A litany of major contemporary policy issues confront nations around the globe, stemming from economic recession; failures of financial systems, longer term environmental, social and economic trends; and political tensions in various world regions. A salient feature of these issues is the prominence of government and business as the principal protagonists in policy deliberations as well as the less visible, more diffuse presence of the third sector as a significant factor in policy change. One reason for the sector's muted role is a dearth of channels through which policy issues and processes involving nonprofit organizations can be rigorously analyzed and discussed. The purpose of Nonprofit Policy Forum is to provide such a channel. Several key areas of public policy compose the broad agenda for this journal. These include defining the boundaries and interfaces of the sector with those of government and business; articulating how the third sector can be held accountable for its performance; analyzing how nonprofits can become more effective in advocating for constructive social change; and assessing how the sector can contribute more effectively to economic well-being, the protection of the global environment, the energy needs of citizens’ worldwide, the security concerns of citizens in the context of global terrorism and inter-group conflicts, the political development of civil society, the advancement of democratic governance and individual freedom, and the evolution of social justice.