ENGAGING THE SOCIAL SECTOR:

OFFICES AND INITIATIVES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

May 2010
Blueprint Research & Design, Inc.

David Koken, Coro Fellow in Public Affairs 2010

Rebekah Morreale, Stanford University 2011

About This Document:

Goal:
To list all offices, initiatives and programs of the Federal Government related to philanthropy
and social innovation.

Methodology:
Researchers conducted a thorough examination of websites for all Federal Agencies and
Departments listed on USA.gov and whitehouse.gov. Using organizational charts, site maps,
program listings and internal site keyword searches, researchers identified and recorded all
offices, initiatives and programs related to the project goal.

Results:
The following list provides an in-depth look at current approaches by the Federal Government
to engage with social sector organizations and individual citizens. Over 50 specific programs
were identified, representing billions of dollars in spending from 15 distinct Federal
Departments and Agencies.

These findings are wide-ranging, but certainly not exhaustive.

Use:
All offices and initiatives listed in blue act as links to more detailed descriptions and program
information, including (when available): Current program/office director, year created, mission
statement, details of key programs/functions, and external links to more information.

White House, Executive Office of the President

Office/Initiative Description Specific Programs
Office of Social Engaging individuals, non-profits, • Social Innovation Fund ($50M)
Innovation and the private sector, and • Community Solutions Tour
Civic Participation government to foster innovation • Educate to Innovate
and work together to make • Promoting Innovation Conference
greater and more lasting • Let's Move
progress on our Nation’s
• Text4Baby
 DETAILED PROFILES FOR ALL
OFFICES/INITIATIVES

Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation

(SICP)
Department: White House, Domestic Policy Council
Director: Sonal Shah
Year Created: 2009, Edward M Kennedy Serve America Act
Mission:

The Office will:

• Promote Service as a Solution and a Way to Develop Community Leaders

• Increase Investment for Innovative Solutions that Demonstrate Results
• Develop New, Innovative Models of Partnership

Key Programs/Functions

1.) The Social Innovation Fund (SIF) - a new public-private investment vehicle
administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. $50 million in
federal funds with $150 million or greater in Private Match Funding. SIF awards will be
made to 7 to 10 existing grantmaking institutions or eligible partnerships that will act
as intermediaries for distributing funds to nonprofit community organizations serving
low-income communities.

More information:
http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/10_0216_sif_nofa_additional_info.pdf

2.) New Partnership Models - President Barack Obama has made it a priority for
this administration to find new ways for the government to partner with nonprofits,
foundations, philanthropists, private organizations, academia, and all levels of
government in solving shared problems.

Progress

• Educate to Innovate is a campaign to improve the participation and performance of

America's students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
that has announced a number of major public-private partnerships;
• Let's Move, championed by the First Lady, is a campaign working in partnership with
major foundations, nonprofits, and the private sector through the Partnership for a
Healthier America to help end childhood obesity in a generation;
• Text4Baby is an innovative public-private partnership to get weekly SMS text
messages to provide pregnant women and new moms with information to help them
 take care of their health and give their babies the best possible start in life;
• The Social Innovation Fund is a public-private investment, with a 3:1 private match
for every public dollar invested. The Fund will also work in partnership with
foundations and other private partners to support and create a learning community
for grantees;
• United We Serve, the President and First Lady's call for Americans to serve, benefits
from a number of partnerships that are highlighted on the amplify and add
capacity to the call to serve; and,
• All for Good is an innovative search tool launched by Our Good Works in partnership
with CNCS to help Americans connect to over 250,000 opportunities to serve through
Serve.gov.

3.) Community Solutions Tour – In order to ‘highlight bottom up solutions’ and

‘gather and share valuable knowledge,’ the SICP staff will be traveling across the
country to find the best community solutions.

Following are the stops Administration officials have made as part of this Tour:

• March 1, 2010, Dorchester, MA, Peer Health Exchange and Codman Academy

Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Department: Exec. Office of the President, 11 Centers in Federal Agencies, 30+ State
Office partners

Director: Joshua DuBois (video), Contacts for Federal Centers | State Offices

Year Created: 2009 (Spun off from Bush administration - Office of Faith Based and
Community Initiatives)
Mission: Form partnerships between government at all levels and non-profit
organizations, both secular and faith-based, to more effectively serve
Americans in need.

The Office advances this work through 11 Agency Centers (HHS and HUD are the two
oldest/largest) across government and a Strategic Advisor at the Corporation for
National and Community Service.

