Last week, Independent Sector announced a reduction in force that was personally and professionally painful but absolutely necessary for moving our organization forward.
Our board has recognized that we are living through a moment of adaptive change, and that often means that difficult decisions need to be made. Independent Sector needs to build a community, not an institution. We need to enable the experts, not always be the experts. We need to be more strategic and less structural. We need to connect and catalyze, listen, and learn. And, like all organizations, we need to be good stewards of our financial resources.
Our strategy has a clear destination, but getting there will require an organization that is more responsive and adaptive. By making difficult choices now, we gain the flexibility to pursue new opportunities that will be, we believe, important to the sector we serve.
More than 36 years ago, John Gardner envisioned this organization as a vital meeting ground for a community of nonprofits and philanthropies across America. Building that community and lifting it up to do the critical work that needs to be done in this nation is at the very heart of what drives us forward. But like all communities, we change as we grow. We constantly welcome new members while others move on. Today, we say goodbye to a group of talented and mission-minded professionals who have served IS very well. Because of the contributions they have made over the years, our entire sector is better, stronger and more effective. If your organization is seeking great talent, I can recommend any one of these departing staff members without reservation, and I invite you to personally contact me with any specific questions.
Thank you for believing in the work and the mission of Independent Sector. In the months and years ahead, we look forward to taking our work in exciting new directions and advancing our mission further than ever before.
Read more:
Independent Sector Lays Off One-Quarter of Its Staff, The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Independent Sector Cuts 25% Of Workforce, The NonProfit Times
Independent Sector Downsizes: Another Nonprofit Landscape Shift, Nonprofit Quarterly