|
Click
here to download and read the full report in PDF format.
(Require Acrobat
Reader)
The nation was turned on its ear on September 11, 2001, barely a month
after The NPT Power & Influence for 2001 was announced.
It should be no surprise that several of the leaders on that tragic
day are in this year's class of the sector's most influential.
In this 5th annual compilation of movers, shakers and opinion makers,
those who kept everything running normally share the spotlight.
Eight luminaries make their debuts on the list this year and several
others return after a short hiatus.
There was less turnover at the top of major organizations from August
to August. Such turnover between 2000 and 2001 caused a huge upheaval
in that year's listing.
New leaders have risen up during the past year, and some old war horses
continued to prove their staying power. There are many bright executives
in the nonprofit world.
There are leaders who blaze trails while others, just as importantly,
provide that stability and fertile ground from which the sector will
continue to grow and flourish.
A six-member tribunal comprised of NPT staff and a few handpicked members
of the nonprofit community narrowed a field of more than 200 nominees
through private conversations and a very long conference call.
The panelists were not permitted to be part of the list, although several
very well could have been included in the selection process. The NonProfit
Times editor-in-chief was the last bastion of scrutiny in the selection
and held veto power over finalists, which was exercised once this year.
While there were recipients last year who did not make the list this
year, that should not reflect negatively on their contributions to the
nonprofit world. It only gives credence to the fact that narrowing a
cramped field of movers and shakers is an arduous one.
So, here they are, The NPT Power and Influence Top 50, Class of 2002.
Edward H. Able, Jr.
President and CEO
American Association of Museums
Washington D.C.
Able is plainly and simply one of the most respected association executives
in the country, both for the success of his organization and his leadership
within the sector.
Audrey Alvarado
Executive Director
National Council of Nonprofit Associations
Washington, D.C.
More emphasis is being placed on state action and Alvarado has proven
to be both a leader and a mediator.
Nan Aron
Founder and President
Alliance for Justice
Washington, D.C.
Good luck getting a federal judicial appointment made without her consent.
This is a positive since it looks like charities and the First Amendment
are going to see a lot of court time this decade.
Gary Bass
Founder and Executive Director
OMB Watch
Washington, D.C.
There are lot of watchdogs and just as many agendas in Washington, D.C.
Bass and his organization find the important nuances hidden in legislation
and regulation and shine a bright light on them.
Peter V. Berns
Executive Director
Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations
Baltimore, Md.
With Berns at the helm, the Maryland Association continues to raise
the bar for state associations. Its standards of excellence are a model,
and its training program is reaching up and down the eastern seaboard.
Susan V. Berresford
President
Ford Foundation
New York, N.Y.
She has earned the respect of all in the foundation world. That's not
because of the size of Ford's checkbook but because she started there
at the bottom, now has the top job and is proving to be a ground-breaker.
Elizabeth Boris
Director
Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy
The Urban Institute
Washington, D.C.
How big is the universe? Boris, through the CNP and its National Center
For Charitable Statistics, is helping the sector and the public get
its hands around the vastness of the nonprofit world.
Emmett Carson
President and CEO
The Minneapolis Foundation
Minneapolis, Minn.
An expert on diversity issues and a true community builder, you can
tell his impact by looking at the number of board on which he participates.
He helps shape the sector's overall agenda. And, many of the foundation's
programs are being replicated across the country.
Hodding Carter
President
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Miami, Fla.
More and more Carter is becoming a respected voice that speaks up for
philanthropy in general. The foundation also has done a good job of
helping the sector effectively communicate its message.
Raymond G. Chambers
Founder
Amelior Foundation
Morristown, N.J.
He put his personal fortune behind his vision that Newark, N.J. could
be rebuilt, that volunteerism needed to be a national priority, and
that all sectors of the U.S. economy need to cooperate. He was right
on every count.
Rick Cohen
President
National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
Washington, D.C.
Smart, articulate, with a sharp wit, Cohen is rebuilding the NCRP's
image by directing insightful research and commentary. He's one of the
sector's new, important thinkers.
Steven A. Culbertson
President and CEO
Youth Service America
Washington, D.C.
Starting with little more than force of will, Culbertson has helped
to position volunteering and young people as an issue and a national
priority.
Harvey P. Dale, Ph.D.
Director
New York University Center on Philanthropy and the Law
New York, N.Y.
Perhaps one of the two or three sharpest legal minds on nonprofit issues,
Dale is a controversial figure in the foundation world for his work
with the formerly super secret Atlantic Philanthropies.
Ami Dar
Founder/Executive Director
Action Without Borders
New York, N.Y.
A man who has crossed many borders, growing up in Israel, Peru and Mexico,
Dar has made it his life's work to break down arbitrary lines to make
it easier for people everywhere to take action on the issues that concern
them. The group's Web site, idealist.org, says it all.
