Although the Obama Administration has asserted that it wants to support and strengthen nonprofit organizations, it has neither understood the vastness, diversity and needs of the nonprofit community nor launched a serious initiative to provide the resources required to sustain nonprofits in trying financial times.
Instead of coming up with a major substantial program, it has produced a “mouse,” the Social Innovation Fund, financed by an insignificant $50 million a year for several years. The Fund, alas, is the Administration’s pilot ship in strengthening the nonprofit sector. Why such a puny effort, and one that doesn’t target the significant problems facing the sector?
The Fund plans initially to award seven to ten grants of $1-10 million to intermediary organizations which, in turn, will redistribute the money to nonprofit groups that are making innovative efforts to improve the conditions of needy people in neighborhoods and communities throughout the country. Both the intermediary and local recipient groups will have to match the federal grants.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Commentary – The Social Innovation Fund: Innovation for What? | onPhilanthropy
Author: Pablo Eisenberg
