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2005 Annual Conference
Is the American social compact unraveling, or just changing with the times? What is it now -- and what should it be?
The 2005 Independent Sector Annual Conference, held in Washington, D.C. from October 23 to 25, focused on the social compact, particularly the charitable community's role in its definition and fulfillment. The Annual Conference, which this year celebrated IS's 25th anniversary, brought together nearly 900 CEOs, trustees, and senior level professionals of charities, foundations, and corporate giving programs.
Highlights from the 25th Anniversary Conference:
Reshaping the Social Compact – Keynote Address
 IS president and CEO Diana Aviv opened the conference by suggesting ways to strengthen the social compact (PDF). She focused on the need for a national conversation that would replace today's shrill, divisive exchanges with public discussions among all Americans in order to define and fulfill the social compact. Following her address, a panel of corporate and philanthropic leaders (PDF) -- Hodding Carter III, former president, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; Patricia Diaz Dennis, senior vice president and assistant general counsel, SBC; and Stanley Litow, president, IBM Foundation -- offered their perspectives on the questions she posed.
Town Hall Meeting
 Robert Greenstein, founder and executive director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and Ronald Haskins, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an architect of welfare reform, presented their differing views on the state of the federal budget deficit and the choices we must confront. Following their presentations, people participated in roundtable discussions exploring how the federal budget might be balanced while also meeting the needs of the nation's most vulnerable people.
A Conversation with AARP CEO Bill Novelli
As leader of one of the nation's largest and most influential nonprofit organizations, Bill Novelli, CEO of AARP, shared his views on making tough political choices and mobilizing a powerful constituency to serve the common good.
 Civic Engagement and the Social Compact: A New Paradigm for Business, Government, and the Charitable Sector
John Bridgeland, president and CEO, Civic Enterprises; Janet Murguia, president and CEO, National Council of La Raza; and Michelle Nunn, president and CEO, Hands on Network, spoke out on how government, business, and the nonprofit sectors can work together to produce renewal in communities around the world.
CEO Summit with Senator Grassley
Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, spoke to leaders of charitable organizations at the CEO Summit about the need for charitable reform, oversight, best practice policies, and incentives to encourage charitable giving. Senator Grassley said he hopes to introduce the first phase of charitable reforms in the fall and to continue with a second phase of reforms as a priority in 2006.
25 th Anniversary and John W. Gardner Leadership Award Celebration
 Founding president Brian O'Connell (right) shared his insights on the past and future of the charitable community and our coalition, concluding that “our sector and our democracy can last but only if we accept and practice the enduring covenant cogently summarized by our own John Gardner: ‘Freedom and responsibility, liberty and duty: that's the deal.'” The evening also included the presentation of the 2005 John W. Gardner Leadership Award to ShoreBank Chairman and CEO Ronald Grzywinski, whose career has inspired a worldwide community development banking movement.
Towards a Better Society: Rebuilding Communities in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina
Political analyst Ron Brownstein of the Los Angeles Times outlined the political context in which Congress is considering funding for the Gulf Coast and how this could affect some of the country's other priorities. Melissa Flournoy, president and CEO, Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations; Alberto Ibargüen, president and CEO, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; and Marc Morial, president and CEO, National Urban League, and former mayor of New Orleans, offered their perspectives (PDF) on the reconstruction process and what it means for other efforts to rebuild communities now and in the future.
Rebuilding Trust and Renewing Effectiveness:
The Social Compact Between the Nonprofit Sector and the Public
The conference closed with a candid conversation among James Canales, president and CEO, The James Irvine Foundation; Marsha Evans, president and CEO, American Red Cross; and Steve McCormick, president and CEO, The Nature Conservancy, on what it takes to maintain the public trust.
Also during this session, the National Hispana Leadership Institute was awarded the Leadership IS Award. Watch the tribute video: Windows Media | Quicktime (coming soon)
 Public Policy Action Institute
Following the conference, approximately 50 people gathered for advocacy training and sessions with Congressional and Administration staff. Among the speakers were Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania (right) and James Towey, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.
For more information about the conference, also see the following:
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 Electronic delivery of conference information is made possible by a grant from the American Express Company. |
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