Don't forget to let the Corporation for National and Community Service hear your voice!  The NOFA (Notice of Funds Available) is available here, with more general information here. Send your comments to SIFinput@cns.gov.

We've put together a summary of what's included in the NOFA.  Download it here.  And check out Root Cause CEO Andrew Wolk's post about the SIF on his blog.

The OneStar Foundation, Dallas Social Venture Partners, and Root Cause would like to thank all of those who helped us spread the word about our social media conference, live from the OneStar Foundation’s Governor’s Nonprofit Leadership Conference last Wednesday. We were excited to be able to share the conversations taking place at the conference with all of you who tuned in, tweeted, and blogged about it. Thank you for watching and listening, and thank you for your questions!

If you missed the live stream the first time around, you can watch it anytime here.

Please take a look at what these folks are up to, they are all doing amazing things. The organizations and individuals that supported our effort to spread the word about social innovation in Texas are:

The Microfinance Forum

myImpact.org

Spark Club

Social Velocity

Social Entrepreneurship at Change.org

SVP Toronto

We have just posted a summary document, "Government and Social Innovation: Existing Models", that provides information on all the local, state, and federal initiatives we know about that are supporting social innovation and strengthening partnerships between government and the nonprofit sector.  The list includes both executive branch efforts and offices, as well as legislation that has been introduced and sometimes passed.

Check it out and let us know if there's anything you know about that we're missing.  Also, please share your thoughts on the models we've listed.  Anything stand out as especially compelling or useful to your state or city?

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave a speech about "smarter government" and, in it, referenced a new project to pilot the use of social impact bonds. He says:

"What we call social impact bonds – money paid out now to deal at root with the causes not the symptoms of a problem – will reward social investors for work which reduces future social costs, for example, in seeking to lower the reoffending rate of those coming out of prison.

"Effective government action helping, for example millions of carers, does not crowd out social responsibility. it helps to enrich and strengthen it especially in the most hard-pressed communities."

An accompanying report, "Putting the Frontline First: smarter government", outlines how these bonds would work:

A joint committee yesterday agreed to fully appropriate the Social Innovation Fund to match the $50 million authorization level and President Obama's budget request. The full funding bill will now go to both the House and Senate for final approval. The text of the Omnibus bill under the section funding the Corporation for National and Community Service reads:

Within the total provided for Innovation, Assistance, and Other Activities, the conference agreement includes $50,000,000 for the Social Innovation Fund as proposed by the Senate instead of $35,000,000 as proposed by the House. Within the total provided for Innovation, Assistance, and Other Activities, the conference agreement includes $1,000,000 for the nonprofit capacity,building program instead of $2,000,000 as proposed by the Senate. The House did not propose funding for this program.

Read more here.

This morning is the kick-off of the Governor's Nonprofit Leadership Conference, hosted by the OneStar Foundation: Texas Center for Social Impact.  Root Cause has teamed up with Dallas Social Venture Partners and OneStar to launch the Texas Social Innovation Initiative; the winning organizations will be announced at the conference and will take part in a live social media press conference immediately following.

Watch it live at 10:30 AM CST on Wednesday December 9th.

For more on the press conference, visit their blog.  To learn more about the Texas Social Innovation Initiative and OneStar's partnership with Root Cause and SVP Dallas, click here.

The Corporation for National and Community Service recently hosted a conference call to solicit public input on the Social Innovation Fund authorized by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.

In case you missed the call, you can listen to a recording here (and look for the link at the very top of the page).

You'll also find an information page addressing frequently asked questions.  Among them:

How do I apply for funds?

It is anticipated that a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the SIF will be posted in late 2009. The due date for applications will be early 2010, and funding will be awarded in late spring or summer of 2010.

Funding is contingent upon congressional approval of the FY 2010 budget. FY 2010 begins on October 1, 2009. In the event of a continuing resolution for the 2010 budget, CNCS will still hold a competition in Winter 2009/2010 but will not award funds until Congress passes a budget that indicates funding for the SIF.

Yesterday's Wall Street Journal featured a special section on philanthropy with a series of great articles that highlight trends in the field and suggest changes to ensure that philanthropic giving grows ever more effective.

One article, "Is It Public, or Is It Private?" discusses the growing trend toward public-private partnerships between private philanthropists and government. The reason? "Both sides stand to gain: Donors leverage their dollars, and the government gets additional capital, plus the expertise and credibility that high-profile philanthropists often bestow on the causes they support."

Root Cause CEO Andrew Wolk is quoted discussing the enormity of government dollars, "Government resources dwarf the funds spent by the nation's largest foundations and individual donors, who contribute $16.5 billion and $163.5 billion peryear, respectively. The federal government alone spends more than $1 trillion per year on social services."

Social Innovation Conversations has posted the podcast of the keynote discussion between Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu and Root Cause Founder & CEO Andrew Wolk that took place at last spring's Social Enterprise Summit in New Orleans.  Listen to it here.

About the Podcast

In February 2007, Mitch Landrieu, Louisiana lieutenant governor, launched an unprecedented effort to find and promote effective solutions to the challenges facing Louisiana after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Landrieu founded the nation’s first government-run Office of Social Entrepreneurship, making Louisiana the most hospitable place in the country for proving the most effective models for social change.

In this conversation with Andrew Wolk, Landrieu shares how Louisiana is demonstrating the potential for big change as civic leaders team up with social innovators. He details some of his work as head of the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism; in particular, to rebuild New Orleans and strengthen the entire state by restoring and enhancing its cultural assets. Landrieu spoke at the 10th anniversary of the Social Enterprise Summit, held in New Orleans and sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation.

The Corporation for National and Community Service is fielding lots of questions about the newly authorized, but not yet appropriated, Social Innovation Fund (also called the Community Solutions Grant Fund). To ease some of the confusion, they've posted a 1-page FAQ that lays out the basics - including how it works, what it funds, and a tentative timeline.

Read it here.