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It’s strange to think that even though the vast majority of Americans live and work in cities, “urban still equals “bad” in the minds of many Americans and in the stories of the American press.” Shouldn’t they be homes and centers of life and light for those who live there? CEOs for Cities and NOLA YURP (New Orleans Young Urban Rebuilding Professionals Initiative) certainly think so; and together they’re hosting the Urban Next Summit in New Orleans from July 24-25 to share ideas on how to revitalize sagging urban communities.

What difference can national service volunteers make to us? “I can literally tell you that if it was not for them, […] we would be much worse off,” says Mike Russell, Alderman of Clarksville, Missouri. To be exact, if it were not for the efforts of AmeriCorps relief teams, the surging Mississippi River would likely be running through Clarksville’s City Hall today.

The Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy Program of the Aspen Institute recently released a major report highlighting ten policy innovations for the nonprofit and social sector. According to Aspen, “This report puts together in one place the proposals of leading think­ers in the field who are working to address social problems and improve the lives of those in need through improved nonprofit-government policies. We believe these ideas, if implemented, would go a long way towards strengthening nonprofit organizations and communities throughout the United States.”

I'm encouraged to see Jill Medvedow's recognition of the importance of music and arts to our emerging, creative economy.  In addition to bringing billions of dollars into the Commonwealth through cultural entertainment, Ms. Medvedow and Governor Deval Patrick clearly view the arts—along with technology, science, and entrepreneurship—as a key driver of economic innovation itself.

Is it so exciting to see the momentum of social entrepreneurship in America and the growing dialogue on high-impact, results-driven organizations! In an editorial on June 8 in The Boston Globe, Jill Medvedow, director of the Institute of Contemporary Art, called for a $1 billion social impact fund to support the expansion and replication of social entrepreneurial organizations like Boston-based America Forward Coalition members City Year, Year Up, Jumpstart, and Citizen Schools, which have expanded across the country. Like Medvedow’s idea for a statewide fund, America Forward is proposing a Community Solutions Fund to work in local communities across the country to scale impact-oriented organizations. As Medvedow shows, the principles of results, accountability, and innovation are held by social entrepreneurs and leaders in the arts, business, and government communities as well.

An article by Shirley Sagawa in the Community Wealth Vanguard, 6-13-08.

Click here to read this article.

This spring, Sean Edwin and Matt Wilhelm traveled the country by bus for the National Service Express Tour. They hit 30 cities in 60 days, holding meetings and other events to encourage AmeriCorps alums to ask politicians to expand national service.