Key Programs/Functions

1.) President’s Advisory Council on Faith Based and Neighborhood

Partnerships: brings together 25 leaders and experts from faith-based and
neighborhood organizations in order to make recommendations to government on how
to improve partnerships.

2.) Four goals of office:

1. Strengthening the Role of Community Organizations in the Economic Recovery

Strengthening Communities Fund – Administered by Department of Health

and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families - $50 million in
Recovery Act funding available to help communities severely affected by the
economic downturn. Partnering with private and public organizations, HHS will
provide one-time, two year grants

• Nonprofit Capacity Building Program: The SCF Nonprofit

Capacity Building program will make one-time awards up to $1
million to experienced lead organizations to provide nonprofit
organizations -- or project partners -- with capacity building
training, technical assistance, and competitive financial assistance.

2. Reducing Unintended Pregnancies, Supporting Maternal and Child Health, and

Reducing the Need for Abortion
3. Promoting Responsible Fatherhood and Strong Communities

- National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse – provides

resources for families and professionals, including links/map to all
grantees receiving government funding

4. Promoting Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation

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Office of Public Engagement

Department: Executive Office of the President
Director: Christina Tchen
Year Created: 2009, Obama Administration
Mission:

The Office of Public Engagement helps open the two-way dialogue, ensuring that the
issues impacting our nation’s proud and diverse communities have a receptive team
dedicated to making their voices heard within the Administration, and even more
importantly helping their concerns be translated into action by the appropriate bodies
of the Federal Government

Key Programs/Functions

1.) The White House Office of Public Engagement events/programs:

• March 10th, hosted over 100 constituent groups at the White House for an hour
and a half meeting to discuss the need for improved financial capability.
• August 4th, brought over eighty interns from various organizations around
Washington DC to the White House for a briefing on AAPIs (Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders) in public service.
• More examples here

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Office of Innovation and Improvement

Department: Education
Director: James H. Shelton III, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and
Improvement
Year Created: Bush Administration
Mission: Makes strategic investments in innovative educational practices through two
dozen discretionary grant programs and coordinates the public school choice and
supplemental educational services provisions of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act as amended by No Child Left Behind.

Key Programs/Functions
1.) Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) – Part of 2009 ARRA
• The purpose of this program is to provide competitive grants to applicants with a
record of improving student achievement and attainment in order to expand the
implementation of, and investment in, innovative practices that are
demonstrated to have an impact on improving student achievement or student
growth, closing achievement gaps, decreasing dropout rates, increasing high
school graduation rates, or increasing college enrollment and completion rates.
• $650 million grant fund which requires organizations to secure minimum 20%
private match
• Online foundation registry available here to assist orgs with private match
requirements
• List of participating Foundations

2.) Promise Neighborhoods -

• Provides funding to support eligible entities, including (1) nonprofit

organizations, which may include faith-based nonprofit organizations, and (2)
institutions of higher education.
• The program is intended to significantly improve the educational and
developmental outcomes of all children in our most distressed communities,
including rural and tribal communities
• $10 million available funding

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Director of Philanthropic Engagement

Department: Education
Director: Suzanne Immerman, Special Assistant to the Secretary
Year Created: 2009
Mission: For full article:
http://www2.ed.gov/news/newsletters/innovator/2009/1029.html

The Department has truly embraced the foundation community by creating a position within the
Office of the Secretary for the Director of Philanthropic Engagement. This dedicated role within
the Secretary’s Office signals to the philanthropic world that the Department is “open for
business.”

While the Department recognizes that government has no business controlling private sector
resources, nor telling private foundations how they should invest their philanthropic dollars, the
Department does believe that there is a leadership opportunity at hand. At a minimum, the
Department can provide transparency around its own decisions and investments, to assist
others in making the most informed choices about how to invest their limited resources. Even
better, the Department can provide leadership to the field, and offer guidance as to where gaps
in funding, research, and knowledge exist along the spectrum of an overall strategy for
comprehensive change.
The Department hopes to catalyze a portfolio of investor collaboration tools to allow
philanthropy and government to operate from shared platforms

Key Programs/Functions

1.) The Department hopes to catalyze a portfolio of investor collaboration tools to allow
philanthropy and government to operate from shared platforms

There are two foundational/fundamental tools for this work:

• A roadmap that outlines the Department’s strategies and goals, and delineates how
government funding supports and invests in those particular goals.
• A network platform to pool information and expertise, research, data, and evaluation
results within the education sector.

