Dan Busby, Richard Stearns Named Most Powerful, Influential Nonprofit Executives
Dan Busby, president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), and Richard Stearns, president of World Vision, have both been named to The NonProfit Times Magazine's 2011 “Power & Influence Top 50.”
“I'm humbled and honored once again to be numbered among this distinguished group of nonprofit leaders who have done so much to make the world a better place,” said Busby in a statement. “We extend warm congratulations to Richard Stearns upon his selection to this list.”
The magazine describes the selection of the top 50 as being “not scientific, but way better than a dart board.” They chose from about 200 nominees, and say that many different disciplines within the nonprofit sector are represented.
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“These executives were selected for the impact they have now and for the innovative plans they are putting in place to evolve the charitable sector,” the NPT article reads.
Busby and Stearns are in good company by making the list. Some notable honorees in the past have included Dr. James Dobson as well as Bill and Melinda Gates. Bill Gates is also on this year's list.
Busby's ECFA operates as an accreditation agency which helps Christian ministries to earn the trust of the public and helps hold nonprofits financially accountable. The organization was founded in 1979 and works with a variety of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt institutions, including churches. The combined annual revenue of all of these institutions comes out to approximately $18 billion.
Busby has been the organization's president since 2009, but has been serving within it since 1998.
The magazine praised Busby for “spearheading an independent national effort to review and provide input on major accountability and policy issues affecting religious organizations."
World Vision, which Stearns has overseen since 1998, is a Christian relief and advocacy organization that seeks to help those in need and fight injustice throughout the globe, all while serving with the motivation that accompanies faith in Jesus Christ. The magazine praised Stearns' leadership and pointed out that, since he took over, the organization tripled its donations from $358 million in 1998 to over $1 billion today. He also managed to cut out over one-third of the organization's overhead.
The two Christian group leaders will be honored along with 48 others during an event, held by the magazine, at the National Press Club on Sept. 15 in Washington, D.C.
