMENT SCORING.- INDEPENDENT SECTOR UPGRADED STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL PLANNING IN ORDER TO EXECUTE OUR WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY AND DELIVER NEEDED FINANCIAL RESOURCES.