Panel on the Nonprofit Sector in the U.S.

The Panel on the Nonprofit Sector is an independent effort by charities and foundations to ensure that the nonprofit community remains a vibrant and healthy part of American society. Formed by Independent Sector in October 2004 at the encouragement of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, the Panel is entrusted with the responsibility to prepare recommendations for Congress to improve the oversight and governance of charitable organizations. It will provide an initial report of its findings and recommendations by February 2005 and a final report later in the spring.

The Recommendations
The Work Groups' recommendations fall into four broad categories:
1. Improving Transparency and Financial Management
2. Improving Government Oversight and Enforcement
3. Improving Governance and Self-Regulation
4. Compliance Requirements for Small Organizations

All can be downloaded from the List of Recommendations, either as individual items or in a single document.

Download all of the recommendations in one document (pdf) (Warning: It's a big file of 1.3 mb).