The following are a series of policies, government initiatives, and other efforts that reflect social innovation principles and America Forward’s core values.
The White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation was established by the Obama Administration in May, 2009 within the Domestic Policy Council. The office has a three-pronged approach to fostering social innovation: promote service to solve problems, increase investment in innovative solutions that demonstrate results, and develop new models of partnership across sectors.
The Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) was established as a $650 million provision in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. The i3 was designed to “accelerate the creation of an education sector that supports the rapid development and adoption of effective solutions.” The i3 will spur education reform through competitive grants given to school districts, nonprofit organizations working with districts, or a consortium of schools that have shown significant impact in one or more of the following areas: improving K-12 achievement and closing achievement gaps; decreasing dropout rates; increasing high school graduation rates; and improving teacher and school leader effectiveness.
The Social Innovation Fund (SIF) is a new public-private investment partnership established through the passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act in 2009. The fund is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. It will leverage philanthropic support to invest in intermediary grantmaking organizations. These organizations will fund effective portfolios of nonprofit organizations to help them grow to serve more low-income communities.
Race to the Top Fund is a $4.35 billion fund that provides competitive grants to encourage and reward states that are creating the conditions for education innovation and reform. Race to the Top funding will go to states that demonstrate comprehensive education reform including: adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace; building data systems that measure student growth and success; recruiting, developing rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals; and turning around our lowest performing schools.
The Louisiana Office of Social Entrepreneurship was established in the fall of 2006 by Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu. Its mission is to advance social innovation by supporting the creation and growth of the most innovate, measurable and sustainable solutions to the social problems affecting Louisiana’s citizens. The Office partners with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to provide meaningful capacity built around the tenets of social entrepreneurship. The Office works to creates credible portals for financial and in-kind resources, and support improvements to public policy that enhance social innovation.
The One Star Foundation, located in Austin, Texas, was established in 2003 as part of an executive order from Governor Rick Perry. The OneStar Foundation’s purpose is to further volunteerism and community service in the State of Texas. OneStar helps Texas nonprofits their stakeholders through initiatives that increase civic engagement, research, rigorous evaluation, and nonprofit organizational excellence. Its goal is to achieve sustainable social impact throughout the larger nonprofit infrastructure.
The Phoenix Project was in founded in Virginia in January of 2006. It is committed to preparing a new generation of social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders who have both the passion and the business sense to devise, scale and sustain solutions.
Public Innovators is a nonpartisan initiative put forth by Root Cause. Its mission is to introduce policymakers and government agencies to social entrepreneurship and guide these constituencies in identifying and advancing innovative and results oriented solutions to social problems. Public Innovators works with government leaders at all levels to advance their mission.
