Independent Sector
Donations deductibleRevenue
$9.2m
year to 31 December 2024
Expenses
$7.8m
year to 31 December 2024
Total assets
$21.9m
$7.6m liabilities
Net assets
$14.3m
assets less liabilities
Directors and trustees
22
4.8 years on average
Staff
34
85 volunteers
Chair observed
≥6 yrs
Rev Adam Russell Taylor
Left since last filing
0
no seats appear to have opened
Independent Sector's network
22 people8 organisationsi22 people and 8 organisations on this map.The large node is the subject of this page. Solid lines are what the register itself records (22). Violet dotted lines (8) are likely: the same full name sits on the current board of another organisation in the same register and region. Form 990 filings give names without a person identifier; SEC insider filings carry a CIK. It may be a different person.The board
22 listediTime on the board is observed from the annual filings: the IRS files no appointment date, so the bar counts years from the first filing the person appears on - a lower bound, not a filed start date. Names are exactly as filed. The IRS publishes no person identifier, so this edition does not yet link a person across organisations in the tables. The network map shows same-name matches as likely links only, never as confirmed.Time served and departures are observed across annual filings. Observed time served is a lower bound - a member may have joined before the first year on record. The organisation reported 15 voting members of its governing body on its latest Form 990 Part VI; we list 22 in Part VII (Part VII does not always name every voting member).| Name | Role as filed | Since | On the board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Blackwell Chair | Chairman (Thru 10/2024) | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Rev Adam Russell Taylor Chair | Chairman (Beg 10/2024) | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| Akilah Watkins | President & Chief Executive Officer | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| Ann MEI Chang | Board of Director | 2022 | 4 yrs |
| Dr John Brothers | Vice Chairman (Thru 10/2024) | 2022 | 4 yrs |
| Dr Manuel Pastor | Bod, at Large (Beg 10/2024) | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| Dr Michael McAfee | Secretary (Thru 10/2024) | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| Hillary Pennington | Board of Director | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| Isaiah Oliver | Board of Director | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Jacqueline Martinez Garcel | Board of Director | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Janeen Comenote | Board of Director | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Janine Lee | Board of Director (Thru 4/2024) | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Jennifer Ford Reedy | Treasurer (Thru 10/2024) | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Jose Antonio Tijerino | Board of Director | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Julie Gehrki | Board of Director | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| Lysa Ratliff | Treasurer (Beg 10/2024) | 2023 | 3 yrs |
| Nicole Anderson | Board of Director (Thru 10/2024) | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Phoebe Boyer | Bod, at Large (Thru 9/2024) | 2021 | 5 yrs |
| Richard E Besser | Board of Director | 2024 | 2 yrs |
| Sarah Kastelic | Vice Chairman (Thru 10/2024) | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Sonya Campion | Secretary (Beg 10/2024) | 2018 | 8 yrs |
| Suzanne McCormick | Board of Director | 2021 | 5 yrs |
Officers and senior leadership
26 listediNamed in Part VII as officers, key employees or highest-compensated staff - not board members, shown for completeness.| Name | Title as filed | On the filings |
|---|---|---|
| Aida Gueye | Director, People and Culture | 2024 |
| Andrew Gossett | Dir. Foundation Relations | 2018 |
| Benjamin Kershaw | Director, Public Policy & Gov't Relations | since 2020 |
| Brandon Johnson | Director, Digital Innovation | since 2021 |
| Carolyn Mollen | CFO Thru 1/2020 | since 2018 |
| Christian Clansky | Dir. Marketing & Digital Strategy | since 2018 |
| Daniel J Cardinali | President & CEO (Thru 10/31/22) | since 2018 |
| Danielle Maxwell | Dir. Talent & Administrative | 2018 |
| Elizabethe Culkin | Dir. Conference & Event Mgmt | since 2019 |
| Elyse Harrington | Director Operations | since 2019 |
| Gina Catedrill Strickland | Director, Executive Office | 2019 |
| Habib Malloum Bako | Sr. Dir, Community Bldg Thru 9/2023 | since 2021 |
| Jeffrey Moore | Cso | since 2018 |
| Katharine Fenger | Cpo | 2019 |
| Katherine Bradley | Director of Partnerships | 2022 |
| Kevin Miller | Director, Research & Policy Analysis | 2024 |
| Kristina Campbell | VP, Communication & MKTG | since 2019 |
| Kristina Gawgry | Chief MKTG & Comm Officer Thru 6/2023 | 2023 |
| Kristina Gawrgy | Chief Marketing & Comm Officer | 2022 |
| Liz Culkin | Director, Conference Planning | since 2018 |
| Rashida McCoy | Dir, Strategic MKTG & Digital Engagement | 2023 |
| Rhea Ilagan | Director, Finance | 2024 |
| Rhybern Watkins | Director, Finance & Administration | since 2020 |
| Rick Robinson | Interim COO | since 2020 |
| Robert Jones | VP, Engagement & Communications | since 2018 |
| Victor Reinoso | COO | since 2018 |
Pay and hours
year to 31 December 2024iFrom Part VII of the Form 990: compensation reported for each officer, director, trustee, key employee and highest-paid staff member, and the average hours a week they report. Most board members are unpaid; a blank means nothing was reported. Pay from related organisations is shown separately.| Name | Title as filed | Hours a week | Pay from the organisation | Related organisations | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akilah Watkins | President & Chief Executive Officer | 38 | $593k | $72k | |
