Mr. Brian O'Connell, president of Independent Sector, is to speak on "nurturing and enlarging the philanthropic spirit'' at 8 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce.

He is a guest of Bermuda's Committee on Philanthropy.

Independent Sector is a US coalition that includes 850 foundations, corporations, and voluntary groups.

Mr. O'Connell was national director of the Mental Health Association and has worked for many other charitable organisations, including the American Heart Association.

Miss Nancy Smythe of the Committee on Philanthropy said Mr. O'Connell would meet with three targeted focus groups before the free public forum. One is the mental health, substance abuse, and philanthropic sector, another is Government, and the third is corporations.