2.) Private funders can support innovation in education. The following are just some of
his examples:

• Coinvest in intermediaries to complement the i3 awards, providing support for

promising, high-risk innovations not funded through the federal program; (see
Office of Innovation and Improvement)
• Collaborate in the development of college and career-ready standards;
• Collaborate across states on curriculum, learning tools, technology innovation,
and teacher preparation;
• Enable states and districts to make the best use of new federal funds from ARRA
by helping states put together great applications for the Race to the Top
competition;
• Assist local districts with the complex planning process for school turnarounds;
and
• Support rigorous evaluations of education reform. Without compelling research
studies, promising innovations rarely get to scale.

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Global Partnerships Initiative

Department: State, Office of the Secretary
Director: Special Representative for Global Partnerships, Ambassador Elizabeth
Bagley
Year Created: 2009
Mission:
Through the Global Partnership Initiative, the Department of State is developing a vital
component of smart power: the strategic partnerships with private businesses,
philanthropies, universities, faith communities, Diaspora groups, and individuals who
today find themselves empowered like never before
Key Programs/Functions

1.) Secretary’s Innovation Award Empowering Women and Girls

• Funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Innovation Award seeks to find and
bring to scale the most pioneering approaches to the political, economic and
social empowerment of women and girls around the globe.
• http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/04/140981.htm
• Melanne Verveer – Director, Office of Global Woman’s Issues

2.) Pittsburgh Summit on Food Security – G-20: Partnering on Food Security

One of the key elements of the U.S. approach to this initiative is to use development
assistance to explore synergies with private philanthropy and private sector actors. As
an example, we have been working with several foundations and businesses deeply
involved in food security to see how best to coordinate our efforts:

Gates Foundation: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has to date committed $1.4 billion as part of a new
effort to boost agricultural development focused on smallholder farmers in the developing world and another half billion
dollars for nutrition-related investments largely for children and their mothers around the globe, has strongly endorsed
the new food security initiative, and agreed to work closely with the G-20 and its partners to better align their activities
and explore areas of collaboration and partnership to maximize impact on the ground.

Rockefeller Foundation: The Rockefeller Foundation will bring over sixty years of experience in food security and
agricultural development to bear, working with us to explore how we can take to scale successful programs on
agricultural inputs and market development, and will share with us its research and field testing on critical issues
including, for example, building climate change resilience into agricultural development programs and facilitating
greater private sector investments in agricultural development.

Hewlett Foundation: We are collaborating with The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to develop the most
effective ways to integrate small holder farmers into commercial agricultural value chains, especially along Africa’s
regional infrastructure corridors. We will work with the Hewlett Foundation and others to increase market efficiencies
and reduce barriers along these regional development corridors, through improved infrastructure and policies along
these corridors.

http://www.pittsburghsummit.gov/resources/129662.htm
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International and Philanthropic Affairs Office

Department: Housing and Urban Development
Director: Ana Marie Argilagos, Deputy Assistant Secretary
Year Created:
Mission:

“embracing the exchange of ideas and exploring collaboration with

international housing and urban innovators, stakeholders and institutions to
find, generate, and cooperatively implement innovative approaches to pressing
problems”

Key Programs/Functions
1) “coordinates the Department's international exchanges and contacts
from the Office of Policy Development and Research, including diverse
bilateral (e.g. Canada and Mexico) and multilateral (e.g. UN and OECD)
programs concerning issues in housing policy, housing finance, urban
development, and the environment.”
2) “handles HUD appointments for foreign government officials and
delegations -- about 400 foreign officials from 50 countries visit HUD each
year for meetings to discuss policy and program operations.”
3) “working with other agencies such as the Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection Agency in developing policy guidelines and
incentives to reduce automobile and energy usage at both the community
level and individual office buildings or households.”
4) “embarking on a new engagement with academic institutions, domestic
and international think tanks, and philanthropic organizations to increase
our collective understanding of how best to deal with our enduring urban
and environmental issues”
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Small Business Innovation Research
Department: U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
Director: Edsel M. Brown, Jr., Esq., Assistant Administrator
Year Created: 1982 (SBIR); 1992 (STTR)
Mission:

“Through these two competitive programs, SBA ensures that the nation's small, high-
tech, innovative businesses are a significant part of the federal government's research
and development efforts.” (SBIR.gov)

“both programs seek to increase the participation of small businesses in Federal R&D
and to increase private sector commercialization of technology developed through
Federal R&D”