| Rick Robinson | Chief Operating Officer | 38 | $313k | $47k | |
| Jeff Moore | Chief Strategy Officer | 38 | $263k | $45k | |
| Rhea Ilagan | Director, Finance | 38 | $164k | $29k | |
| Elyse Harrington | Director of Operations | 38 | $161k | $18k | |
| Benjamin Kershaw | Dir, Public Policy & Gov't | 38 | $158k | $15k | |
| Kevin Miller | Director, Research & Policy Analysis | 38 | $148k | $19k | |
| Aida Gueye | Director, People and Culture | 38 | $141k | $23k | |
| Fred Blackwell | Chairman (Thru 10/2024) | 1 | $0 | ||
| Rev Adam Russell Taylor | Chairman (Beg 10/2024) | 1 | $0 | ||
| Sarah Kastelic | Vice Chairman (Thru 10/2024) | 1 | $0 | ||
| Dr John Brothers | Vice Chairman (Thru 10/2024) | 1 | $0 | ||
| Dr Michael McAfee | Secretary (Thru 10/2024) | 1 | $0 | ||
| Sonya Campion | Secretary (Beg 10/2024) | 1 | $0 | ||
| Jennifer Ford Reedy | Treasurer (Thru 10/2024) | 1 | $0 | ||
| Lysa Ratliff | Treasurer (Beg 10/2024) | 1 | $0 | ||
| Phoebe Boyer | Bod, at Large (Thru 9/2024) | 1 | $0 | ||
| Dr Manuel Pastor | Bod, at Large (Beg 10/2024) | 1 | $0 | ||
| Ann Mei Chang | Board of Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Hillary Pennington | Board of Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Julie Gehrki | Board of Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Suzanne McCormick | Board of Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Isaiah Oliver | Board of Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Jose Antonio Tijerino | Board of Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Jacqueline Martinez Garcel | Board of Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Janeen Comenote | Board of Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Richard E Besser | Board of Director | 1 | $0 | ||
| Nicole Anderson | Board of Director (Thru 10/2024) | 1 | $0 | ||
| Janine Lee | Board of Director (Thru 4/2024) | 1 | $0 |
Colorado roster
20 listediOfficers, directors and trustees from the latest filing with the Colorado Secretary of State (document 20253036672). Titles are as filed; some entries are registered agents or custodians of records rather than board members. Source: data.colorado.gov, public domain.| Name | Title as filed |
|---|---|
| John Brothers | Vice Chair |
| Hilary Pennington | Director |
| Richard E. Besser | Director |
| Suzanne McCormick | Director |
| Rick Robinson | Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer |
| Julie Gehrki | Director |
| Adam Russell Taylor | Chair |
| Jeffrey Moore | Chief Strategy Officer |
| Rick Robinson | |
| Isaiah M. Oliver | Director |
| Adam Taylor | Chair |
| Lysa Ratliff | Treasurer |
| Ann Mei Chang | Director |
| Antonio Tijerino | Director |
| Sonya Campion | Secretary |
| Manuel Pastor | Director |
| Janeen Comenote | Director |
| Jacqueline Martinez Garcel | Director |
| Phoebe Boyer | Director |
| Akilah Watkins | President and CEO |
About
- Legal name
- Independent Sector
- EIN
- 521081024
- Address
- 1602 L St Nw Ste 900, Washington, DC, 20036-5682
- State
- District of Columbia
- Mission
- We unite nonprofits and philanthropy to strengthen the charitable sector, identifying structural challenges and mobilizing the sector around policy and practice solutions. (as filed on the Form 990)
- Activity (NTEE)
- T500 Philanthropy, voluntary services and grantmaking
- IRS classification
- 501(c)03 (tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) where shown)
- Classified purpose
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations
- Size band
- 8 (IRS master file code)
- Formed
- 1980
- Principal officer
- Dr Akilah Watkins (as named on the Form 990)
- IRS ruling date
- 1 August 1977
- Status
- Code 01 (unconditional exemption)
- Form 990 filings on record
- 7, latest 2024
- IRS Publication 78
- PC (contributions deductible)
Most connected
Longest observed on the filings
≥8years on the filingsFred Blackwell
≥8years on the filingsJanine Lee
≥8years on the filingsJennifer Ford Reedy
≥8years on the filingsNicole Anderson
Latest return
year to 31 December 2024iFigures from the newest Form 990 or 990-EZ in the IRS e-file releases of 2025 and 2026, for the year ending 31 December 2024. US dollars, as filed.- Total assets
- $21.9m
- Total liabilities
- $7.6m
- Net assets or fund balances
- $14.3m
- Contributions and grants received
- $9.2m
- Program service revenue
- $10k
- Grants and similar paid out
- $6k
- Employees
- 34
- Volunteers
- 85
Filed finances
1 yeariTotals as filed on the IRS Form 990 (revenue and expenses), by tax year.| Tax year | Total revenue | Total expenses | Surplus or deficit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $9.2m | $7.8m | $1.4m |
As filed on the IRS Form 990. US dollars.
State registration
1 entityiBusiness-entity registers published by US states. These records are matched to this organisation by name and state, not by EIN, and are labelled as likely matches. Street addresses are not shown.Independent Sector likely matchiMatched by exact name and state (and ZIP where shown). State registers do not publish EINs, so this is not a confirmed match. Source: DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP), corporate registrations (opendata.dc.gov). Licence: CC BY 4.0. Attribution: DC DLCP. Data last fetched 18 October 2026.
- State
- District of Columbia
- Entity type
- Domestic Nonprofit Corporation
- Status
- Active - In Good Standing
- Formed
- 18 October 1976
- Registered agent
- Corporation Service Company (city and state not held)