INDEPENDENT SECTOR
1602 L STREET NW NO 900, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 www.independentsector.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: WE ENVISION A WORLD OF ENGAGED INDIVIDUALS, ROBUST INSTITUTIONS, AND VIBRANT COMMUNITIES WORKING TOGETHER TO IMPROVE LIVES AND THE NATURAL WORLD, AND STRENGTHEN DEMOCRATIC SOCIETIES. TO HELP CREATE THIS FUTURE, WE LEAD AND CATALYZE THE CHARITABLE COMMUNITY, PARTNERING WITH GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, AND INDIVIDUALS TO ADVANCE THE COMMON GOOD.

ACCELERATING SECTOR IMPACT:WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH MEMBERS AND OTHER PARTNERS, INDEPENDENT SECTOR CREATES, CURATES, AND DISSEMINATES KNOWLEDGE DESIGNED TO HELP ORGANIZATIONS RESPOND TO CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES, INCREASE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS, AND FULFILL THEIR MISSIONS. COVID-19 PRESENTED NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO CURATE AND DISTRIBUTE RESOURCES RAPIDLY, ESPECIALLY IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF 2020. QUICKLY THOUGH, OUR COVID-19 RESOURCES BECAME LESS ABOUT MEETING THE CRISIS AND MORE ABOUT HELPING ORGANIZATIONS MANAGE THEIR "NEW NORMAL." DESPITE THE CHALLENGES, WE CHARGED FORWARD WITH TWO MAJOR BODIES OF WORK THIS YEAR: A NEW SURVEY ON PUBLIC TRUST OF THE NONPROFIT AND PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY, AND A NEW REPORT ON THE HEALTH OF THE NONPROFIT SECTOR. FOLLOWING IS AN OVERVIEW OF THESE BODIES OF WORK, AS WELL AS OTHER ACCELERATING SECTOR IMPACT HIGHLIGHTS DURING THIS YEAR:- LAUNCHED SERIES OF COVID-19 RESOURCES AND EVENTS TO HELP NONPROFITS MANAGE THE GLOBAL HEALTH PANDEMIC. OUR COVID-19 RESOURCE PAGE INCLUDES A CURATED LIST OF RESOURCES AND ARTICLES ON TOPICS BASED ON FEEDBACK RECEIVED FROM MEMBERS AND PARTNERS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: COMMUNICATIONS, COMMUNITY IMPACT, HUMAN RESOURCES, ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND PUBLIC POLICY.- PUBLISHED TRUST IN CIVIL SOCIETY, WHICH INCLUDED NEW FINDINGS ON TRUST IN AMERICAN NONPROFIT AND PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS. THE FINDINGS REVEALED BROAD TRUST (81 PERCENT) IN NONPROFITS' ABILITIES TO STRENGTHEN SOCIETY, AND THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO TRUST THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WHEN CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH THEIR MISSIONS AND IMPACT.- ANNOUNCED THE LATEST VALUE OF A VOLUNTEER HOUR AS $27.20 - UP 7% FROM LAST YEAR. ESTIMATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DO GOOD INSTITUTE, THE FIGURE SHOWS THE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS VOLUNTEERS MAKE TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITIES AND COUNTRY.- DEVELOPED AND RELEASED THE FIRST HEALTH OF THE U.S. NONPROFIT SECTOR, A NEW AND DEVELOPING RESOURCE THAT CONVEYS IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON THE CURRENT HEALTH OF THE U.S. NONPROFIT SECTOR ACROSS MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS IN A SINGLE, ACCESSIBLE FORMAT. THE REPORT ALSO PROVIDES A VEHICLE FOR ONGOING CONVERSATION WITHIN THE SECTOR ABOUT HOW BEST TO IMPROVE OUR HEALTH IN THE FUTURE. THIS ANNUAL REVIEW MAKES A BROAD SET OF MEASURES THAT ARE EASILY AVAILABLE AND PRESENTED SIDE-BY-SIDE, ENABLING STAKEHOLDERS AND KEY DECISIONMAKERS TO SEE THE MOST ACCURATE SNAPSHOT OF THE STATE OF CIVIL SOCIETY.

