As we enter the general election season, social entrepreneurs have a unique opportunity to help shape and influence the next president’s approach to the non-profit sector. The next president will take office with ambitious goals to tackle our nation’s most serious social challenges, from health care reform to improving the quality of our nation’s schools. At the same time, he will be operating in a climate with limited tolerance for new government spending or government-only solutions. Given this, social entrepreneurs can offer the new president and his administration new, tested solutions to these challenges.    
 
To support this effort, I have proposed creating a White House Office of Social Entrepreneurship, which will help coordinate the next president’s efforts to use policy tools to create a climate that fosters growth and innovation in the non-profit sector. Read my article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review for more details - I'd be interested in hearing any comments or suggestions on this proposed effort.
 
Michele Jolin is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, where she is managing a presidential transition project that will provide policy advice and recommendations to the 44th president. She is also developing policy tools and ideas to help spur social entrepreneurship in the non-profit sector.