Brian O'Connell (Civil Society Advocate)
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Brian O'Connell (23 January 1930 – 21 March 2011) was an American author, academic, and public administrator who helped found
Independent Sector Independent Sector is a coalition of nonprofit organizations, foundations and corporate giving programs in the United States. Founded in 1980, it is the first organization to combine the grant seekers and grantees. Located in Washington, D.C. ...
, an organization that represents the interests of charities, foundations and nonprofit giving programs in the United States. In 1980, O’Connell joined John W. Gardner, the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare in the Johnson administration and the founder of
Common Cause Common Cause is a watchdog group based in Washington, D.C., with chapters in 35 states. It was founded in 1970 by John W. Gardner, a Republican, who was the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in the administration of President Lyndon ...
, to create Independent Sector, which now (2012) has 550 member nonprofit organizations. O’Connell and Gardner, who died in 2002, saw the need for an umbrella organization that could speak for all charities and other nonprofit groups and represent their interests in Washington.


Biography


Early life and education

Brian O’Connell was born on Jan. 23, 1930, in Worcester, Mass. After earning a bachelor's degree from
Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, United States, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. Tufts also has several Doctor of Physical Therapy p ...
in 1953 he did graduate work in public administration at the
Maxwell School Maxwell School () is an single-sex school, all-boys secondary school, located north of Kuala Lumpur. Established in 1916, the school is believed to be the oldest school in north of Kuala Lumpur as well as one of the oldest in Kuala Lumpur and ...
at
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
.


Career

He went to work for the
American Heart Association The American Heart Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate Heart, cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability ...
as a field representative, then became director of its operations in Maryland and California.Brian O’Connell: A Visionary Leader of the Nonprofit Movement
Pablo Eisenberg Pablo Samuel Eisenberg (July 1, 1932 – October 18, 2022) was an American scholar, social justice advocate, and tennis player. He played in Wimbledon five times, making the quarterfinals once, and won a gold medal at the 1953 Maccabiah Games ...
, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 2011 (Retrieved 1/5/2012)
In 1966 he was named the executive director of the National Mental Health Association (now Mental Health America), where he was a leader in promoting new ideas about community care and educating the public about new research on depression. He also helped organize the National Committee on Patients’ Rights. After leaving the association in 1978 he became the president of the National Council on Philanthropy and the executive director of the Coalition of National Voluntary Organizations. While at Independent Sector, he helped found Civicus: World Alliance for Civic Participation. After retiring from Independent Sector he spent the next decade as a professor of citizenship and public service at Tufts. He helped found the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts, where he established the Brian O'Connell Library.


Public service

He was a trustee of Tufts UniversityTufts University: Brian O'Connell, A53, Awarded Presidential medal
(Retrieved 1/5/2012)
and a board member of Tisch College. He also served on the boards of
The Bridgespan Group The Bridgespan Group is a U.S. nonprofit organization headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts that provides management consulting to nonprofits and philanthropists. In addition to consulting, Bridgespan makes case studies freely available on its w ...
, The Cape Cod Foundation,
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (Kauffman Foundation) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, private foundation based in Kansas City, Missouri. It was founded in 1966 by Ewing Marion Kauffman, who had previously founded the drug company Ma ...
, the National Academy of Public Administration,
Points of Light Foundation Points of Light is an international nonprofit, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Georgia, United States dedicated to engaging more people and resources in solving serious social problems through voluntary service. Each year, Points ...
, Ima Hogg Foundation, and the National Assembly of Health and Social Welfare Organizations (now National Human Services Assembly). He was also chairman of the 1989
Salzburg Seminar Salzburg Global (formerly known as Salzburg Global Seminar) is a non-profit organization that convenes programs on its five pillar topics of Peace and Justice, Education, Culture, Health, and Finance and Governance. Programs regularly occur at S ...
on non-governmental organizations.