COMMUNITY BUILDING:IT MAY BE CLICHE, BUT IT IS A FACT THAT WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER THAN APART. WHEN WE BEGAN 2020, OUR GOAL WAS TO CREATE A SERIES OF LOCALLY GROUNDED AND NATIONALLY RELEVANT ENGAGEMENTS IN PITTSBURGH, WHERE WE PLANNED TO CONVENE UPSWELL BEFORE HAVING TO QUICKLY PIVOT IN MARCH. ALTHOUGH A COMPLETELY VIRTUAL YEAR CREATED CHALLENGES, WE SHOWED AGAIN HOW AGILE AND RESPONSIVE WE COULD BE AS AN ORGANIZATION BY CREATING SEVERAL VIRTUAL COMMUNITY BUILDING ENGAGEMENTS THAT CONNECTED CHANGEMAKERS, HIGHLIGHTED LESSONS FROM LOCAL PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND ELEVATED THE CONVERSATION AROUND THE TWO MAJOR ISSUES OF OUR DAY: COVID-19 RECOVERY AND ANTIRACISM. BECAUSE THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT ENABLED US TO CONNECT WITH MORE CHANGEMAKERS, WE ENGAGED ABOUT TO 5,000 OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE FROM THE 1,500 WE ENGAGED AT UPSWELL CHICAGO IN 2019. FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR COMMUNITY BUILDING WORK THIS YEAR:- ENGAGED ABOUT 60 FELLOWS THROUGH THE UPSWELL FELLOWS PROGRAM AND THE AMERICAN EXPRESS NGEN FELLOWS PROGRAM TO STRENGTHEN THEIR INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP CAPACITY, GROW THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS, AND ADDRESS THE ADAPTIVE NATURE OF LEADING IN THESE UNCERTAIN TIMES. AS PART OF OUR FELLOWS PROGRAM, IS ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY TO FEATURE FOUR UPSWELL FELLOWS AND THEIR EXPERIENCES DURING THIS TUMULTUOUS YEAR.- PLANNED AND HOSTED SEVEN UPSWELL POP-UPS ATTENDED BY NEARLY 3,000 CHANGEMAKERS. EACH POP-UP HAD A DIFFERENT FOCUS, DESIGNED TO CAPTURE UPSWELL'S DYNAMIC SPIRIT IN AN EXPERIENTIAL WAY, AND HELP CHANGEMAKERS DEFINE HOW WE SHAPE OUR COMMUNITIES AND SYSTEMS FOR YEARS TO COME. - HELD UPSWELL 2020, OCTOBER 14-16, BRINGING TOGETHER MORE THAN 2,000 CHANGEMAKERS FROM ACROSS THE NATION TO FOCUS ON OUR COUNTRY'S TWO MOST GRIPPING CHALLENGES -- COVID-19 AND RACISM. EVERY ELEMENT OF OUR FIRST VIRTUAL SUMMIT PROGRAM, NECESSITATED BY THE PANDEMIC, FOCUSED EXCLUSIVELY ON FINDING SOLUTIONS TO THESE TWO INTRACTABLE PROBLEMS -- INCLUDING THE CONTENT SHARED BY MORE THAN 60 BRILLIANT THOUGHT LEADERS, 47 POWERFUL SESSIONS, ART AND CULTURE PRESENTATIONS, AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES. THROUGH MAKING SENSE OF EXACTLY HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT, PARTICIPANTS LEFT UPSWELL READY TO CATALYZE IMMEDIATE AND EFFECTIVE ACTION.- PRESENTED THE JOHN W. GARDNER LEADERSHIP AWARD AND AMERICAN EXPRESS NGEN LEADERSHIP AWARD TO TWO NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED LEADERS. FATIMA GOSS GRAVES, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S LAW CENTER, RECEIVED THE 2020 GARDNER LEADERSHIP AWARD FOR HER GROUNDBREAKING WORK TO ADVANCE THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS. TERENCE LESTER, MINISTER, SPEAKER, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, AUTHOR, AND FOUNDER OF LOVE BEYOND WALLS, RECEIVED THE AMERICAN EXPRESS NGEN LEADERSHIP AWARD IN RECOGNITION OF HIS WORK TO PROVIDE DIGNITY TO THE HOMELESS AND POOR BY OFFERING A VOICE, VISIBILITY, SHELTER, COMMUNITY, AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO ACHIEVE SELF-SUFFICIENCY.