Pamela E. Davis
President & CEO
Nonprofits' Insurance Alliance of California (NIAC)
Alliance of Nonprofits for Insurance, Risk Retention Group (ANI-RRG)
Santa Cruz, Calif.
Starting with a graduate thesis that reasoned that social services were
being unreasonably influenced by insurance companies and what they'd
indemnify, Davis is one of the first social entrepreneurs, leveraging
venture capital from foundations to impact public policy and help nonprofits
gain a measure of control over a vital financial service.
Carla Dearing
President and CEO
Community Foundations of America
Louisville, Ky.
Dearing has used her experience from Wall Street to make community foundations
more competitive with commercial gift funds and others in the planned
giving field.
Neal Denton
Executive Director
Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers
Washington, D.C.
Nobody likes to pay more postage. But without Denton working members
of Congress when the postal service wants more money, charities would
be paying a lot more to get their messages to donors.
David Eisner
Senior Vice President
AOL Time Warner Foundation
Dulles, Va. - New York, N.Y.
The Network for Good and his seemingly personal attack on the digital
divide is moving the foundation's efforts to deliver technology to nonprofits
and people who need it.
Sara L. Engelhardt
President
The Foundation Center
New York, N.Y.
The Foundation Center continues to be indispensable to the sector and
that's because of Engelhardt's leadership. The information keeps rolling
out of the center and is generally better than anything else out there
on the topic.
Joel L. Fleishman
Senior Adviser
Atlantic Philanthropies
New York, N.Y.
Look up mentor in the dictionary it will read "see Fleishman."
At one time he was probably the best fundraiser in America and is happy
to teach others.
Millard Fuller
Co-Founder and President
Habitat for Humanity International
Americus, Ga.
Some folks when branded a legend put their feet up and run on reputation.
Not Fuller. Every day he's inspiring everyone to do better, including
his own organization, which has built more than 100,000 homes for people.
Bill Gates
Chief Software Architect
Microsoft Corporation
Redmond, Wash.
There are few people who can get up in the morning, declare "let's
cure something," and then do it. The foundation's push to vaccinate
children and put technology in front of people far surpasses any benefit
Microsoft could possibly gain.
Tim Gill
Founder
Gill Foundation
Denver, Colo.
Gill, through his foundation, continues to take the lead in human rights,
particularly gay and lesbian issues. Lots of organizations talk about
diversity, Gill is doing something about it with education and visibility.
Peter Goldberg
President and CEO
Alliance for Children and Families
Milwaukee, Wis.
Ask influential nonprofit sector leaders who they look to for leadership,
and Goldberg's name is one of the first mentioned. His organization
continues to evolve amid a gloomy government funding vista facing its
membership. Goldberg remains vigilant on those issues, as well as those
of the sector in general.
Robert K. Goodwin
President and CEO
Points of Light Foundation
Washington, D.C.
As elected Washington tries to figure out what a volunteer is, Goodwin
is in a position to help shape all of the numerous national initiatives.
Eventually, someone in the White House is going to figure out there's
already a system in place and Goodwin runs a good portion of it.
Stephen Goldsmith
Special Advisor to the President for Faith & Community Initiatives
Chair, Corporation for National and Community Service
Washington, D.C.
Along with a bushel full of federal money and the president's ear, Goldsmith
is at the center of the faith-based initiative and the national push
for volunteers (even though he pays his).
John Havens
Senior Research Associate
Boston College Social Welfare Research Institute
Chestnut Hill, Mass.
He is half of the duo providing thorough research some of the best donor
behavior studies in the sector. He knows both how and why someone will
give.
Virginia A. Hodgkinson
Research Professor of Public Policy
Center for the study of Voluntary Organizations and Service
Georgetown University Public Policy Institute
Washington, D.C.
The dean of nonprofit research while at Independent Sector, she's now
training the next generation of sector examiners who will probe into
what makes the sector tick and then fine tune it.
Barbara Kibbe
Director
Organizational Effectiveness and Philanthropy
David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Los Altos, Calif.
There is probably nobody in the sector who has had a greater influence
on improving nonprofit infrastructure and organizational effectiveness.
She's a thinker who sometimes puts foundation money at risk if there's
a possibility for greater gain.
Alice Korngold
President and CEO
Business Volunteers Unlimited
Cleveland, Ohio
Korngold is an innovator who created a system of corporate involvement
on nonprofit boards that is simply the best in the nation. By leveraging
volunteer assistance from businesses, BVU strengthens the leadership
and expands the staffing capabilities.
Paulette V. Maehara
President and CEO
Association of Fundraising Professionals
Alexandria, Va.
While many associations and trade groups report declining memberships,
AFP continues to grow. Now at approximately 25,000 members, AFP's new
political action committee has potential to be a substantial force for
good.
Jan Masaoka
Executive Director
CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
San Francisco, Calif.
