April 4, 2005 (Baltimore, MD) - Lutheran Services in America signs on to Interim Report of the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector

Lutheran Services in America has signed on to the Interim Report of the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector, joining scores of other nonprofit organizations in affirming the need for the highest level of integrity and transparency in their work.

The Panel on the Nonprofit Sector, comprised of leaders of nonprofit organizations across America, recently proposed to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee a series of recommendations designed to strengthen charitable organizations and their operations. In this Interim Report, the Panel calls upon the nation's 1.3 million charities and foundations to implement a series of measures to improve their governance and financial disclosure.

"This report is a large step on a journey the nonprofit community has been taking for some time, said M. Cass Wheeler, co-convener of the Panel and CEO of the American Heart Association. "Charitable organizations touch lives in every part of America and every corner of the world. This set of recommendations demonstrates our sector's continuing commitment to the highest ethical standards, which are vital to maintaining the public trust that enables us to serve the common good."

The Panel made recommendations in 15 major areas, including actions to be taken y the sector itself, by the IRS, and by Congress. The Panel will continue its work on a broad range of issues before presenting a final report to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee later this year.

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