Key Programs/Functions
Provide $2billion to small high-tech businesses

1.) SBIR
• “protects the small business and enables it to compete on the same level as
larger businesses”
• “funds the critical startup and development stages and it encourages the
commercialization of the technology, product, or service, which, in turn,
stimulates the U.S. economy”
• “[help] small businesses to compete for federal research and development
awards”
• in partnership with 11 federal entities
• Funding Program
- “Phase I is the startup phase. Awards of up to $100,000 for approximately 6 months
support exploration of the technical merit or feasibility of an idea or technology.
- Phase II awards of up to $750,000, for as many as 2 years, expand Phase I results.
During this time, the R&D work is performed and the developer evaluates
commercialization potential. Only Phase I award winners are considered for Phase II.
- Phase III is the period during which Phase II innovation moves from the laboratory into
the marketplace. No SBIR funds support this phase. The small business must find
funding in the private sector or other non-SBIR federal agency funding.”

2.) STTR
• “at least 40% of the work must be performed by the small business, and
at least 30% of the work must be performed by a non-profit research
institution. Such institutions include Federally-funded research and
development centers (for example, DOE national laboratories),
universities, non-profit hospitals, and other non-profits”
 • “expands funding opportunities in the federal innovation research and
development arena”
• “expansion of the public/private sector partnership to include the joint
venture opportunities for small business and the nation's premier
nonprofit research institutions… to foster the innovation necessary to
meet the nation's scientific and technological challenges in the 21st
century.”
• in partnership with five federal entities
• Funding Program
- “Phase I is the startup phase. Awards of up to $100,000 for approximately one year
fund the exploration of the scientific, technical, and commercial feasibility of an idea or
technology.
- Phase II awards of up to $750,000, for as long as two years, expand Phase I results.
During this period, the R&D work is performed and the developer begins to consider
commercial potential. Only Phase I award winners are considered for Phase II.
- Phase III is the period during which Phase II innovation moves from the laboratory into
the marketplace. No STTR funds support this phase. The small business must find
funding in the private sector or other non-STTR federal agency funding.”

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Innovations in Nuclear Infrastructure and Education

Initiative

Department: Energy
Director:
Year Created: 1998, Clinton Administration
Mission:

“encouraged the development of strategic consortia among universities, DOE

national laboratories, and industry [in order to] ensure that our country will
have an adequate supply of trained nuclear scientists and engineers”

Key Programs/Functions

1.) Aimed to increase the interest and pursuit of academic study in

nuclear sciences after an extreme plummet in interest following a lack of
federal funding of this sector as a result of Chernobyl and Three Mile
Island incidents

2.) “competitive peer-reviewed program to provide grants allowing nuclear

engineering faculty and students to conduct innovative research in
nuclear engineering and related areas”
 3.) 1-3 year awards to academic areas pertinent to nuclear engineering

4.) “provides tuition, stipends, and practicums to outstanding graduate

students studying nuclear engineering and health physics and
undergraduate scholarships and practicums to students pursuing a
nuclear engineering course of study”

5.) University Partnership Program

- pairs minority institutions with institutions offering a nuclear engineering
degree to enable more minorities to enter the field of nuclear engineering
- “assists universities in the operation of research reactors and in the
performance of other educational activities”

6.) University Nuclear Infrastructure (UNI)

Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists

Department: Energy – Office of Science
Director: Dr. William F. Brinkman, Director of the Office of Science
Year Created:
Mission:
“The Office of Science Workforce Development for Teachers and
Scientists program continues the Department’s long-standing role of training
young scientists, engineers and technicians in the scientifically and technically
advanced environment of our National Laboratories.”

Key Programs/Functions
 1.) Mentorship

- Undergraduate Internships: undergraduate students have access to

mentorship by leading scientists and advanced learning equipment

- Laboratory Fellowships for K-14 teachers in order to better prepare them

in teaching these subjects

- Graduate/Faculty Fellowships

2.) National Science Bowl

- founded 2006, Bush Administration as part of American Competitiveness

Initiative (ACI)
- infuse middle and high school students with an interest in science
- 17,000 student participants

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National Center for Environmental Innovation

Department: Environmental Protection Agency – Office of Policy, Economics, and
Innovation
Director:
Year Created:
Mission:

“promotes new ways to achieve better environmental results. Working in

partnership with other EPA programs, States, businesses, communities and
other interested parties, NCEI focuses on: promoting environmental
stewardship across society, creating a results-oriented regulatory system,
building capacity for innovative problem solving”
Key Programs/Functions

1) “NCEI supports the full cycle of innovation - from identification of new

ideas to evaluation to scale up:

• Innovative Pilots Division - tests innovative ideas that promise

better environmental and public health protection than existing
policies;
• Evaluation Support Division - evaluates innovative approaches to
determine their effectiveness; and
• Policy and Program Change Division - promotes adoption of
successful innovations so their value can be realized on a broader
scale.”