PUBLIC POLICY LEADERSHIP:THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A CRISIS TO KICK THIS COUNTRY'S PUBLIC POLICY APPARATUS INTO HIGH GEAR. AS COVID-19 CLEARLY BEGAN TO IMPACT OUR OPERATIONS AS A SECTOR AND THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE, IT WAS CLEAR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WOULD NEED RELIEF. THROUGH A COORDINATED AND COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, INDEPENDENT SECTOR JOINED DAILY COALITION MEETINGS WITH MANY NATIONAL MEMBERS TO COORDINATE POLICY, ADVOCACY, AND COMMUNICATIONS EFFORTS. WE ALSO LEANED HARDER ON OUR DESIRE TO TAKE ON A PROACTIVE, SHAPING ROLE IN THE PUBLIC POLICY SPACE, CREATING THE NONPROFIT INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT ADVOCACY GROUP TO CONSIDER INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS NEEDED TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE AFTER COVID-19 AND ENSURE THAT SYSTEMS WERE POSITIONED TO CENTER THE NEEDS OF BLACK, NATIVE, AND OTHER COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN THE UNITED STATES. FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR PUBLIC POLICY LEADERSHIP WORK THIS YEAR:- DEVELOPED CARES ACT RESOURCE PAGE, WHICH GENERATED RECORD-BREAKING WEB TRAFFIC TO INDEPENDENTSECTOR.ORG AND PROVIDED ALL SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS WITH TIMELY AND ACCURATE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO ACCESS RELIEF PROVIDED THROUGH THE CARES ACT, WHICH MADE AVAILABLE ABOUT $669 BILLION IN LOANS TO NONPROFITS AND BUSINESSES. HOWEVER, ACCESS TO THOSE LOANS WAS LIMITED, PARTICULARLY FOR SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS AND THOSE LED BY AND SERVING BLACK, NATIVE, AND OTHER COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. IN RESPONSE, IS URGED FINANCIAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ADMINISTER AND DIRECTLY IMPACT RECIPIENTS OF 7(A) LOANS TO PRIORITIZE NONPROFITS AS LOAN RECIPIENTS, IN RECOGNITION OF OUR ESSENTIAL ROLE TO OUR NATION'S SAFETY NET. - COLLABORATED IN LEADERSHIP ROLE, ALONG WITH OTHER PHILANTHROPIC AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, TO SECURE A VICTORY ENABLING ELIGIBLE NONPROFITS TO APPLY FOR LOANS THROUGH THE STIMULUS BILL'S SMALL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (SBA) PROGRAM - HELPING NONPROFITS KEEP THEIR STAFFS AT WORK AND CONTINUING IMPORTANT MISSION WORK. WE ALSO MADE A SMALL, BUT STRATEGIC GAIN IN THE PASSAGE OF A CAPPED UNIVERSAL CHARITABLE DEDUCTION - A POLICY WIN THAT WE CAN BUILD UPON AS WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON HOW TO INCENTIVIZE INCREASED CHARITABLE GIVING. - RELEASED SURVEY RESEARCH TO INFORM POLICYMAKERS AND THE SECTOR ON COVID-19'S IMPACT ON MID-SIZE TO LARGE SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS, MOST OF WHICH WERE LEFT OUT OF RELIEF EFFORTS. - IN JULY 2020, INDEPENDENT SECTOR AND NONPROFIT VOTE ISSUED JOINT STATEMENT RECOGNIZING VOTING AS THE EXPRESSION OF OUR SHARED RESPONSIBILITY TO BRING OUR COLLECTIVE VISION FOR A NATION WHERE ALL CAN THRIVE. THE STATEMENT URGED ORGANIZATIONS TO ENCOURAGE THEIR STAFFS, BOARDS, VOLUNTEERS, FRIENDS, AND FAMILIES TO VOTE - AND THROUGH IS'S NONPROFIT VOICE 2020 WEB PAGE - OFFERED COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCES ON HOW TO LEVERAGE ELECTIONS TO ADVANCE OUR MISSIONS.- CREATED NEW VALUE FOR MEMBERS AND UPSWELL PARTICIPANTS THROUGH A FORMAL PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR LEGAL COUNSEL, SHEPPARD MULLIN, TO PROVIDE FREE LEGAL SERVICES REGARDING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S EXECUTIVE ORDER ON "RACE AND GENDER STEREOTYPING," WHICH THREATENS NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDING FROM DRIVING EQUITY IN THEIR WORK AND COMMUNITIES.- RELEASED POLLING RESEARCH AHEAD OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ON A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS TO PROVIDE VALUABLE INSIGHT INTO THE LANDSCAPE OF PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT OUR SECTOR'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE ISSUES IMPORTANT TO NONPROFITS.

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