Talent, commitment and passion drive the success of nonprofits and foundations. The leadership of those organizations shapes effective services, rallies community support, and stimulates public confidence in our work.  Independent Sector sees leadership as one of the pillars of our work to promote a strong, diverse, and effective community.

Our work in this area includes the NGen: Moving Nonprofit Leaders from Next to Now program, an effort to strengthen the leadership skills and networks of under-40 nonprofit professionals. As part of this effort, the American Express NGen Fellows Program was introduced in 2009. 

Each year, the John W. Gardner Leadership Award honors an outstanding American for mobilizing, transformative leadership with or in the nonprofit sector.

Past organizational recipients of the American Express Building Leadership Award demonstrate innovative support for investing in the people of the nonprofit community.