The America Forward coalition is honored to partner with Root Cause and Public Innovators to present new ideas for ways social entrepreneurs and government can work together to solve our nation’s most pressing domestic challenges.  Together, we share the belief that matching social entrepreneurs’ innovative solutions with the policy and political reach of government has the potential to make a profound and lasting positive impact on communities across the nation.  
 
America Forward is a coalition of more than 65 innovative, entrepreneurial organizations that have come together to present a new way to solve our nation’s most persistent social problems.  Together, coalition organizations operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, have a collective budget of more than $400 million, and reach more than 10 million people every year.  They share a commitment to the principles of innovation, accountability, and results, and they’re having a profound and measurable impact in our communities.
 
The objectives of the America Forward coalition are two-fold: 1) to introduce social entrepreneurship into the national dialogue, helping to fuel a discussion about new, more effective ways to solve domestic problems; and 2) to advance a policy agenda that will create an infrastructure for social entrepreneurs and government to act together to scale the impact of solutions that work.
 
The coalition came together to achieve these objectives because many social entrepreneurs began to realize that despite the impressive results of their individual organizations, scaling these organizations alone wouldn’t solve the difficult problems we face in education, health care, workforce development, economic mobility, and other areas.  It’s time for social entrepreneurs to transcend the interests of individual organizations and use the power of public policy to drive change, especially in the context of the open 2008 presidential race.  Coalition members formed a collective voice to show that social entrepreneurship represents not just a sprinkling of isolated success stories, but the fundamentals of a new, innovative way to solve social problems.  Making government a partner in their efforts could effectively leverage the resources and reach of the federal government and actually solve the seemingly intractable social challenges we face.
 
The America Forward coalition has developed a policy approach that incorporates the principles of invention, performance, competition, and accountability into work being done in the public interest.  We have specific policy ideas we are presenting to the presidential candidates and other policymakers, and we are encouraging government to foster innovation in the social sector, identify what works, and grow the best solutions to wherever they are needed.
 
We’re excited by the traction the coalition is getting with both presidential candidates, and by all of the momentum building around bringing social entrepreneurs and government together.  We look forward to continuing this dialogue with Public Innovators and the many others working so diligently and passionately to scale the impact of America’s social entrepreneurs.
 
Kelly Ward is the Director of America Forward.  For more information about America Forward, visit their website and blog at www.AmericaForward.org.