America Forward | News Archive
Venture Philanthropy Partners on Social Innovation
“Everywhere I go in the nonprofit/philanthropic world these days, I hear two words: ‘Scale’ and ‘Innovation,’” says Carol Thompson Cole, President of Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP). Cole used her monthly “President’s Perspective” column as a platform to talk about the importance of scaling innovation, while VPP Chairman, Mario Marino, devoted two recent “From the Chairman’s [...]
Continue reading...High Stakes, High Hopes for Philanthropy
June 10, 2009
In a recent post on the Council of Foundations website, Shirley Sagawa points to the Social Innovation Fund as a place where government and grantmakers will partner to leverage the experience and resources of the philanthropic community alongside federal efforts to create lasting change. Sagawa offers an in-depth analysis of the way this partnership will [...]
Continue reading...The Chronicle of Philanthropy: White House Officials Discuss Plans for Social Innovation Office
June 4, 2009
In a recent interview with The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Melody Barnes, and Sonal Shah, the newly appointed head of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, discuss the important role social innovation will play in addressing critical challenges in education, healthcare, workforce development, and [...]
Continue reading...NPR Morning Edition: White House Creates Office of Social Innovation
June 4, 2009
NPR’s Morning Edition recently devoted a portion of its daily broadcast to a discussion of the newly created White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation. The piece includes interviews with Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, and Eric Schwartz, Co-Founder and President of Citizen Schools, an America Forward coalition [...]
Continue reading...Communities, Innovation, and Washington
June 3, 2009
Major media outlets are joining the Obama administration in highlighting the importance of investing as a nation in innovative solutions to the many social problems we face. Alongside the White House Office on Social Innovation and Civic Participation, the Social Innovation Fund is central to this effort. A recent New York Times editorial highlights the [...]
Continue reading...Calling for a Massachusetts Office of Social Innovation
June 1, 2009
Andrew Wolk, CEO and Founder of coalition member Root Cause, made a compelling case for the establishment of a Massachusetts Office of Social Innovation. Wolk’s op-ed, which appeared in the Boston Business Journal, highlights the historic role Massachusetts has played as a leader in social innovation, and calls on state government to once again to [...]
Continue reading...Link Roundup: America Forward Coalition Members Weigh in on the Social Innovation Fund
May 15, 2009
Last week, America Forward’s Director, Kelly Ward, gave an interview about the Social Innovation Fund on Change.org’s Social Entrepreneurship blog. She spoke about the potential for the Fund to have widespread impact by scaling innovative programs and by enabling government, philanthropy, and the social sector to better partner to tackle the social challenges we’re facing [...]
Continue reading...Stimulus Investment in the New, Measured Medicines of Social Entrepreneurs
May 12, 2009
In light President Obama’s plan to reform the healthcare system, Jason Langheier, Chairman and Founder of Fitness Forward, explores how the innovative solutions of social entrepreneurs can help bring about a new era of healthy living. He calls on government to invest in innovative healthcare programs that have a demonstrated track record of success saying, [...]
Continue reading...President Obama Launches Office of Public Engagement
May 11, 2009
President Obama launched the White House Office of Public Engagement (OPE) today. Formerly the Office of Public Liaison, OPE “will seek to engage as many Americans as possible in the difficult work of changing this country.” In its work to foster partnerships between citizens and government, OPE will: …help build relationships with Americans by increasing [...]
Continue reading...Details on the Social Innovation Fund from the Serve America Act
May 8, 2009
With the recent passage of the Serve America Act and, with it, an authorization for a Social Innovation Fund, there are a lot of questions about how this Fund is going to work. These details are actively being developed by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which is responsible for forming the Fund’s [...]
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June 10, 2009