Read the 2023 Independent Sector Annual Report.

2023 was a year of renewal and invention. We initiated a cross-country Listening Tour to hear directly from our members and partners, and heard a consistent theme: Our nonprofit workforce is worn out and lacks adequate support.  

We stood strong in the face of last year’s retrenchment of hard-won advances in diversity, equity, and inclusion, including the Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action in higher learning, and the lawsuit against the Black women–led Fearless Foundation, which threatened the rights of grantmakers to support historically marginalized groups. 

We also explored why – with our incredible power – our sector has not yet leveraged our collective influence to its fullest potential. 

During 2023, Independent Sector made great headway in pursuing major initiatives to address these challenges and empower our sector to improve lives, strengthen society, and achieve our missions. We identified sector-wide trends, opportunities, and challenges; explored the significant decrease in nonprofit advocacy; built collective solutions during the 2023 Upswell Summit in Dallas-Fort Worth; continued to stand strong for DEI; looked at headwinds and opportunities to strengthen public trust; worked to secure a seat at the table during policy discussions; and helped prepare our next generation of leaders as they rise to new challenges. 

Read more about Independent Sector’s accomplishments in 2023 in the annual report.