A Significant Nonprofit Leader Leaves the Stage

Dan Cardinali recently announced his resignation. My guess is that most people who read that first sentence have no idea who he is. But you should.

Dan has been at the head of Independent Sector for nearly six years. Independent Sector is a membership organization that brings together countless community leaders from nonprofit foundations, nonprofits, and corporate giving areas. It is one of the most, if not the most, influential associations in the nonprofit world. Its board members and organizational members are the “Who’s Who” in nonprofit leadership.

I only met Dan once. It was a short conversation and I bet everything I own he doesn’t remember who I am. And that’s just fine. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least note the important contribution he has made in incredibly turbulent times. Whether it’s the give-and-take of healthcare and privacy to overall privacy with data, nonprofits’ role in the pandemic, the revolutionary change in the overall industry, or the countless, critical advocacy efforts that Independent Sector leads, Dan has been a stalwart leader. Wherever he ends up, whatever he does, I wish him the best. But we should all take a moment and say thank you for what he’s done.