Elevating nonprofit voices, one community at a time

The Charitable Independence Initiative partners with local and regional organizations to ensure the indispensable role of grassroots nonprofits is deeply understood, valued, and protected. We focus entirely on the community level, working in tandem with local leaders to empower the trusted charities that shape daily public life.

Our Vision

A strong, trusted, and effective charitable sector that strengthens communities, advances the common good, and ensures local knowledge shapes public decision-making.

Our Mission

CII strengthens America's charitable sector one community at a time by helping local organizations become a more trusted, connected, and influential force for the common good.

Our Values

Independence
An independent charitable sector is essential to healthy civic life. Charitable organizations must be able to pursue their missions, speak from their experience, and contribute to public life without being controlled by political or other outside interests.

Trust
Lasting influence begins with trust. We value authenticity, consistency, listening, credibility, and relationships built long before they are needed.

Local Voice
Those closest to a community possess knowledge that cannot be replicated from a distance. We value local experience and local voices as essential to public life.

Collaboration
A strong charitable sector is a connected sector. We encourage relationships across missions and subsectors and seek common ground where organizations can learn from one another and work together.

Constructive Engagement
Charitable organizations can advance their communities and protect their independence while engaging public officials and other civic leaders with credibility, respect, and a commitment to building productive, mutually beneficial relationships.

Clarity
Organizations must be able to explain what they do, why it matters, and what they know. We value communication that is purposeful, clear, compelling, authentic, and accessible.

"For leaders in rural communities like West Virginia, where traditional advocacy can often feel out of reach, the program has helped us build the relationships, confidence, and framework to ensure nonprofit voices are part of the public conversation. Whether we’re focused on nonprofit autonomy, natural disasters, healthcare access, or the many other issues facing our sector, Frontline Voices is helping our leaders reimagine how they engage and prepare their organizations for the decades ahead."

Rosemary Ketchum, Executive Director, West Virginia Nonprofit Association