The Standards for Excellence(R) Institute Partners With National Leadership Roundtable...

The Standards for Excellence(R) Institute Partners With National Leadership
Roundtable on Church Management

Acclaimed Standards for Excellence(R) Ethics and Accountability Code Now
Available for Catholic Dioceses, Parishes and Nonprofits

BALTIMORE, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Standards for Excellence
Institute, the first program in the United States to promote and provide a
comprehensive system for self-regulation in the nonprofit sector, is pleased
to announce that the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management
("Leadership Roundtable") is now offering the rigorous Standards for
Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector to
Catholic dioceses, parishes and nonprofits across the United States.

Leadership Roundtable executive director, Ms. Kerry Robinson, explained, "We
built on the ethics and accountability code developed by the Standards for
Excellence Institute, adapted it for compatibility with Canon Law, and
modified the program to serve the needs of Catholic dioceses, parishes and
nonprofits. The Standards for Excellence for Catholic Dioceses, Parishes and
Nonprofits provide lay leaders, and clergy alike, with practical guidance and
support to promote best practices in the governance and management of Catholic
institutions."

Founded in 2005, The Leadership Roundtable is an organization of laity,
religious and clergy working together to promote excellence in the management,
finances and human resources practices of the Catholic Church in the U.S.
Chaired by Geoffrey T. Boisi, a philanthropist and retired vice chairman of
JPMorgan Chase, the Roundtable's membership includes Catholic leaders from the
Church, business, academic, philanthropic and nonprofit communities and
government.

Under the auspices of the Institute the Leadership Roundtable has released
three versions of Standards for Excellence(R) ethics and accountability code
for Catholic Dioceses, Catholic Parishes and other Catholic Nonprofit
Organization. The Leadership Roundtable is also offering training and
educational resources and a new online resource, www.ChurchEpedia.org to
assist Catholic organizations to implement the Standards for Excellence(R)

To learn more about the Catholic Standards for Excellence program visit
www.nlrcm.org/standards or contact: Michael Brough at 908-400-3435 or
Michael.Brough@nlrcm.org. To learn more about the Leadership Roundtable visit
www.nlrcm.org.

Commenting on the Leadership Roundtable's new Standards for Excellence
program, Peter V. Berns, Chief Executive Officer of the Standards for
Excellence Institute stated: "We are thrilled that the Leadership Roundtable
has chosen the Standards for Excellence(R) as the tool to advance best
practices in the governance and management of Catholic nonprofits. This is a
major step forward for self regulation in the nonprofit sector which will
increase accountability and preserve the public's trust." Berns added: "As
the Leadership Roundtable distributes the Standard for Excellence(R)
throughout the Catholic community, their many Church leaders who receive the
Catholic version of Standards for Excellence(R) can also help us spread the
word about the Standards for Excellence(R) program to the many other
nonprofits where they also are involved as board members, staff or
volunteers."

Authorized, community-specific Standards for Excellence(R) programs are
operating in Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West
Virginia and Colorado Springs, CO. The Standards for Excellence Institute
directly serves nonprofits in areas where there is no authorized local
program. Standards for Excellence(R) licensed consultants are operating in
Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New
York, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, the U.S. Virgin Islands and
the District of Columbia.

More than 180 nonprofit organizations around the country have completed the
rigorous certification process and earned the right to display the Seal of
Excellence, including several Catholic organizations such as:

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Greensburg, Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Catholic Social Services of Houma/Thibodaux, Houma, Louisiana
St Vincent De Paul Society of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland

To learn more about the national program, visit
www.standardsforexcellenceinstitute.org

STANDARDS FOR EXCELLENCE INSTITUTE
The Standards for Excellence Institute is the national sponsor of the
Standards for Excellence program, a comprehensive system of self-regulation
and organizational improvement for nonprofit organizations. The program
provides nonprofits with clear benchmarks to measure their own performance
against the highest standards of nonprofit governance and management, delivers
educational programming and technical assistance to make it easy for
nonprofits to make improvements, and grants the Seal of Excellence to
organizations that make it through a rigorous peer review. The Institute is
an operating division of the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations,
recognized as the largest and one of the most effective nonprofit associations
in the country.

SOURCE The Standards for Excellence Institute

Peter V. Berns of the Standards for Excellence Institute, +1-410-727-1726 ext.
16