The Panel on the Nonprofit Sector was an independent effort by charities and foundations to ensure that the nonprofit community remains a vibrant and healthy part of American society. Formed by Independent Sector in October 2004, at the encouragement of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, the Panel prepared a series of recommendations for Congress to improve the oversight and governance of charitable organizations and for individual nonprofit organizations to ensure high standards of ethics and accountability.
The Panel issued a report to Congress and the nonprofit sector, Strengthening Transparency, Governance, and Accountability of Charitable Organizations, in June 2005, and followed up with a supplemental report by the same name in April 2006. In October 2007, the Panel released Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice: A Guide for Charities and Foundations.
The Panel on the Nonprofit Sector was comprised of 24 nonprofit and philanthropic leaders whose organizations encompass great diversity in location, mission, perspective, and scope of work. Lorie Slutsky, president of the New York Community Trust, and Cass Wheeler, then-chief executive officer of the American Heart Association, were its co-conveners.
