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Private Sector Initiatives (2)
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Private Sector Initiatives (2)
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Records of the Office of the Chief of Staff (Reagan Administration)
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BUILDING
PARTNERSHIPS
LIAISON WITH NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTEE
Chaired by:
John H. Filer
Members:
William R. Bricker
Walter G. Davis
John Gardner
Andrew C. Sigler
Alexander B. Trowbridge
MISSION STATEMENT
To encourage a broad range of national organizations to support
private sector initiatives and public/private cooperative ef-
forts in their national policy agendas through the activities
of their local affiliates.
STRATEGY
The committee sponsored five meetings at the White House, at
which President Reagan acquainted various national organiza-
tions with the missions and objectives of the Task Force on
Private Sector Initiatives, and solicited assistance in carry-
ing out these objectives. _The meetings were conducted with:
National Community, Service,
Religious Organizations
March 24
Religious Leaders, Organizations
April 13
National Civic Organizations
April 27
Broadcasting Organizations
May 5
Trade Associations
September 14
33
RESULTS
Five hundred and fifty leaders of national organizations
attended one or more of the five meetings at the White House.
One hundred forty-four responded to a followup inquiry regard-
ing activities undertaken as a result of the work of the com-
mittee. Activities undertaken by national organizations were:
23 adopted board resolutions supporting the Task Force in
general and committing resources to achieving the
activities advocated by the committee;
17 held conferences, meetings or workshops to familiarize
their membership with private sector initiatives;
6 established clearinghouses or data banks to assist
members and affiliates in their private sector
initiative activities;
5 initiated private sector initiative awards or
recognition programs; and
44 highlighted private sector initiatives in their
newsletters and publications.
In addition to this activity, several business organizations
including the American Bankers Association, American Bar
Association, American Business Conference, Business Roundtable,
National Association of Broadcasters, National Association of
Manufacturers, National Federation of Individual Businesses,
and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are examining ways of institu-
tionalizing their ongoing programs for keeping private sector
initiatives before their members and affiliates.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The National Organizations Committee, realizing that the work
of national organizations is essential to the effective perpet-
uation of the work of the Task Force, recommends the following:
A Presidential commendation for national organizations
which undertake activities resulting in private sector
initiative activity by their members and affiliates.
This commendation should simultaneously recognize a
national organization and one or more of its local
affiliates or members.
The White House Office of Private Sector Initiatives
should be continued as the principle link between the
White House and national organizations.
The leaders of national organizations that have been
active in the work and activities of the Task Force
34
should collectively examine the feasibility and value
of creating an inter-organization committee to assist
national organizations to continue and expand on the
activities begun as a result of the work of the Task
Force.
Governors and major national organizations should
establish awards to honor local organizations which
support the development and activities of local part-
nerships.
35
BUILDING
PARTNERSHIPS
LIAISON WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICES COMMITTEE
Chaired by:
Jean L. Harris
Members:
William R. Bricker
Senator Dave Durenberger
Dee Jepsen
Robert Mosbacher, Jr.
Thomas W. Pauken
MISSION STATEMENT
To coordinate the work of the Task Force with private initia-
tive programs conducted by federal departments and agencies,
and to serve as liaison in presenting Task Force recommenda-
tions on incentives, impediments and other policy proposals to
appropriate government officials.
STRATEGY
Working with the White House Office of Private Sector Initia-
tives, to undertake a Cabinet Program on Private Sector Initia-
tives. The President informed the Cabinet of his personal
interest in the program and asked the agencies to review pro-
grams and procedures with a view toward stimulating private
initiative and to establish a senior-level point of contact for
private initiative activities.
RESULTS
More than 40 departments and agencies provided information on
some 480 programs or projects with private sector implica-
tions. Some examples:
37
Creating a mechanism for private sector initiatives:
The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human
Services established a Working Group on Private Sector
Initiatives with representatives from all the major
agency components and chaired by the Undersecretary.
The objective was to expand public/private partner-
ships which address health and human service needs and
involve the regional offices of the department in
promoting public/private collaboration.
The Department of Education has a 16-member working
group to coordinate private sector initiative activ-
ity, with established contacts in departmental and
regional offices.
