In forming our committees and advisory groups we strive for diversity of our member organizations in mission, size, type and geographical location, as well as for diversity of our volunteer leadership with respect to gender and ethnicity. Some committees are only open to CEOs while others comprise individuals with expertise in areas such as public policy, communications, programming, organizational effectiveness or the law. Most committees meet at least once a year or as many as 3-4 times in person, while others do the majority of their work by teleconference and email.

Because our committees have term limits, each year a number of seats become available. Therefore IS seeks to identify members for future committee service on an ongoing basis. Committee service is a volunteer activity, so members cover their own travel costs to participate.

If you are staff at an IS member and are interested in joining a committee, please email membership@independentsector.org.

Committee List

Conference Host Committee 
Welcomes IS members to the conference host city by overseeing fundraising activities, planning special events, recruiting volunteers, assisting with local outreach, and identifying local participants.

Conference Program Committee  
Assists IS in developing timely and relevant conference sessions and inviting a diverse and dynamic group of speakers for conference breakout sessions.

John W. Gardner Leadership Award Committee  
Selects the winner of the John W. Gardner Leadership Award, which honors outstanding Americans who exemplify the leadership and the ideals of John Gardner, founding chair of IS.

Communications and Marketing Advisory Task Force
Provides guidance on how best to amplify our collective voice and communicate the value and impact of the sector to elected officials and other key influentials.

Membership Committee 
Assists the board and staff in developing strategies for recruiting and retaining members of Independent Sector.

NGen Advisory Group  
Assists IS in developing programming for young nonprofit professionals at the IS Annual Conference and throughout the year.

NGen Fellows Selection Committee 
Selects 12 American Express NGen Fellows, a diverse and talented group of under-40 leaders at IS member organizations who participate in a collaborative 9-month fellowship program.

Nonprofit Sector Programs and Practice Committee 
Provides leadership and guidance to IS by identifying how new trends, key challenges and innovations that affect nonprofits and philanthropy should be addressed in IS’s programmatic efforts.

Public Policy Committee
Provides guidance to the IS board and staff on the public policy issues facing nonprofit and philanthropic organizations and recommends policy positions and policy and communications strategies to address those issues.