A huge first step in the creation of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

Much has been discussed about the role of the government in social innovation. Michele Jolin, laid the blueprint for what is now the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation (SICP). This office has been moving at a very fast pace, and this past July, they announced their first round of grantees. The office created a $50 million Social Innovation Fund, which is leveraged 3:1 by various foundations and philanthropists to spur development of non-profit social ventures. Understandably, this is a relatively small line item in our national budget. The greater impact of this office is its ability to convene and create opportunities for community partnerships.

This summer, I had the honor of interning at the White House of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which is located in the same building as SICP. During my internship, I had the pleasure to meet with Sonal Shah, the director of SICP, on few occasions. From our conversations, I can tell you that this is only an exciting first step in supporting social innovation.

In the coming months we will see more progress on supporting social innovation coming from this office. Key policy changes I would personally like to see are:

· More government support for for-profit social ventures (tax credits, subsidies, etc)

· Less paperwork to establish a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

· Improve the Student Loan Forgiveness Program (SLFP) to support college graduates to pursue careers at non-profits or to start their own social ventures.

I am particular interested in the last point of government's role in spurring more young people into social innovation and nonprofits more broadly. I am tackling this issue through my social venture, by allowing young people to gain access to sponsorship for their volunteer service to help pay back their student loans and give back to their community. It also happens to be aligned with SIPC's mission to promote service.

Jolin also echoed this sentiment, in her article, On the Frontlines Innovating the White House. In this article she mentions that the White House, should foster partnership with Universities to prepare young people for careers in the non-profit sector; ensuring the student loan debt does not prevent qualified, interested young people from entering the non-profit sector.

My questions for you are:

What key policy changes, if any, would like to see from the White House to support social innovation?

What key policy changes, if any, would you like to see that increase civic participation?