IS President Submits Statement on Veterans’ Charities to
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee

(Washington, D.C., January 17, 2008) -- Diana Aviv, president and CEO of Independent Sector, today submitted a statement to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee at its hearing on “Assessing Veterans’ Charities -- Part II.” Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Representative Tom Davis (R-VA), chairman and ranking member of the Committee, respectively, called the hearing to continue their investigations of alleged fundraising and other abuses involving charities serving veterans. In her statement, Ms. Aviv commended these efforts to publicize reported abuses and highlighted the ongoing work of the nonprofit community to ensure the highest standards of ethical conduct, accountability, and transparency.

Ms. Aviv noted that the nonprofit community has come together in recent years to improve its governance, accountability, and transparency through the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector, convened by Independent Sector in 2004. The Panel submitted major reports to Congress in 2005 and 2006 that together contained more than 150 recommendations for actions that should be taken by Congress, the IRS, and the nonprofit community. This fall the Panel released Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice: A Guide for Charities and Foundations, 33 practices that should be considered for adoption by all charitable organizations to promote responsible behavior in individual organizations and the nonprofit community as a whole.

“Building a charitable organization committed to the highest ethical standards demands more than following the law: it also requires fostering practices that create a culture of transparency, accountability, and integrity,” said Diana Aviv, president and CEO of Independent Sector and executive director of the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector. “We at Independent Sector are proud to have collaborated for many years with leaders across the nonprofit community to strengthen ethical conduct, governance, and transparency in America’s 1.4 million charitable organizations.”

Ms. Aviv concluded by underscoring that a combination of active self-regulation by charitable organizations, vigorous enforcement of the law, and effective oversight are crucial to preserving the public trust, which forms the foundation of the work of the nonprofit community.

A copy of Ms. Aviv's letter is available here.

To download or order a printed free copy of the Guide, please visit the Panel website.

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Independent Sector is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of charities, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programs, collectively representing tens of thousands of charitable groups in every state across the nation. Its mission is to advance the common good by leading, strengthening, and mobilizing the nonprofit community.