2) “Partners with other innovators at EPA, in other government agencies,

and in businesses and other enterprises who share our interest in
achieving a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future.”

3) Environmental Innovation Portfolio

• “categorizing the types of strategies that environmental agencies

can use to reap better results;
• highlighting promising projects as examples of approaches that can
be adopted or adapted;
• promoting networking among people working on similar problems
who can benefit from shared experiences.”

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Edward Murrows Program for Journalist
Department: Department of State
Director:
Year Created: 2006
Mission:
The “Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists” is a specialized International
Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) for emerging leaders in the field of journalism
that relies on an innovative public-private partnership between the U.S.
Department of State, the Aspen Institute, and leading schools of journalism for
its support.

Key Programs/Functions

1.) Since its inception in 2006, the U.S. Department of State’s Murrow Program
has brought more than 600 journalists from around the world to examine
journalistic principles and practices in the United States.

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Global Development Commons

Department: USAID
Director: David Ferguson
Year Created: Launched by former Administrator Henrietta H. Fore in the fall of
2007
Mission:
The Global Development Commons promotes innovations for international
development through knowledge sharing, partnerships, and collaborative
problem-solving. Identifying and fostering innovations through open
approaches can improve our ability to deliver on our core mission at the US
Agency for International Development. We seek to enable any citizen of this
world to co-create solutions to common problems because no single actor
can solve today’s global challenges.

We intend to sustain the Global Development Commons (Commons) through

partnerships and to enable multiple innovation experiences through the
Commons website (including interactive websites that encourage user-driven
problem-solving and open development competitions or "challenges").

Key Programs/Functions
Examples of past/current programs:

1.) New Partnership to Monitor Election Related Violence in

Afghanistan
The Global Development Commons at USAID is proud to be partnering with
FortiusOne’s GeoCommons, Google, OpenStreetMap, Stamen, Development
Seed, the Synergy Strike Force, and many others who map data on election-
related violence and trends around the Afghanistan 2009 Elections. This map is
available in real time to anyone with an internet connection, creating an
unprecedented degree of transparency. Check out the map and the data
available so far, or upload your own data to build it out even more.

2.) IntraHealth OPEN Council - Promoting Open Source Platforms

to Build Capacity for Health Practitioners and Systems in
Africa
IntraHealth has worked through USAID’s Capacity Project to develop the new
Human Resource Information Systems (iHRIS) suite of free open source HRIS
solutions to supply health sector leaders and managers with a collection of new
tools. The software provides the information they need to assess HR problems,
plan effective interventions and evaluate those interventions. Building on that
knowledge and experience with open source platforms, the Global Development
Commons team supports IntraHealth's OPEN initiative and advises the
IntraHealth OPEN Council to promote the production and distribution of open
source solutions for health.

3.) USAID Development 2.0 Challenge

Mobile phone penetration has now topped 50 percent, with almost four billion
subscribers, compared to 10 percent for personal computers. The Global
Development Commons wants to apply these mobile technologies to exchange
key information among people in developing countries. The USAID
Development 2.0 Challenge sought to tap non-traditional sources, such as
students, budding entrepreneurs, and other innovators to apply an innovative
mobile technology solution for maximum development reach and impact in
areas such as health, banking, education, agricultural trade, or other pressing
development issues.
Read more about the 2.0 Challenge and watch video from the event

4.Development Experience Clearinghouse

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• A survey of the proposed Nouabale conservation area in northern Congo

• Strengthening national and local judicial systems and promoting
reconciliation processes (1999-2004)

President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

Department: USAID
Director:
Year Created: 2003, Bush Administration
Mission:
PEPFAR holds a place in history as the largest effort by any nation to combat a single
disease. In the first five years of the program, PEPFAR focused on establishing and
scaling up prevention, care and treatment programs. It achieved success in expanding
access to HIV prevention, care and treatment in low-resource settings.

This global epidemic requires a comprehensive, multisectoral approach that expands

access to prevention, care and treatment. As PEPFAR works to build upon its
successes, it will focus on transitioning from an emergency response to promoting
sustainable country programs.

