The opening plenary for Independent Sector’s 2009 Annual Conference begins with the lovely sounds of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s youth jazz ensemble. The unique location for this gathering is underscored by the woman who steps up to the microphone to welcome us: Debbie Dingell, Vice Chair of the General Motors Foundation. Only in Detroit. And, a brief welcome message from newly re-elected Detroit Mayor Dave Bing. He takes a moment to recognize the Knight Foundation’s recent $5 million investment in the city’s economic development.

Melody Barnes from the White House Domestic Policy Council reinforced the White House’s commitment to social innovation. The new White House Office of Social Innovation is under her purview and is looking for ways to invest in “what works,” focusing on several areas. According to the official press release, it will:

• Catalyze partnerships between the government and nonprofits, businesses and philanthropists in order to make progress on the President’s policy agenda
• Identify and support the rigorous evaluation and scaling of innovative, promising ideas that are transforming communities like, for example, Harlem Children’s Zone, YouthVillages, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Citizen Schools.
• Support greater civic participation through new media tools
• Promote national service.

Melody said that “somewhere out there, we believe there is the next Teach for America, the next Harlem Children’s Zone.”  She emphasized the fact that government can’t do it all alone. For the most part, Melody reiterated the messages that have already been shared with the nonprofit community around the country by Sonal Shah, Jackie Norris, and Joshua DuBois. Collaboration, partnerships, innovation, leverage what’s already working. Joshua DuBois shared a special email address nonprofits should use to contact the White House to engage them in partnerships: whpartnerships@who.eop.gov. He said that they would also be launching a brand new website next week to make this process easier: www.whitehouse.gov/partnerships

Jim Canales, President of James Irvine Foundation moderates a discussion on envisioning the future of the nonprofit sector. He announces a new report from his foundation called Convergence: How Five Trends Will Reshape the Social Sector

Gail McGovern, American Red Cross: We’re going to have to evolve into a partnership with government. We need to coordinate better as a sector. We have to be really careful to be coordinated on the ground so as not to waste resources. It’s not relevant to talk about whether we should partner with goverment, but how we should partner with government.

Michelle Nunn, Points of Light Institute: $50 million is a relatively small amount for the Social Innovation Fund. But how can it inform policy and how to influence government on the ways to provide social services? How can it ensure that innovation is scaled to truly solve social problems?

Aaron Dworkin, CEO of Sphinx Organization: Innovation does not happen in a void. It must be a part of an everyday process. There also shouldn’t be this idea that it’s less to work in our sector. In ten years, our organizations could be in different situations. Are our future leaders being provided the skill sets to take over? That’s our responsibility to prepare for 10-20 years from now.

Janet Murguia, President of National Council of La Raza: How do we take the same type of energy from the 2008 election of Obama and transform it into moving agendas forward for our communities? Important to build and invest in advocacy for social movements. I’d like foundations to look at what can be scalable. There are always common goals. For instance, we joined efforts for both the Black and Latino demographic to move the healthcare debate forward. We have to work on a collective spectrum to get our voices heard and see change happen in an impactful way. We have to make it so that people can raise a family and still work in the nonprofit sector.

Jim Wallis, Jr. President of Sojourners: People voted for change they could believe in. But Washington, DC is wired to block real change from happening. Philanthropy has to be rewired with a focus on not only supporting programs and advocacy, but also social movements. We have think movement in creative ways cross-sectors. We may have strange bedfellows based on moral imperatives. Don’t go left, don’t go right, go deeper. Religion does not have a monopoly on morality. We’ve got to put the things that block partnerships on the table. We have to talk to people who don’t agree with us. The nonprofit and foundation world has often behaved like rival gangs Crips and Bloods. We have to drop our gang colors.

Brian Gallagher, President of United Way Worldwide: We need to commit to a collective goal, and put that objective above our institutional ones. We have to look at what we’ve done historically and how to do it better? How do we move away from UW’s role in workplace giving to helping to mobilize people for social change? I am fearful that we’re going to go from institutional silos to collaborative silos. Until we really start to pool resources – talent and money – we won’t succeed. Are we going to start sharing volunteers or start hoarding them?

Margaret McKenna, President of Wal-Mart Foundation: I’m not committed to any organizations, but to social change. I don’t think it’s bad that organizations change and go away. I’m astounded by the number of people who don’t know who else is working in the same space. We’ve given grants for collaborative work to four organizations, then after we leave, they just split up the money. We have to train volunteers. We put the least paid people in the most challenging jobs. We’re not using the most talented people in the most challenging places.

Benjamin Jealous, President of NAACP: Hopes are higher, but difficulty of solving problems is higher. This president doesn’t get us to where we want to go unless we’re out in front. The only way the President gets to be “progressive” is if we’re out there fighting with folks with whom we might be “friends.” Allow yourself to be outraged by the issues.

All in all, this conversation about the need for more collaboration and advocacy is great, but here’s my nagging question. Are nonprofits really ready to do this? Short of facing closure, what is going to finally motivate more nonprofits to work together more deeply?