Diana Aviv is the president and CEO of Independent Sector, the national leadership forum for America's nonprofit organizations, foundations, and corporations. Collectively representing tens of thousands of charitable groups in every state across the country, Independent Sector's mission is to advance the common good by leading, strengthening, and mobilizing the independent sector.
A noted expert on the major issues affecting the national nonprofit and philanthropic community, Diana is a frequent speaker on the accountability and transparency of nonprofit organizations, the financial state of the nonprofit sector, the role of civil society in democracy, and civic engagement. She has testified before Congress and has been quoted in print, broadcast, and online media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Washington Times.
Diana also serves as executive director of the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector, an independent panel of nonprofit and philanthropic leaders convened by Independent Sector in October 2004 at the encouragement of the Senate Finance Committee. The Panel's charge is to consider and recommend actions that will strengthen good governance, ethical conduct, and effective practice of public charities and private foundations. The Senate Finance Committee has asked for interim recommendations by February 2005 and a final report in the spring of 2005.
Diana came to Independent Sector in April 2003 after spending nine years at United Jewish Communities. As UJC's vice president for public policy and director of the Washington Action Office, she worked closely with federations and national agencies concerned with the domestic health and welfare needs of vulnerable people. Diana's work focused on federal legislation, public policy, and regulations concerning health and human service areas that have an impact on the work of local health and human service organizations.
Diana was formerly associate executive vice chair at the Jewish Council of Public Affairs, director of programs for the National Council of Jewish Women, and director of a comprehensive program to serve battered women and their families. She has had a private psychotherapy practice in New York and New Jersey and has served as an expert witness in capital cases in New Jersey. She is immediate past chair of the National Immigration Forum, is an advisory board member of the Stanford Social Innovation Review and The Center for Effective Philanthropy, and is a member of the Board of Governors of the Partnership for Public Service. A native of South Africa, Ms. Aviv graduated with a B.S.W. from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and received a Master of Social Work degree at Columbia University.
Independent Sector leads the nonprofit community by promoting effective public policies to help not-for-profit initiative thrive, identifying emerging trends facing the nonprofit sector, strengthening nonprofit accountability, and providing the "meeting ground" for leaders in philanthropy to address challenges facing the sector.