Before the summer is over we’ll both have experienced the rite of passage associated with turning 40 and anticipating the challenges that a new decade brings. Time flies when you’re creating change, and for two outsiders turned Philadelphians—one from Denmark and the other from New Mexico—it has been a great ride so far. This summer marks the Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal’s one-year anniversary, prompting us to reflect on the idea behind creating the only regional journal about innovations in the country as well as on our own local leadership journeys.

A recent Pew Research Center report on the nation's mood concluded that two-thirds of the public is dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country. With consumer confidence plunging, the jobless rate rising, millions of people uninsured or under insured and the American economy faltering in a way most of us have never seen before, there appears to be little hope of good economic news anytime soon. A look back in history, though, tells us that hard times can produce innovation and invention.

In 2009, as a result of the recession, nearly all of the social enterprise organizations in the Philadelphia area had to make the tough choices required by tight budgets. But to prosper this year, these groups are going to have to be smart and creative. More of the same just won’t do.

I want to make a difference.
I've got a million dollars to give.
How should I spend it to make the greatest social impact?

Since our founding in Spring 2006, the Center for High Impact Philanthropy has worked to answer that “million dollar question”. While straightforward to pose, the question about how to make the greatest social impact can be maddeningly difficult to answer in a way that is both informed by the evidence and actionable. Here’s what we’ve learned so far:

Within the context of a conversation on national healthcare improvement, dental care for children has not been high on the public radar screen. This is disappointing given the consistently dreadful outcomes for children who live in poor communities. Inadequate dental care for children from economically challenged communities is a chronic problem in both urban and rural settings. As a result, the incidence of dental caries and inadequate oral hygiene among these youngsters is at epidemic proportions.

Healthcare (insurance) reform has passed in the Senate and final negotiations are happening before it moves on to the President's desk for signature. While the legislation is not perfect - in fact some would say far from perfect - it is a piece of legislation that is very much in keeping with our American philosophy, our constant pursuit of progress and change. As the late Senator Kennedy's career on Capitol Hill demonstrated, change is usually incremental, usually negotiated and usually compromised. But at the end of the day, change usually amounts to progress.

Back in 1787 Benjamin Franklin knew how centrally important it was that the new United States of America become a republic but had his doubts about our being able to keep it. Why? What was the source of his skepticism? Looking at the challenges that face our republic in 2009, and then back at Franklin’s prescient concern, I understand more than ever how important being a republic is to our “pursuit of happiness” but wonder whether we can keep it.

Recently, I was editing the written work of a high school graduate now enrolled in college for his associate’s degree. In the first sentence of the student’s essay he mentioned how proud he was to have graduated from his high school. As I read the essay I was struck by how most of his sentences were incomplete and that the essay structure did not seem to follow any standard rules. Later in the week, I listened to Arlene Ackerman, CEO of Philadelphia’s School District. She made the comment that we’ve created a great system for adults, but a system that doesn’t seem to work for our students as she cited the fact that 47% of our students were dropping out, but most teachers received satisfactory reviews.

Innovation happens when we let go of our fears of losing control, and focus on the issue we are trying to solve. What we realize is that when we let go of our fears of losing control we open ourselves up to true partnerships and these partnerships serve as the catalyst for innovation. This point especially jumped out at me recently as Nikolaj (my 8-year old) and I went to see Where the Wild Things Are.

Ironically, the ultimate purpose of any innovation is to create something lasting – to have such an impact that what now is fresh and original in the future becomes an established part of the existing structure.