48 billion over the next 5 years to combat global HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Key Programs/Functions
1.) Private Public Partnerships (PPP’s) - PPPs enable the U.S. Government (USG)
and private sector entities to maximize their efforts through jointly-defined objectives,
program design and implementation. These mutually-beneficial arrangements enhance
local and international capacity to deliver high-quality health services and prevention
programs, and leverage the core competencies of each sector to multiply their impact.

Potential private sector partners include a wide range of organizations: U.S. and non-
U.S. private businesses, multinational corporations, small and medium-sized
enterprises, business and trade associations, labor unions, foundations, and
philanthropic leaders, including venture capitalists. PEPFAR engages the private
sector in various ways, and many countries are actively and creatively pursuing this
objective.

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Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Department: State
Director: Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Goli Ameri
Year Created: 2008
Mission:

Key Programs/Functions

1.) The "My Culture + Your Culture = ? Share Your Story" video contest -
Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Goli Ameri, in
conjunction with the Adobe Foundation, will launch an online video contest to amplify
U.S. public diplomacy using web-based outreach campaigns and social media
platforms.

2.) 2008 Breast Cancer Global Congress - The U.S. State Department and the Avon
Foundation are pleased to announce a public-private partnership to combat the
worldwide burden of breast cancer. The 2008 Breast Cancer Global Congress will be
held October 15, 2008 at the Department of State’s George C. Marshall Center in
Washington, DC, and will include participants from over 40 countries representing all
regions of the world.
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Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act 2009 –

Competitive Grants
Department: Corporation for National and Community Service
Director:
Year Created: 2009
Mission: On April 21, 2009, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve
America Act, the
most sweeping expansion of national service in a generation. Its swift bipartisan
journey through Congress reflected a national consensus that service is a powerful
response to the economic and social challenges facing America today. This landmark
law is making America stronger by focusing service on key national issues; expanding
opportunities to serve; building the capacity of individuals, nonprofits, and
communities to succeed; and by encouraging innovative approaches to solving
problems.

Key Programs/Functions

COMPETITIVE GRANTS:

1.) AmeriCorps Competitive Grants ($363M) - The largest of the competitions was
released in September and grants are expected to be announced in May. The initiative
will support new, recompeting, and continuation grants in all of the AmeriCorps State
and National grant categories. Priority will be given to applicants that address
compelling unmet needs in the areas of education, healthy futures,
veterans, economic opportunity, and clean energy and environment.

2.) RSVP ($2.7M) - This competition, announced on January 26, will fund new service
projects that recruit
volunteers ages 55 and older in communities not currently served and to expand
existing RSVP service programs. Grants are expected to be announced in August.

3.) Learn and Serve America School–Based Grants to Indian Tribes and U.S.
Territories ($650,070) - The competition was announced on January 22, and grants
are expected this summer. The initiative will involve school-age youth in service-
learning projects that simultaneously support student development and meet
community needs.

4.) Learn and Serve America Summer of Service - In March, the Corporation
announced $2 million in grants to 17 nonprofits, universities, and schools to engage at-
risk youth in grades 6 through 9 in innovative service projects that address
environmental and disaster preparedness issues.

5.) The Volunteer Generation Fund ($4M), a new program designed to

increase the number of people who serve in meaningful roles as volunteers
dedicated to addressing important needs in communities across America.

The Fund will support efforts that expand the capacity of volunteer connector
organizations to recruit, manage support and retain individuals to serve in high
quality volunteer assignments

Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities

Department: HUD
Director: Shelley Poticha
Year Created: Feb. 2010
Mission:
The mission of the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities is to create strong, sustainable communities
by connecting housing to jobs, fostering local innovation, and helping to build a clean energy economy.

In order to foster and encourage local innovation, we will create an unprecedented partnership across federal
agencies and provide resources and tools to help communities realize their own visions for building more livable,
walkable, environmentally sustainable regions. HUD will provide funding to a wide variety of multi-
jurisdictional and multi-sector partnerships and consortia, from Metropolitan Planning
Organizations and State governments, to non-profit and philanthropic organizations

Key Programs/Functions

Sustainable Communities Initiative - $150 million

i. Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program - $100 million made available
for regional integrated planning initiatives
ii. To demonstrate HUD’s commitment to listening and learning, Secretary Donovan
also announced today that a description of the future grant program is available for
comment, including through an interactive wiki, on HUD’s web site.