The United States Information Agency uses the Office
of Private Sector Programs to coordinate 14 committee
efforts, and Peace Corps has established an Office of
Private Sector Development. The Office of Volunteer
Liaison -- Public/Private Partnership has the mission
of promotion of private initiatives for ACTION.
The following are some specific techniques which agencies are
using to promote private sector initiatives.
"Seed money" and "pump priming" grants: The use of grants to
leverage increased private sector involvement is evident in
some agencies.
Health and Human Services makes child welfare services
grants to those states providing for the use of volun-
teers as program components. The Transportation
Department is also looking at ways for the Urban Mass
Transporation Administration to encourage grant recip-
ients to engage in ventures with the private sector.
The Department of Energy is making planning grants
available to foster collaboration between industry and
minority universities to facilitate entry of minori-
ties into the energy industry.
In the area of contracting, the Departments of Trans-
portation and of Defense are considering "profit-
sharing" arrangements with contractors who finish work
ahead of schedule or other similar improvements.
ACTION selected a few key areas in which the private
sector initiative approach is especially effective,
and is concentrating its demonstration grants, Older
American Volunteer Programs and other programs in
those areas. They include: refugee resettlement and
assimilation; the Vietnam Veterans Leadership Project,
38
which encourages veterans to assist those with
problems: literacy; drug abuse; particularly the
"parents' movement"; runaway youth; citizen crime
prevention; and community development on the "enter-
prise zone" model.
Recognition Programs: Several agencies reported on awards and
recognition programs ranging from individual to program-wide
commendation.
In particular, the Department of Housing and Urban
Development established a new National Recognition
Program for partnerships utilizing Community Develop-
ment Block Grant (CDBG) funds.
ACTION administers the annual President's Awards for
Voluntary Action. Health and Human Services and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture sponsor annual awards
to recognize service by volunteers. The Small Busi-
ness Administration annually honors business councils.
The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
has a more aggressive program which recognizes 20
citizens each month for outstanding contributions to
law enforcement.
Procurement and privatization: Procurement of goods and ser-
vices is a constant interaction between government and the pri-
vate sector. Operations must be reviewed constantly to ensure
that government is not producing items at a greater expense
than for which they could be purchased, and/or that the pur-
chase process is yielding the best goods and services for the
money spent.
In its effort to strengthen Defense programs, DOD is
seeking wider private sector participation and compe-
tition in its buying activities. Action is underway
to streamline the procurement process and help local
communities and economically disadvantaged groups
achieve a larger share of defense business.
The Small Business Administration, Energy and Housing
and Urban Development have initiatives to ensure and
encourage small and minority business participation in
procurement activity.
Many agencies are looking toward spinning off programs
to the private sector where it can be demonstrated
that those programs can be run more efficiently and
effectively. For example, at the Department of
Commerce:
-- The National Technical Information Service exam-
ple is being considered for privatizing. The
39
center is the central source for the public sale
of government information needed by business for
innovation and decision-making.
The Secretary of Commerce and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have as a
major objective the turnover of the Landsat earth
satellite program to the private sector.
The Department is also considering spinning off
to the private sector selected specialized
weather forecasting programs such as fruit frost
prediction. In addition, the National Advisory
Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere is studying
user-fee and private sector takeover options for
the National Weather Service.
Limited privatization is occurring within other agen-
cies. For example, the National Credit Union Associ-
ation and Federal Emergency Management Agency are
exploring ways to allow private insurance to replace
government insurance in several cases. The General
Services Administration is planning to lease unused
space. Interior is looking at private operation of
camp grounds, and the Veterans Administration wants to
increase private participation in caring for its 106
national cemeteries.
Volunteers: One of the most successful techniques for increas-
ing service delivery while limiting expense is the utilization
of volunteers. Throughout the federal government, many volun-
teers are being utilized in the delivery of human services.
Medicaid screening, counseling, transportation,
readers for grant processing, aging and nutrition
services, phone answering, babysitting, childhood
immunization programs, VD hotlines, surrogate mothers,
runaway youth aid, and daycare are just a few of the
ways in which the Department of Health and Human
Services has been able to utilize volunteers. In
their report Health and Human Services, in conjunction
with ACTION, identified over 760,000 volunteers
involved in their programs.
