Nine American Leaders to Help Nonprofits Remain Vital Part of Society

Printer-friendly Version (PDF)

(Washington, DC, December 9, 2004)—In another of its steps to help charities and foundations ensure that they remain a vibrant, responsive, and effective force in American society, the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector today announced the creation of a Citizens Advisory Group. The nine members of this new group are leaders of America’s business, educational, media, political, and religious institutions, and they will advise the Panel as it develops recommendations to Congress to improve the oversight and governance of nonprofit organizations.

The nine members of the Citizens Advisory Group to the Panel, which was formed in October at the encouragement of the Senate Finance Committee, will provide broad perspectives on how to strengthen governance, transparency, and accountability within the sector as the Panel prepares its recommendations for Congress next year.

The members of the Citizens Advisory Group are:

• Norman R. Augustine, chairman, Executive Committee, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, Md.

• Johnnetta B. Cole, president, Bennett College for Women, Greensboro, N.C.
• John M. Engler, president and CEO, National Association of Manufacturers, Washington, D.C.
• Rev. James A. Forbes, senior minister, Riverside Church, New York, N.Y.
• Alex S. Jones, director, Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
• Bob Kerrey, president, New School University, New York, N.Y.
• Leon E. Panetta, founder, The Panetta Institute, Seaside, Calif.
• John E. Porter, partner, Hogan & Hartson, Washington, D.C.
• Sharon Percy Rockefeller, president and CEO, WETA, Arlington, Va.

“The Panel on the Nonprofit Sector is fortunate that it will be able to draw on the experience and wisdom of such stellar leaders,” said Panel member Timothy Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation and Better World Fund. “Their willingness to serve testifies to the importance that charities and foundations have in American life, and their counsel will help the nonprofit sector continue to serve the public well.”

Formed by Independent Sector at the encouragement of U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chair Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Ranking Member Max Baucus (D-MT), the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector is comprised of 24 nonprofit and philanthropic leaders from a wide spectrum of public charities and private foundations. It forms a key part of the nonprofit community’s continuing focus on for maintaining the highest ethical standards in governance, fundraising, and other operations. The Senate Finance Committee asked the Panel to provide a report of its initial findings and recommendations by February 2005 and a final report in the spring of 2005.

“I’m pleased to be able to help the nonprofit community in any way that will enlarge its valuable contributions to society,” said the advisory group’s John Engler, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers and former three-term governor of Michigan. “Thoughtful recommendations on ethics and accountability from the Panel will be welcomed by our colleagues on Capitol Hill and by members of the charitable community.”

# # #

The Panel on the Nonprofit Sector is an independent panel of nonprofit and philanthropic leaders formed by Independent Sector at the encouragement of the Senate Finance Committee. The Panel’s charge is to consider and recommend actions that will strengthen good governance, ethical conduct, and effective practice of public charities and private foundations. A Citizens Advisory Group, an Expert Advisory Group, and five specialized Work Groups are assisting the Panel, which will also invite input from charities and foundations of all sizes serving diverse missions and geographic locations. The Senate Finance Committee has asked for interim recommendations by February 2005 and a final report in the spring. Learn more about the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector.

Panel on the Nonprofit Sector Contact: Jeanne Ellinport, 202-467-6163