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Community Capacity Development Office (CCDO)

Department: Justice
Director:
Dennis E. Greenhouse Director 202-616-1152
Year Created: CCDO used to be called the Executive Office of Weed and Seed. In 2004, the office changed its
name to better reflect its focused efforts on partnerships, American Indian/Alaska Native issues, and reentry
Mission:
CCDO develops, evaluates, and implements policies that serve as models for other national community capacity
development efforts and provides counseling for federal, state, and local government agencies and private sector clients
on a variety of justice-related community issues.

Key Programs/Functions
PARTNERSHIPS

1.) Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for

Children and Families (ACF), Office of Community Services (OCS) to enhance asset-
building strategies in Weed and Seed sites through Individual Development Accounts
(IDAs). IDAs combined with financial literacy and Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC)
can increase the capacity of low- to moderate-income families to accumulate long-
term assets that provide financial security. The Weed and Seed IDA National
Demonstration Project, a cooperative effort between OCS and CCDO, will assess the
impact of increased home ownership in Weed and Seed neighborhoods.
2.) Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS),
AmeriCorps*VISTA to develop joint national service projects to support reentry
initiatives. CCDO and CNCS plan to engage more than 40 full-time AmeriCorps*VISTA
members who will build the capacity of organizations, create volunteer hubs in
partnership with participating cities and faith-based and community groups to
mobilize volunteer support for reentry initiatives in these Weed and Seed
communities.

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Community Action for a Renewed Environment

(CARE)
Department: EPA
Director:
Year Created: 2005
Mission: competitive grant program that offers an innovative way for a community to organize and
take action to reduce toxic pollution in its local environment. Through CARE, a community creates a
partnership that implements solutions to reduce releases of toxic pollutants and minimize people's
exposure to them. By providing financial and technical assistance, EPA helps CARE communities get on
the path to a renewed environment

Key Programs/Functions
1.) CARE offers two different types of Cooperative Agreements: Level 1 and Level 2. These can be
thought of as grants and, respectively, amount to approximately $90,000 and $275,000.

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EPA Partnership Program

Department: EPA
Director:
Year Created:
Mission:
EPA Partnership Programs address a wide variety of environmental issues by working
collaboratively with companies, organizations, communities, and individuals. There are now more
than 13,000 firms and other organizations participating in EPA Partnership Programs. This area of
the EPA site provides information on our array of EPA Partnership Programs.

Key Programs/Functions

1.)

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National Center for Environmental Innovation

Department: EPA
Director:
Year Created:
Mission: From market-based incentives to collaborative partnerships to advanced
technologies, this website provides a window into some of the most important changes that are
shaping a new generation of environmental policy.

Key Programs/Functions

1.) State Innovation Grants Program

The Grant Program conducted seven competitions between 2002 and its close in 2009 that were
designed to help states build on previous experience and undertake strategic innovation projects to
promote larger-scale models for “next generation” environmental protection with promise of better
environmental results.

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Federal Emergency Management Agency

Department: FEMA
Director:
Year Created:
Mission:

Key Programs/Functions

1. Emergency Food and Shelter Program

Created in 1983 to supplement the work of local social service organizations within the United
States, both private and governmental, to help people in need of emergency assistance. This
collaborative effort between the private and public sectors has disbursed more than $2.3 billion in
Federal funds during its 21-year history

2.) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides grants to States, local governments, and
certain nonprofits to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster
declaration.

3.) Public Assistance Grant Program

Provide assistance to State, Tribal and local governments, and certain types of Private Nonprofit
organizations so that communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or
emergencies declared by the President.
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Office of Telecommunications and Information

Applications
Department: National Information and Technology Administration (NITA)
Director: Associate Administrator Dr. Bernadette McGuire-Rivera
Year Created:
Mission:
assists public and non-profit entities in effectively using telecommunications and
information technologies to better provide public services and advance other national
goals

Key Programs/Functions

1.) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program for awards to eligible entities

to develop and expand broadband services to rural and underserved areas and
improve access to broadband by public safety agencies. Of these funds, $250 million
will be available for innovative programs that encourage sustainable adoption of
broadband services; at least $200 million will be available to upgrade technology and
capacity at public computing centers, including community colleges and public
libraries; $10 million will be a transfer to the Office of Inspector General for the
purposes of BTOP audits and oversight. Up to $350 million of the BTOP funding is
designated for the development and maintenance of statewide broadband inventory
maps.

