Independent Sector
We unite nonprofits and philanthropy to strengthen the charitable sector, identifying structural challenges and mobilizing the sector around policy and practice solutions.
Independent Sector at a glance
In short: Independent Sector gave $20K across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $20K), mostly in District of Columbia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $20,000
- +263.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 1
- Average grant
- $20,000
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $22,152,555
- +1.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated November 2026.
Who Independent Sector funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top recipient in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was United Philanthropy Forum ($20K).
Grant Size Distribution
1 grant across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 1 grant of 1 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of the 2025 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.
States
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $100 (2022) to $20K (2025). In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $20K.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| United Philanthropy Forum Washington, DC | Foundations on the Hill Co Lead and Sponsor | $20,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $22,152,555 | $11,075,060 | $11,026,617 | $20,000 | 1 | $361,363 |
| 2024 | $21,918,940 | $9,158,417 | $7,756,205 | $5,500 | Total only | $201,491 |
| 2023 | $26,442,547 | $5,511,238 | $9,265,562 | — | — | $297,045 |
| 2022 | $29,783,681 | $5,491,808 | $9,873,211 | $100 | Total only | $894,473 |
| 2021 | $43,964,742 | $7,811,230 | $9,185,988 | — | — | $439,918 |
| 2020 | $46,005,638 | $15,271,435 | $8,405,354 | $10,000 | 1 | $393,729 |
| 2019 | $39,594,883 | $8,244,296 | $9,411,493 | — | — | $294,543 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
About Independent Sector
Based on IRS filings
Independent Sector is a public charity, based in Washington, DC. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $22.2M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 1 grant totaling $20K. Net investment income was $361K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Independent Sector is led by Akilah Watkins, President & Chief Executive Officer on every filing since 2023; 11 of 25 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Akilah Watkins
President & Chief Executive Officer
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$530K (2023) → $694K (2025)
Adam Russell Taylor
Chairman
Board of Director → Chairman, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elyse Harrington
Director Operations
Director Operations → Director of Operations, 2024
Director of Operations → Director Operations, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$116K (2019) → $154K (2025)
Benjamin Kershaw
Director, Public Policy & Gov't Realtions
Director, Public Policy & Gov't Relations → Director, Public Policy & Gov't, 2024
Director, Public Policy & Gov't → Director, Public Policy & Gov't Realtions, 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$128K (2020) → $160K (2025)
Aida Gueye
Director, People & Culture
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$141K (2024) → $145K (2025)
Kevin Miller
Director, Research & Policy Analysis
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$148K (2024) → $151K (2025)
Rhea Ilagan
Director & Finance
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$164K (2024) → $166K (2025)
Phoebe Boyer
Board of Director
Board of Director & At Large → Bod & At Large, 2024
Bod & At Large → Board of Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Suzanne McCormick
Board of Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ann Mei Chang
Board of Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hillary Pennington
Board of Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Gehrki
Board of Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Isaiah Oliver
Board of Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jacqueline Martinez Garcel
Board of Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Janeen Comenote
Board of Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tony Tijerino
Board of Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Moore
Chief Strategy Officer
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$222K (2019) → $307K (2025)
Rick Robinson
Chief Operating Officer
Interim COO → Chief Operating Officer, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$161K (2020) → $366K (2025)
Andrea Risotto
Vice President Communications
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$209K (2025)
Jennifer Mellen
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$189K (2025)
Rashid Mosley
Vice President, Programming Innovation & Impact
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$182K (2025)
Sonya Campion
Secretary
Secretary of the Board → Board of Director, 2022
Board of Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Brothers
Vice Chairman
Board of Director → Vice Chairman, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Manuel Pastor
Bod & At Large
Board of Director → Bod & At Large, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lysa Ratliff
Treasurer
Board of Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (43)
- Former: Fred Blackwell (2019–2024) — Chairman
- Former: Janine Lee (2019–2024) — Board of Director
- Former: Jennifer Ford Reedy (2019–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Michael McAfee (2019–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Nicole Anderson (2019–2024) — Board of Director
- Former: Sarah Kastelic (2019–2024) — Vice Chairman
- Former: Jose Antonio Tijerino (2024) — Board of Director
- Former: Richard E. Besser (2024) — Board of Director
- Former: Daniel J. Cardinali (2019–2023) — Former President & CEO
- Former: Habib Malloum Bako (2021–2023) — Senior Director & Community Bldg
- Former: Kristina Gawgry (2023) — Chief Mktg & Committee Officer
- Former: Rashida McCoy (2023) — Director, Strategic Mktg & Digital Engagement
- Former: David Williams (2019–2022) — Board of Director
- Former: Jim Clark (2019–2022) — Board of Director
- Former: Rhybern Watkins (2020–2022) — Director of Finance
- Former: Brandon Johnson (2021–2022) — Director & Dig Innov
- Former: Camen Rojas (2022) — Board of Director
- Former: Eboo Patel (2022) — Board of Director
- Former: Jeffrey Moore (2022) — Chief Strategy Officer
- Former: Katherine Bradley (2022) — Director of Partnerships
- Former: Kristina Gawrgy (2022) — Chief Marketing & Committee Officer
- Former: Stacey Stuart (2022) — Board of Director
- Former: Antony Chiang (2019–2021) — Board of Director
- Former: Diane Melley (2019–2021) — Board of Director
- Former: Henry Timms (2019–2021) — Board of Director
- Former: Jeffrey L. Bradach (2019–2021) — Chair of the Board
- Former: Kristina Campbell (2019–2021) — Chief Communication Officer
- Former: Larry Kramer (2019–2021) — Board of Director
- Former: Terry Mazany (2019–2021) — Board of Director
- Former: Marco Davis (2020–2021) — Board of Director
- Former: Stacey Stewart (2020–2021) — Board of Director
- Former: Liz Culkin (2021) — Director & Conference Planning
- Former: Carolyn Mollen (2019–2020) — CFO
- Former: Christian Clansky (2019–2020) — Director Marketing & Digital S
- Former: Elizabethe Culkin (2019–2020) — Director Conference & Event Mg
- Former: Jim Gibbons (2019–2020) — Board of Director
- Former: Ron Kagan (2019–2020) — Board of Director
- Former: Victor Reinoso (2019–2020) — Chief Operating Officer
- Former: Gina Catedrill Strickland (2019) — Director & Executive Officer
- Former: Katharine Fenger (2019) — Cpo
- Former: Robert Jones (2019) — Vice President, Engagement & Communications
- Former: Robert L. Lynch (2019) — Board of Director
- Former: Timothy J. McClimon (2019) — Board of Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $694K, to Akilah Watkins (President & Chief Executive Officer). 11 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Independent Sector
How much does Independent Sector give each year?
Independent Sector gave $20K across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it reported $6K in grants paid.
How large is Independent Sector?
Independent Sector reported $22.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $11.1M.
Where does Independent Sector operate?
Independent Sector has awarded grants in District of Columbia, Maryland.
What is Independent Sector's EIN?
Independent Sector's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1081024. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 22, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 22, 2026)
Live grants for the work Independent Sector funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Independent Sector's focus areas in our free grants database
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Assets
—
Grants
555
Total Given
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