Fifteen years ago, in a conversation with New Profit social entrepreneurs, David Gergen, former White House advisor to four presidents, raised a powerful point: in order to advance equity and expand opportunity across America, supporting proximate leaders and scaling innovative, effective programs is critical. But to achieve optimal impact, he said, these visionary leaders also need a seat at the table to influence public policy and shape the systems in which great programs operate.
This catalytic idea was the spark that led New Profit to establish its policy and advocacy arm, America Forward, and it has driven our work ever since.
For the past decade and a half, the America Forward team has led an advocacy coalition of more than one hundred innovative, results-driven social entrepreneurs advancing ground-breaking solutions to some of the most urgent challenges we face as a nation: improving education, accelerating economic mobility, expanding civic engagement, and preserving our democracy.
Together, America Forward Coalition members engage in collective advocacy with federal policymakers to scale effective solutions, transform national systems, and create conditions where everyone in America can thrive.
Since launching in 2007, the America Forward Coalition has successfully unlocked over $1.9 billion in federal funding to support social innovation, and led on critical policy efforts that reflect the importance of embracing innovation and using evidence to advance equity and deliver results—from the Social Innovation Fund (the first federal tiered-evidence innovation fund); to the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation; to critical provisions in education, workforce, and appropriations legislation; to whole-learner policy provisions in COVID-19 relief legislation; to the groundbreaking, bipartisan Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act.
The impact of our advocacy comes from the strength of the America Forward Coalition and our shared commitment to collaboration. Our Coalition is not hindered by the deep divides and polarization afflicting our country; instead, we work tirelessly to find common ground in pursuit of advancing equity and opportunity for all.
That’s the vision that will guide us as we look ahead to the future.
Strengthening our democracy means giving more people reasons to believe in, and be involved in, our democracy. And that means supporting proximate social entrepreneurs and organizations that are working every day to help people achieve lasting, positive change in their communities. In the months and years to come, we will remain committed to uniting policymakers with social entrepreneurs to transform the bold, effective strategies they’re leading across the country into sustainable national change.