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In December 2007, America Forward launched with a collective vision to not only transform the national climate in which social entrepreneurs and their organizations were operating, but to ultimately create a new role for government, enabling it to support innovation, partner with results-driven organizations, and emphasize results, not rules.

Four policy ideas were brought to the table and endorsed by more than 70 organizations that joined the coalition: a Community Solutions Fund Network to bring proven solutions to scale, a Commission on Cross-Sector Solutions to examine how government can work more effectively and efficiently with the nonprofit sector, a White House Office of Social Innovation and Results to spearhead a government-wide effort to increase focus on innovation and results in social programs, and Serve America Fellowships to support future social entrepreneurs. With two goals in hand—ensuring the implementation of America Forward policy ideas and promoting the principles of social entrepreneurship to policymakers and thought leaders across sectors—the coalition set to work.

Now, with November 4th less than one week away, we wanted to take a moment and reflect on our progress and success during the past year.

Take three minutes and help YouthBuild call for a decisive expansion of its programs and national service over the coming decade by adding your name to Sign On Letters to both Presidential candidates. As YouthBuild President and Founder Dorothy Stoneman explained in an email last week, both candidates need to be reminded to keep the engagement of low-income youth on the agenda especially in this time of economic crisis.

Marguerite Kondracke, president and CEO of America's Promise Alliance, talks about the outcomes of the nation's high school dropout rate in an article published in The Wall Street Journal last week. As a nonpartisan collaborative focused on providing children with the resources they need to succeed, America's Promise is hosting more than 100 state and local Dropout Prevention Summits in 2008-09. Visit the America's Promise Alliance web site to learn more.

Recent College Grads Forgo Traditional Careers, Money to Start Nonprofits Focused on Outreach in The Washington Post, 10-14-2008.

Click here to read this article.

In light of the focus given to national service in September, Vanessa Kirsch, President and Founder of New Profit Inc. and co-chair of America Forward, calls for more service opportunities at organizations with proven results in an op-ed piece published today by the Philanthropy Journal.

She says, “In this time of increasing economic uncertainty for our country, Americans are even more stirred to action through service. We must connect their desire to serve with the best solutions -- and at a scale that can truly make a difference.”

Read the rest here.

An interview by Jim Phills in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Fall 2008.

Click here to read this article.

Fifteen hours after the first Presidential debate concluded, volunteers took part in a national Day of Action to demonstrate that “We are a Service Nation.” In Boston, the Hyatt Regency Hotel hosted advocates of national service, AmeriCorps alums, nonprofit and faith-based organizations, and representatives from the government – including staff from the offices of Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, and Boston City Councilors. In front of an enlarged TIME Magazine cover featuring service proposals (and cartoons!) of Senators McCain and Obama, speakers called for expanded service opportunities, while public servants from every generation spoke about the potential impact to be felt from more Americans participating in national service.