Social Entrepreneurship in the White House

President-elect Barack Obama should create a White House office to highlight the important role social entrepreneurs and nonprofit groups play in solving the country’s social problems, according to two liberal think tanks that released proposals this week for reorganizing the federal government.

The Center for American Progress Action Fund, in Washington, and the New Democracy Fund, in New York, proposed that the Obama administration create a White House Office of Social Entrepreneurship. The office, it said, would “give social entrepreneurs and other nonprofit leaders a greater voice in the public policy debates of the day by being part of the White House domestic and economic policymaking processes.”

The proposal comes from the report “Change for America,” which Ryan referenced earlier. Thanks to Melanie for the pointer. See here for more. They are right to point out that an office of social entrepreneurship should be set up in the White House and not the Corporation for National and Community Service.

I generally agree with the ideas in the proposal but must admit to being skeptical about their proposal for prizes. While I think prizes are great, I'm not sure why google's 10^100 and similar prizes are insufficient. Nonetheless, I think a White House agency would be great and we can work out the specifics of the day to day operations and goals later.