Honors and death

He was an elected Fellow of the
American Public Health Association The American Public Health Association (APHA) is a Washington, D.C.–based professional membership and advocacy organization for public health professionals in the United States. APHA is the largest professional organization of public health pr ...
and the National Academy of Public Administration and received several honorary degrees, including a doctorate of humanities from
Fairleigh Dickinson University Fairleigh Dickinson University () is a private university with its main campuses in New Jersey, located in Madison / Florham Park and in Teaneck / Hackensack. Founded in 1942, Fairleigh Dickinson University offers more than 100 degree prog ...
and doctorate of laws from
Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...
. He won a number of awards including a special John W. Gardner Leadership Award when he retired from Independent Sector; Weston Howland Award for Citizenship from the Lincoln Filene Center; Gold Key Award of the American Society of Association Executives;Discovering the Volunteer
Sandra R. Sabo, American Society of Association Executives, 1994 (Retrieved 1/5/2012)
United Way of America's Award for Professionalism; the Chairman's Award of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives, the Tufts Presidential medal, and with John W. Gardner, the 1998 Tiffany Award for Public Service. O'Connell died in 2011 in Chatham Mass. where he had lived since retiring from Independent Sector.


Work


Books

*''America's Voluntary Spirit: A Book of Readings'', Foundation Center, 1983, () *''The Board Member's Book: Making A Difference In Voluntary Organizations'', Foundation Center, 1985, () *''Philanthropy In Action'', Foundation Center, 1987, () *''Volunteers in Action'', Foundation Center, 1989, () *''People Power: Service, Advocacy, Empowerment : Selected Writings of Brian O'Connell'', Foundation Center, 1994, () *''Board Overboard: Laughs And Lessons For All But The Perfect Nonprofit'', Jossey Bass, 1995, () *''Powered By Coalition: The Story Of Independent Sector'', Jossey Bass, 1998, () *''Voices From The Heart: In Celebration Of America's Volunteers'', Chronicle Books, 1998, () *''Civil Society: The Underpinnings Of American Democracy'', Tufts University Press, 1999, () *''Fifty Years In Public Causes: Stories From A Road Less Traveled'', Tufts University Press, 2005, ()


Papers

*''The Right to Know'', MH, 59, 2, 11–3, Spr 75 *''The Independent Sector: Uniquely American'', New Directions for Experiential Learning, (New Partnerships: Higher Education and the Nonprofit Sector) n18 p17-24 Dec 1982 *''Citizenship and Community Service: Are They a Concern and Responsibility of Higher Education?'', Paper presented at the National Conference of the American Association of Higher Education (Chicago, IL, March 17, 1985) *''Strengthening Philanthropy and Voluntary Action'', National Civic Review, 1987, () *''Budgeting and financial accountability (Nonprofit Management Series)'', Independent Sector, 1988 *''Finding, developing, and rewarding good board members (Nonprofit Management Series)'', Independent Sector, 1988 *''Recruiting, encouraging, and evaluating the chief staff officer (Nonprofit Management Series)'', Independent Sector, 1988 *''The role of the board and board members (Nonprofit Management Series)'', Independent Sector, 1988 *''Operating effective committees (Nonprofit Management Series)'', Independent Sector, 1988 *''Evaluating results (Nonprofit Management Series)'', Independent Sector, 1988 *''Conducting good meetings (Nonprofit Management Series)'', Independent Sector, 1988 *''The roles and relationships of the chief volunteer and chief staff officers, board, and staff: who does what? (Nonprofit Management Series)'', Independent Sector, 1988 *''Fund Raising (Nonprofit Management Series)'', Independent Sector, 1988 *''What Voluntary Activity Can and Cannot Do for America'', Public Administration Review, v49 n5 p486-91 Sep-Oct 1989 *''Impact of nonprofits on civil society'', National Civic Review, 1995, () *''A Major Transfer of Government Responsibility to Voluntary Organizations? Proceed with Caution'', Public Administration Review; Vol. 56; pp. 222–225, 1996 () *''Civil Society: Definitions and Descriptions'', Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, September 2000; vol. 29, 3: pp. 471–478 () *''Valuing Free Association'', ASSOCIATIONS NOW, December 2006


References


Further reading

*Young, D. R. (1993), An interview with Brian O'Connell. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 3: 313–320. ()


External links



(Retrieved 1/5/2012)
Independent Sector: Statement on the Death of Brian O'Connell
(Retrieved 1/5/2012)
Civicus

Mental Health America

The Bridgespan Group

The Cape Cod Foundation

Ima Hogg Foundation

National Human Services Assembly

Independent Sector Records, 1971-1996
, Ruth Lilly Special Collections and Archives, IUPUI University Library, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
The Mission of Philanthropy in the University
Robert L. Payton, March 17, 1994, Independent Sector Research Symposium Honoring Brian O'Connell, (Retrieved 1/5/2012) {{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnell, Brian 1930 births 2011 deaths Tufts University alumni Writers from Worcester, Massachusetts Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs alumni