The non-profit world is buzzing about the White House's Social Innovation Fund, a new $50 million fund to "identify the most promising, results-oriented non-profit programs and expand their reach throughout the country." The fund is tasked with efforts to enlist individuals, non-profits, social entrepreneurs, and corporations in an attempt to promote and improve civic participation and national service through new media tools.
From the White House press release:
"The White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation will coordinate efforts to enlist all Americans - individuals, non-profits, social entrepreneurs, corporations and foundations - as partners in solving our great challenges. Located within the Domestic Policy Council, it will:
- Catalyze partnerships between the government and nonprofits,
businesses and philanthropists in order to make progress on the
President's policy agenda;
- Identify and support the rigorous evaluation and scaling of
innovative, promising ideas that are transforming communities like, for
example, Harlem Children's Zone, YouthVillages, Nurse-Family
Partnership, and Citizen Schools;
- Support greater civic participation through new media tools;
- Promote national service.
"The idea is simple: to find the most effective programs out there and then provide the capital needed to replicate their success in communities around the country that are facing similar challenges," First Lady Michelle Obama will say Tuesday at the Time 100 Most Influential People Awards in New York City, according to her prepared remarks. "By focusing on high-impact, result-oriented non-profits, we will ensure that government dollars are spent in a way that is effective, accountable and worthy of the public trust."
how do I get to put my social entrepreneurial initiative in conversation with the Office of Social Innovation?
Kindly
Gerald
Posted by: Gerald FitzGerald | June 04, 2009 at 12:35 PM