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Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation Blog

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Harnessing the Power of Feedback Loops

White House workshop engaged leadership from across government, business, nonprofit, and philanthropy to improve program effectiveness through participant feedback.
January 3, 2017 at 12:30 PM ET by Thomas Kalil, David Wilkinson

Another Tool in the Toolbox: Pay for Success

Deploying the Pay for Success Model Can Help Address the Opioid Epidemic in States and Local Communities
December 29, 2016 at 11:27 AM ET by Katherine Klem

Outcomes-Focused Technical Assistance: Enabling Greater Impact through Data and Evidence

The Administration introduces a new framing that seeks to bring into sharper focus the potential to deploy TA resources in a way that service providers use data.
December 15, 2016 at 5:16 PM ET by David Wilkinson

New VA – CNCS Collaboration to Connect Funding to Better Outcomes for Veterans

The VA and CNCS announce that they are jointly funding an innovative new approach called Pay for Success to promote better employment outcomes for veterans with PTSD.
November 11, 2016 at 4:42 PM ET by David Wilkinson, Matthew Colangelo

Join In the First-Ever MBK "What Works Showcase"

In a science-fair meets demo-day style event, the MBK “What Works Showcase” will feature more than 30 of the nation’s premiere organizations and interventions.
October 17, 2016 at 10:55 AM ET by Michael D. Smith, Dave Wilkinson

Growing Number of Communities are Using Data to Improve Policing and Criminal Justice

The Police Data Initiative and the Data-Driven Justice Initiative each now support more than 100 participating jurisdictions.
October 13, 2016 at 6:02 AM ET by Ron L. Davis, Roy L. Austin, Jr., and DJ Patil

How Behavioral Science Is Serving the American People

Today, the White House hosted the first-ever Summit on Behavioral Science Insights.
September 15, 2016 at 3:01 PM ET by Maya Shankar

Announcing South by South Lawn: A White House Festival of Ideas, Art, and Action

On Monday, October 3, we’re celebrating the spirit of innovation with the first-ever White House South by South Lawn.
September 1, 2016 at 12:09 PM ET by Jason Goldman

President Obama to Host White House Frontiers Conference in Pittsburgh, PA

The White House will host the first-ever White House Frontiers Conference in Pittsburgh, PA to explore the future of innovation in America and around the world.
August 30, 2016 at 10:00 AM ET by John P. Holdren, Megan Smith

Email from Daymond John: Why I'll Be at Today's Global Entrepreneurship Summit

Daymond John, the founder of FUBU and Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship, writes about his journey as an entrepreneur.
June 24, 2016 at 9:10 AM ET by Cassandra Marketos

Steps to Catalyze Private Foundation Impact Investing

The US Treasury Department and IRS finalized regulations that make it easier for private foundations to make Program-Related Investments (PRIs).
April 21, 2016 at 12:03 PM ET by David Wilkinson

Administration Nearly Doubles Number of “Pay for Success” Feasibility Studies

With the addition of 25 new Pay for Success feasibility studies across the country, the Federal government is significantly increasing its investment in PFS.
April 19, 2016 at 5:24 PM ET by Cecilia Muñoz, Shaun Donovan

A Forum on the Social Innovation Fund’s Future and New Grant Competition

"If we are going to transform lives and lift up communities, then we are going to need good ideas and successful programs in every single corner of the country."
April 5, 2016 at 12:05 PM ET by Damian Thorman, Director, Social Innovation Fund

New Announcements Helping to Achieve MBK Goals by Doing What Works

The My Brother's Keeper Initiative joins the RISE for Boys and Men of Color conference.
April 1, 2016 at 6:13 PM ET by David Wilkinson, Michael D. Smith

Can helping patients’ social needs also be good for their health?

