‘Ivory tower’ label doesn’t fit

To the Editor:

I feel compelled to respond to Edward Able’s letter (“Defending Independent Sector,” October 31) which criticizes my article on Independent Sector (“What Independent Sector Should Look For in a New CEO,” September 19) not because he is critical of my views but because he implies that any criticism of the organization must be based on “ivory tower” perspectives and a lack of familiarity with Independent Sector’s organization and operations.

I want to remind Mr. Able that until four years ago I ran a national nonprofit organization with a $10-million budget, and had run the group for 23 years. During that time I helped organize and chair numerous national coalitions and served on many nonprofit boards. I am still a member of many nonprofit boards. It was surely not because of my academic credentials that Independent Sector granted me its John Gardner Leadership award in 1998 and asked me to serve on its Leadership Committee, which I did for almost three years. In short, I am very familiar with the organization and what it does, as are other people who are not organizational insiders. After all, Independent Sector’s record is public, its positions or lack of positions are well known, and its board members and staff interact with many nonprofit representatives who are not members or insiders.

There are many people who share my views that Independent Sector has not reached out to many constituencies, has a board that disproportionately represents foundation and corporate donors, has failed to tackle a number of tough issues important to the sector, and could do a much better job than it has.

This includes quite a few past board members, as well as a number of representatives of member organizations. It is unfortunate that these people have chosen not to make their opinions known to Independent Sector and to the general public.

It is time that Independent Sector take the pulse of that huge portion of the nonprofit sector that lies beyond its relatively small membership, listen to what its critics are saying, and make better use of its enormous potential for strengthening our nonprofit sector. Righteous indignation, while understandable, will not do much to help the cause.

Pablo Eisenberg
Senior Fellow
Georgetown University Public Policy Institute
Washington