The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009 authorized $50 million for the creation of the Social Innovation Fund, which is housed within the Corporation for National and Community Service.
During the creation of the Social Innovation Fund, GEO participated in discussions with the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation and other philanthropic thought leaders to provide input as to how the fund, as a new federal government grantmaking program, might transform the way private and public sector funders support high-performing nonprofits.
One of the goals of the Scaling What Works initiative is to serve as an ongoing convener, liaison and information broker between philanthropy and public agencies involved with the Social Innovation Fund, with the hope of building effective partnerships between philanthropy and government that speed the pace at which community solutions scale.
Corporation for National and Community Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve. The agency also administers the Social Innovation Fund. To learn more, visit www.nationalservice.gov.
White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation
The White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation, part of the Presidential Administration's Domestic Policy Council, focuses on nurturing community-based solutions to the nation's most pressing social problems; promoting service; and encouraging partnerships among citizens, nonprofits, business and government. The office also helps coordinate efforts, such as competitive innovation funds, across various federal agencies. These funds are designed to identify promising local solutions and drive resources toward them so that their success can be replicated in other communities across the United States. To learn more, visit www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/sicp.
