Posted on November 17, 2011

White House, Nonprofits Partner to Boost Sector Leadership

The Aspen Institute has announced the launch of a new initiative designed to elevate leadership as a nonprofit sector priority.

The Initiative for Nonprofit Talent and Leadership was announced during a White House forum hosted by the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation and convened by the Aspen Institute Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Center for Creative Leadership, Commongood Careers, Independent Sector, Public Allies, and the American Express Foundation.

During the forum's working sessions, participants were challenged to define actionable goals and commit to viable high-impact strategies to achieve them. The resulting blueprint for a coalition-based action plan will be promoted by the initiative as it works to increase nonprofit impact through ongoing investments in human capital and leadership development. The nonprofit sector currently employs roughly 10 percent of the U.S. workforce, a figure that is expected to rise over the next several years as a result of additional investments in leadership development.

"The nonprofit sector plays a critically important role in addressing many of today's biggest challenges," said Kenneth I. Chenault, chairman and CEO of American Express. "The White House Forum is a great way to focus on strategies that can develop the next generation of leaders and help nonprofits deliver on their full potential to serve the communities in which we all live and work."