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JW: First, the public sector should
increase its commitment and willingness
to invest in R&D. Were it not
for the investments by the federal
government in the ARPANET [Adhttp://foundationcenter.org/pnd/newsmakers/
GO
sector. In order for the meeting to
be fruitful it had to be relatively
small — we were at capacity with
38 people in the room, and it turned
out to be highly productive.
I expect that the next set of
meetings will focus on investing in
social enterprises, which we define
as enterprises that produce both
financial and social returns. And
after that — and this is the larger
task — our hope is to take a look at
specific solutions to key problems.
For example, there are disparities in
access to quality education in this
country, and the solutions that have
been proposed to address the problem
include improving the
quality of teaching, funding
targeted interventions
designed to improve high
school graduation rates,
and so on. What we hope
to do is to put together
a group of experts in the
field to identify theories
of change in that area;
identify the key strategies that flow
from those theories; consider the
division of labor among the public,
private, and philanthropic sectors;
explore the possibilities for public
and private partnerships; and come
to a shared view of what the metrics
are for success.
PND: Obviously, one important
thing the government can do in the
realm of social innovation is to be
a significant provider of funds. Are
there other ways that the public
sector can work with nonprofits
and the philanthropic community
to encourage and accelerate social
innovation?
vanced Research Projects Agency
Network], for example, we would
not have the Internet and all of the
efficiencies we’ve gained, in both
the private and not-for-profit sectors,
as a result. There are core investments
in R&D and infrastructure of
all kinds that government can make
that would be of significant value to
the economy as a whole. And in most
cases, what is good for the economy
is good for the nonprofit sector.
Secondly, the task of reviewing
and eliminating, where appropriate,
regulatory or other policy barriers to
giving and innovation is an important
agenda, and one very much worth
pursuing. Some barriers are there for
good reasons and others are not. In
some ways, that kind of review has
the potential to be even more significant
than any social innovation fund.
PND: Some of the challenges we’ve
mentioned — poverty, access to
health care, education reform,
climate change — are huge and, in
most cases, will require decades to
ameliorate. Looking out a few years,
do you see any short-term opportunities
or low-hanging fruit for an Office
of Social Innovation?
JW: We did not discuss low-hanging
fruit, but I think President Obama
was very clear about his priorities in
February in his address to the Joint
Session of Congress. And, by virtue
of setting an agenda, that helps
nonprofits which are in a position to
contribute to solving some of these
problems. I would go so
far as to say that the
process is already under
way in various sectors and
sub-sectors and in various agencies
and organizations.
PND: Are you confident that something
at the federal level will be
created around the idea of social
innovation?
JW: I am confident that social
innovation will occur outside of
government and, in many cases, in
partnership with government. But at
the end of the day it’s up to others
...I am confident that social innovation will
occur outside of government and, in many
cases, in partnership with government....
to decide and shape the context
within which those public-private
partnerships take place. The Aspen
Institute’s Program on Philanthropy
and Social Innovation will seek to
encourage and enable it whenever
we can, for Aspen’s most fundamental
purpose is to advance the “good
society.” Furthermore, this is central
to the Global Philanthropy Forum’s
agenda, which exists to inform,
enable, and enhance the strategic
nature of giving and social investing.
We are part of a much larger community
that shares this purpose,
regardless of sector, discipline, or
political point of view.
PND: Well, thank you for speaking
with us, Jane.
JW: Thank you.
—Mitch Nauffts
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