“John. W. Gardner was a remarkable man,” said Colin Powell upon accepting, with his wife Alma, the 2010 John W. Gardner Leadership Award. This prestigious award recognizes individuals whose leadership in or with the nonprofit community has been transformative and who have mobilized and unified people, institutions, or causes that improve lives.
The Independent Sector has presented the Gardner Leadership Award since 1985 to outstanding Americans who exemplify the leadership and the ideals of John W. Gardner, past president of Carnegie Corporation of New York and founding chair of Independent Sector and a distinguished participant in the country's educational, philanthropic, and political life.
Watch Colin Powell’s speech