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Millennium Challenge Corporation
Department: MCC
Director: Daniel Yohannes
Year Created: 2004
Mission: MCC forms partnerships with some of the world’s poorest countries, but only those
committed to:

• good governance,
• economic freedom,
• and investments in their citizens.

MCC provides these well-performing countries with large-scale grants to fund country-led solutions
for reducing poverty through sustainable economic growth. MCC grants complement other U.S. and
international development programs.There are two primary types of MCC grants: compacts and
threshold programs.

• Compacts are large, five-year grants for countries that pass MCC’s eligibility criteria.
• Threshold programs are smaller grants awarded to countries that come close to passing
these criteria and are firmly committed to improving their policy performance.

Key Programs/Functions

1.)

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HHS.gov/OPEN
Department: Health and Human Services
Director:
Year Created: 2010, response to Open Government Directive
Mission:
Key Programs/Functions

FLAGSHIP INITIATIVES

1. The Community Health Data Initiative is a major new public-private effort that aims to help
Americans understand health and health care performance in their communities -- and to help spark
and facilitate action to improve performance.

The fundamental approach being taken by the initiative is to catalyze the advent of a network of
community health data suppliers (starting with HHS) and “data appliers” who utilize that data to
create applications that (1) raise awareness of community health performance, (2) increase pressure
on decisionmakers to improve performance, and (3) help facilitate and inform action to improve
performance.

Read more…

2. CMS Dashboard –
The Dashboard is an exciting new web application which allows the public to visualize and analyze
Medicare spending with unprecedented ease and clarity – beginning with inpatient hospital spending

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Office of Health, Safety and Security – Outreach and

Collaboration Program
Department: HHS
Director: Glenn Podonsky, Chief Health, Safety and Security Officer
Year Created:
Mission:

• To promote dialogue and establish an ongoing collaborative relationship with organizations

both internal and external to the DOE community.
 • To connect the HSS policies and practices to those of its affected constituencies -
stakeholders in areas of mutual interest and concern related to health, safety, security and the
environment. The stakeholders include industry, labor unions and academia.
• To take the approach that outreach is a “two-way street” engagement with our constituents,
rather than just solely disseminating information about our policies and programs.
• To encourage the direct involvement and participation of representatives of industry,
Key Programs/Functions

1.)

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Office of Community Services

Department: HHS
Director: Yolanda J. Butler, Ph.D.
Acting Director,
Year Created:
Mission:
The mission of the Office of Community Services is to work in partnership with states,
communities, and other agencies to provide a range of human and economic
development services and activities which ameliorate the causes and characteristics of
poverty and otherwise assist persons in need.

Key Programs/Functions
Compassion Capital Fund –
To expand and strengthen the role of organizations in their ability to provide social
services to low-income communities.

Uses: The Compassion Capital Fund (CCF) consists of two grant programs:

1. The CCF Demonstration Program funds intermediary organizations that serve

as a bridge between the Federal government and smaller organizations by
providing them with training, technical assistance, and capacity-building sub-
awards.
2. The CCF Communities Empowering Youth Program funds experienced
organizations that build the capacity of their collaborating partners that together
are providing alternatives to gang involvement, youth violence, and child abuse
and neglect and generally fostering positive youth development.

Strengthening Communities Fund (see above for description – click)

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Innovative Partnerships Program

Department: NASA
Director: Douglas A. Comstock
Year Created: 2007
Mission:
An online “innovation marketplace” with 180,000 participants to spur solutions to
problems such as forecasting solar activity, keeping food fresh in space, and
developing a compact aerobic device for astronauts.

New partnerships to:

o Engage private citizens in aerospace technology development

o Bring fresh ideas into NASA
o Help emerging technologies reach maturity
o Promote the growth of a competitive space industry
Key Programs/Functions

1. Innovation Incubator:

• Centennial Challenges: NASA's Prize Program for the "Citizen Inventor"

• Innovation Transfusion: New links between NASA and creative companies
• Facilitated Access to the Space Environment for Technology Development and
Training (FAST): Opportunities for reduced-gravity flight testing for emerging
technologies
• Innovative Technology Initiative: Nurturing revolutionary concepts to benefit NASA
missions and other national and global challenges

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Department:
Director:
Year Created:
Mission:

Key Programs/Functions

1.)

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Department:
Director:
Year Created:
Mission:

Key Programs/Functions

1.)

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Department:
Director:
Year Created:
Mission:

Key Programs/Functions

1.)

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Department:
Director:
Year Created:
Mission:

Key Programs/Functions

1.)

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