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February 26, 2009

Aspen Institute Plans Meeting on White House Social Innovation Office

The White House has yet to provide details on its new Office of Social Innovation, but next week the Aspen Institute, in Washington, is holding a meeting to discuss parts of the effort, which seeks to provide federal assistance to innovative nonprofit groups that are working on the country’s most pressing problems.

According to Jane Wales, a vice president at Aspen and director of its philanthropy and social innovation program, the White House asked her to hold a series of meetings during the next two years to develop advice on how the office should operate. The first meeting will be March 4 and will include a bipartisan group of philanthropists, business leaders, and government officials.

Ms. Wales, who is also president of the Global Philanthropy Forum and worked for the National Security Council during the Clinton administration, said the gatherings will focus on a “social innovation fund,” which will provide aid to nonprofit groups, and a “social enterprise fund,” which will assist companies that seek to benefit society as well as make a profit.

Participants will also discuss immediate “issues on the presidential agenda that can be addressed in part by nongovernmental actors” like improving health care and education, and developing new sources of clean energy, she said.

Read The Chronicle’s article about ideas for the Office of Social Innovation. (A subscription or temporary pass is required to view the article.)

— Ian Wilhelm

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