A new $157 million Medicare and Medicaid project aims to bridge clinical care and social services.
February 2, 2016 at 6:32 PM ET by Darshak Sanghavi, MD and Patrick Conway, MD, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Pay for Success: New Resources for Better Conservation Outcomes

This week, the Administration announced new efforts to focus on the long-term problem of water scarcity.
December 17, 2015 at 4:07 PM ET by Christy Goldfuss, David Wilkinson

Social Innovation Fund Launches New Pay for Success Grant Program

SIF has released the next phase of their program: the 2016 Pay for Success competition.
December 11, 2015 at 1:40 PM ET by Damian J. Thorman, Director of the Social Innovation Fund, Corporation for National and Community Service

A New Paradigm for Government: Adopting an Outcomes Mindset

Last week, the White House hosted leaders who are advancing a series of new tools that are helping government to drive better outcomes.
November 6, 2015 at 12:04 PM ET by Cecilia Muñoz, DJ Patil

New Momentum Enabling an Outcomes Mindset in Government and the Social Sector

Last week the White House hosted a meeting of outside leaders who are advancing a series of new tools that are helping government to drive better outcomes.
November 6, 2015 at 11:57 AM ET by David Wilkinson, Tara McGuinness

The Police Data Initiative: A 5-Month Update

Since the launch in May, five additional agencies have committed to opening key data on police interactions with their communities.
October 27, 2015 at 4:01 PM ET by DJ Patil, Jerry Abramson, ROY AUSTIN

Santa Clara, Local Nonprofits & Business Leaders are Defeating Homelessness through Pay for Success

Santa Clara is drawing a new bargain – stepping up to pay for permanent supportive housing, and doing so with a creative response to common budgetary barriers.
October 15, 2015 at 4:55 PM ET by David Wilkinson

Open Science and Innovation: Of the People, By the People, For the People

On September 30, the White House will host a live-webcast forum on citizen science and crowdsourcing.
September 9, 2015 at 11:21 AM ET by Jenn Gustetic, Kristen Honey, and Lea Shanley

The BRAIN Like You've Never Seen It Before!

A new video series, "Mysteries of the Brain," highlights NSF-funded brain research.
June 12, 2015 at 1:45 PM ET by Tom Kalil and James Olds

OSHA Launches New Version of its Heat Safety Tool App to Keep Workers Safe in Summer Weather

Last month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a new version of its Heat Safety Tool mobile app for iOS just in time for the summer heat. OSHA’s Heat app is serving as a model of using agile methodologies in government digital services.
June 8, 2015 at 9:43 AM ET by Ryan Panchadsaram and E.J. Kalafarski

Using Data and Technology to Advance Community Policing

Two weeks ago, in Camden, NJ, the President announced the launch of the Police Data Initiative. The effort is a fast response from the White House, working with 21 leading police departments across the country, to the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, which made recommendations encouraging better use of data and technology to build community trust and reduce inappropriate uses of force. Six weeks before the President’s announcement, police chiefs were invited to the White House, along with municipal Chief Technology Officers and other leaders from cities and counties across the nation, for an event on improved use of data and technology in policing.
June 5, 2015 at 6:10 PM ET by David Wilkinson and Clarence Wardell

Launching the Police Data Initiative

May 18, 2015 at 6:00 AM ET by Megan Smith and Roy L. Austin, Jr.

Philanthropic Leaders Launch New Data and Evidence Initiatives to Advance What Works

April 25, 2015 at 2:37 PM ET by David Wilkinson

New Pay for Success Grants Help Communities Advance What Works

March 11, 2015 at 1:11 PM ET by David Wilkinson

Introducing Our New Social Innovation Director

Dave Wilkinson steps forward to serve as the new Director of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation.
March 3, 2015 at 4:36 PM ET by Cecilia Muñoz

Using Behavioral Science Insights to Make Government More Effective, Simpler, and More People-Friend

This month marks one full year since the launch of the first-ever Social and Behavioral Sciences Team (SBST), which was created in response to the President’s call to make government programs more effective and efficient. SBST had a successful first year, launching a wide variety of evidence-based pilots. To mark the one-year anniversary of SBST, the team met with President Obama last Friday.
February 9, 2015 at 12:19 PM ET by Maya Shankar