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Nonprofit Law Prof Blog

Independent Sector Creates Panel on Sector Independence

By Phillip Hackney

April 10, 2026

In late March 2026, the Independent Sector announced a Panel on Sector Independence “to strengthen the nonprofit sector so organizations may freely pursue their missions with robust and effective self-governance.” It includes “23 leading charitable sector experts from philanthropies, operating charities, and academic institutions.”

I am a member of this Panel and am at once honored to have been selected but excited to work with this tremendous group of experts on what I think is one of the foremost challenges of our time to find agreement across difference.

An initial question we are working upon is what does independence mean for the sector. I think many of us work with a view of nonprofits as being part of civil society and needing to play an important role amidst a government/administrative and economic/money sector – i.e. a third sector – that can act as a bulwark to protect civil society norms and rights of freedom of speech and association. But working that out and finding where we have agreement of where the bounds are is critical. Looking forward to this work.

Below is the press release.

Philip Hackney

(WASHINGTON, March 23, 2026) – Today, Independent Sector President and CEO Dr. Akilah Watkins announced the creation of a Panel on Sector Independence to strengthen the nonprofit sector so organizations may freely pursue their missions with robust and effective self-governance. Launching with its first meeting on March 23, 2026, this expert panel consists of 23 leading charitable sector experts from philanthropies, operating charities, and academic institutions. Over a series of meetings, this panel will reaffirm the core principle of the charitable sector’s independence and produce operational best practices and policy recommendations to guide nonprofit institutions seeking to protect their independence through increased complexity. The panel is expected to complete and release its final recommendations in Fall 2026.

The Panel on Sector Independence expands upon Independent Sector’s foundational Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice, a set of 33 sector-facing recommendations for self-governance that have served as an ethical standard for nonprofit accountability since their publication in 2007. Developed at the invitation of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, the Principles have guided nonprofit and foundation boards and executives in the areas of legal compliance and public disclosure, effective governance, strong financial oversight, and responsible fundraising, in order to increase transparency, accountability, and public trust. Nearly two decades after their publication, the Panel on Sector Independence seeks to strengthen and build upon these principles by developing best practices to guide nonprofits through increasingly complex legal and policy environments.

“Since our country’s founding, the U.S. charitable sector has supported the American people through every challenge – healing the sick, feeding the hungry, supporting veterans suffering from the wounds of war, marching for abolition and voting rights, and serving as a launchpad for the artists, musicians, and innovators that have made the United States a cultural and scientific powerhouse. This work has only been possible because of charity’s unique status as an independent sector of American society, separate from the influences of politics and profits,” said Dr. Akilah Watkins, President and CEO of Independent Sector. “A charitable sector that functions as an independent and equal partner of government and business allows mission-driven organizations to act more authentically, strategically, and responsively to the needs and aspirations of the communities they serve. At a time when so much of American life has been transformed by the things that divide us, Independent Sector is calling upon leading minds from across the charitable sector to develop guidelines that will help nonprofits maintain their independence as spaces where Americans of every background can follow their passions, lift up their neighbors, solve big problems, and work together towards the common good.”

“An independent charitable philanthropic and nonprofit sector is essential to a healthy democracy and a vibrant civil society,” said Tonya Allen, President of the McKnight Foundaiton and Co-chair of the Panel on Sector Independence. “At a moment when these long standing guardrails are under strain, this panel creates space to re-articulate why independence matters, what it requires in practice, and how leaders across philanthropy, nonprofits, and government can work together to protect it for the future.”

“This is an exciting project at an opportune time. It seems that too few people are aware of how important sector independence is – not just for the sector and its organizations but for our society more broadly,” said John Tyler, Chief Ethics Officer at Ewing at Marion Kauffman Foundation and Co-chair of the Panel on Sector Independence. “Likewise, too many people seem to have taken that independence for granted to the point of benign neglect, resulting in the potential erosion that frequently accompanies things that are not nurtured and reinforced. Reinvigorating relevant underlying principles is at the core of this Panel and its objectives.”

The nonprofit and philanthropic leaders participating in the Panel on Sector Independence include:

  • Tonya Allen (Panel Co-Chair), President at McKnight Foundation
  • John Tyler (Panel Co-Chair), General Counsel, Secretary, and Chief Ethics Officer at Ewing at Marion Kauffman Foundation
  • Dr. Akilah Watkins, President and CEO at Independent Sector
  • Jeffrey Moore, Chief Strategy Officer at Independent Sector
  • Sara Barba, Managing Partner at Integer
  • Kristen Cambell, Principal at Scenario 4, LLC
  • Dan Cardinali, Board Chair at The Fetzer Institute
  • Roger Colinvaux, Professor at Columbus School of Law at Catholic University of America
  • Cheryl Crazy Bull, President and CEO at American Indian College Fund
  • Heather Dill, Former President and CEO at John Templeton Foundation
  • Andrew Dunckelman, Deputy Director of Philanthropic Partnerships at Gates Foundation
  • Geoff Green, CEO at CalNonprofits
  • Philip Hackney, Professor of Law at University of Pittsburgh School of Law
  • Noorain Khan, Chief Innovation Officer at Ford Foundation
  • Donna Murray-Brown, President and CEO at Inforum
  • Amir Pasic, Eugene R. Tempel Dean at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
  • Sonia M. Pérez, COO at UnidosUS
  • Adam Phillips, CEO at Interfaith America
  • Alexander Reid, Partner at BakerHostetler LLP
  • Lisa Rice, President and CEO at National Fair Housing Alliance
  • Mason Rummel, President and CEO at James Graham Brown Foundation
  • Darpana Sheth, General Counsel at The Center for Individual Rights
  • Benjamin Soskis, Senior Research Associate at The Urban Institute

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Independent Sector is the national membership organization that connects, strengthens, and advocates for nonprofits and philanthropies. Learn more at independentsector.org.

Media Contact: Chloe Kessock, chloek@independentsector.org, 727-433-2972

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Current Affairs and In the News