Under Masaokoa's leadership CompassPoint has become a go-to organization
when looking at building organizational capacity -- not just for the
west coast but nationwide. On the national level she keeps poking at
soft spots in agendas and asks, "Why not?"
William C. McGinly
President
Association for Healthcare Philanthropy
Falls Church, Va.
Only McGinly would run an ad in the hometown paper of the president
of the United States trying to make a point. It's his ideas and fine
attention to details in proposed regulations that keep AHP members and
all healthcare fundraisers ahead of the curve.
Doug Nelson
President
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Baltimore, Md.
People notice when the stock market goes down, but in good times seem
to forget the party may not be inclusive. Nelson and the foundation
are a voice for the 14 million, or 21 percent of all kids under 18,
who still live in poverty -- a higher proportion than 1975.
Bill Novelli
CEO
AARP
Washington, D.C.
Never underestimate the value of good public relations. Novelli is a
recognized leader in the international emergence of social marketing.
He also is reinventing image of AARP and giving retirement a younger
look.
Judith O'Connor
President and CEO
BoardSource
Washington, D.C.
The organization's name may have changed, but its focus on building
better nonprofit boards hasn't. And, it has never been more important.
O'Connor's steady hand and thoughtful incite are helping to grow BoardSource's
influence throughout the sector.
Marvin Olasky, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow
Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty
Grand Rapids, Mich.
Considered the father of compassionate conservatism and an informal
advisor to President Bush, Olasky helps to shape the president's policies,
such as the faith-based initiative that has caused both applause and
panic in different corners of the sector.
Michael S. Olson
President and Chief Executive Officer
American Society of Association Executives
Washington, D.C.
With associations and meeting planners feeling the effects of the economy
and lighter travel, Olson has walked the walk in his own organization.
Slashing budgets and refocusing programming hurts, but failing to deliver
to members would hurt more.
Susan Packard Orr
Chairwoman
David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Los Altos, Calif.
Forget, for a minute, that she's filthy rich and could be on a beach
somewhere. The foundation is a source of modeling for effective grantmaking
and Telosa Software, which she founded, understands the tools nonprofits
need.
Hugh Price
President and CEO
National Urban League
New York, N.Y.
Price understands that equality and prosperity require entering the
economic mainstream. He has moved that agenda effectively, both for
his organization and the people it serves.
Tom Reis
Program Director, philanthropy and volunteerism
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Battle Creek, Mich.
A lot of people are concerned with technology issues and social enterprise.
But it a leader, such as Reis, who emphasizes the practical, the applied
and asks what it all means.
Dorothy Ridings
President and CEO
Council on Foundations
Washington, D.C.
Foundations, particularly family foundations, are providing more and
more of the capital fueling the sector. Ridings has consistently pushed
for greater payouts by foundations, as well as preparing them to think
about the future and their roles in society.
Lester M. Salamon
Director
Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies
Baltimore, Md.
Salamon continues to broaden the understanding of the nonprofit sector,
not only in the United States but even in countries that barely realize
they have nonprofit sectors. Give the man a calculator and a survey
tool and he'd determine the percentage of GDP produced by the sector
on that recently discovered earth-like solar system light years away.
Paul G. Schervish
Professor of Sociology
Director
Boston College Social Welfare Research Institute
Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Numbers are only figures until Schervish puts them in context. His passion
for donor behavioral research, with John Haven listed above, have brought
true insight into why people give.
Arthur "Buzz" Schmidt, Jr.
Founder
GuideStar and Philanthropic Research
Williamsburg, Va.
The sector and the public turn to GuideStar for images of the most recent
Form 990s. It has become a research tool upon which people depend for
nearly instant financial data.
Bill Shore
Founder and Executive Director
Share Our Strength
Washington, D.C.
Fueled by the philosophy: It takes more than food to fight hunger, SOS
melds both short- and long-term solutions, such as food assistance,
job training, economic development programs and advocacy, to have a
lasting impact. Shore is SOS's Pied Piper through leadership, thinking
and writing.
Lorie A. Slutsky
President
The New York Community Trust
New York, N.Y.
She doesn't get here just because she helped put together The September
11th Fund. She's here for being an innovator at the nation's largest
community foundation, ideas off which other community foundations feed.
George Soros
Founder
Soros Foundations Network
New York, N.Y.
He's spending his great fortune on ideas, mostly the concept of an open
society. He has launched new initiatives getting people to communicate
and discuss important concepts.
Eugene R. Tempel
Executive Director
Indiana University Center on Philanthropy
Indianapolis, Ind.
Frankly, the man appears to be everywhere. While his life seems like
a road show, back home in Indianapolis, he has turned the Center on
Philanthropy into the first stop for sector information and education.
Harris Wofford
Chairman
America's Promise
Alexandria, Va.
Talk about having been around the block, Wofford has been in and around
the sector for decades and has entree into places others can't trend.
His name alone opens doors -- and minds -- to the needs of the voluntary
sector.
|
