Independent Sector

Independent Sector is the nonpartisan leadership network nationally for nonprofits, foundations, and corporations seeking to advance the common good. Independent Sector has nearly 500 members that represent diverse issues and geographies. It hosts a large, annual national conference and also works on federal policy issues that affect the nonprofit and philanthropic sector, including tax incentives and the exemption status of organizations within the sector. This grant will support Independent Sector's efforts to advance nonprofit sector priorities and position at the federal level.

The Charting Impact Initiative is central to the Program's strategy to build a system of high-quality information about nonprofit performance. The first phase of the Initiative was a field-wide process to establish a standardized set of five questions that every nonprofit should answer. The three organizations running the initiative-Independent Sector, GuideStar, and the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance-are now turning their attention to encouraging widespread adoption of this framework. In the short term, Charting Impact creates a tool to ensure the clarity and cogency of nonprofit goals and strategies. In the medium term, these questions could form the intellectual core of a common application form for philanthropy.