The Department of Justice encourages volunteers in
crime watch programs and in working with troubled
youth. Several bureaus of Interior have volunteers
cleaning and maintaining trails, working on campsites,
and supervising recreational activities. The Small
Business Administration uses volunteers to assess
damages at disaster areas and as technical advisors,
helping small businesses. Treasury uses some
volunteers to help the elderly file tax returns and to
help sell savings bonds.
40
Legislative and regulatory relief: Many federal agencies and
departments identified legislative and regulatory impediments
to private sector initiatives. While some steps are being
taken within the agencies to remove some impediments, others
are common to several agencies and deserve Executive Branch
consideration.
State and federal laws which prohibit the use of
volunteers.
The unavailability of Workmen's Compensation to cover
volunteer workers.
The question of tort liability relating to the actions
of the volunteers.
Health and Human Services and General Services Admini-
stration are evaluating the potential for legislation
which would revise the Public Benefit allowance author-
ity to permit donations of surplus federal property to
a broader spectrum of nonprofit and profit organiza-
tions involved in volunteer activity.
The use of voluntary approaches to regulatory compli-
ance, such as compliance bubbles which allow plants to
exceed Environmental Protection Agency emission stan-
dards for less control in other plant operations.
The revision of regulations to permit the use of fed-
eral buildings and facilities for other purposes by
voluntary organizations during their nonuse.
The amendment of Title II of the Federal Credit Union
Act to allow private sector insurance companies to
serve as an alternative to the Federal Insurance
Program for credit unions.
The review of agency and departmental efforts in the area of
private sector initiatives reveals a substantial amount of
effort. However, much more needs to be done to ensure that
federal agencies develop policies aimed at encouraging public/
private collaboration.
The review also shows that the efforts are fragmented and
uneven among the Cabinet agencies and departments. Moreover,
no mechanism exists to replicate the successful agency
activities, nor to exchange such information among them.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The President should be encouraged to establish a
Cabinet Council Group on Private Sector Initiatives to
provide policy guidance to an Interagency Working
41
Group on Private Sector Initiatives. Both organiza-
tions should be supported by the White House Office on
Private Sector Initiatives. Membership should come
from the relevant agencies and departments.
Departments and agencies should identify opportunities
for the increased use of volunteers in their programs
using the model of Health and Human Services, the
Veterans Administration and ACTION.
Departments and agencies should use discretionary
funds both at the programmatic and Secretary's level
to encourage private sector initiatives. Small "seed
money" and "pump priming" grants demonstrate a commit-
ment to private sector initiatives that goes beyond
conferences and technical assistance. This does not
require increased overall funding, but merely a real-
location of a portion of already appropriated funds.
Ongoing categorical programs that were not redrafted
legislatively because they were scheduled for elimina-
tion, e.g., the Labor Department's Title V program,
should now be managed with greater attention toward
their private sector initiative potential.
Discretionary and program funds should also be made
available for interagency and cooperative agreements
in support of private sector initiatives. Discretion-
ary funds should be used to enable strong nonprofit
programs to replicate their activities, not merely to
demonstrate the possibility of such replication.
"Seed money" grants can be used both to defray some
operating expenses and to encourage a program' s' pri-
vate sector initiative components, e.g., an expanded
use of volunteers.
Categorical programs should be examined to see if
their legislative authorization can be reoriented
toward the private sector, in the manner of the
increased role of PICs (Private Industry Councils) in
the new employment and training legislation.
Each agency and department may wish to establish an
awards and recognition program for its employees
involved in exemplary volunteer work or private sector
initiative activity.
Departments and agencies should identify programs that
could be more efficiently and productively run by a
private sector entity.
Each major department and agency may wish to establish
an intra-agency working group or office of Private
Sector Initiatives along the lines of Health and Human
Services and Department of Education models.
42
BUILDING
PARTNERSHIPS
INCENTIVES COMMITTEE
Chaired by: William C. Norris
Members:
James F. Henry
Leslie L. Luttgens
William S. White
MISSION STATEMENT
To identify incentives for increased initiatives by private
sector organizations, from the largest corporations to the
smallest businesses, foundations and nonprofit agencies. In
addition, identify incentives for individuals, as employees,
shareholders, or private citizens, which will increase personal
participation in voluntarism, and provide examples of such
activities.
STRATEGY
Expanding employment was the primary mission adopted by the
Incentives Committee. Every community needs a means by which
to assure the continuing process of creating new jobs. This
can best be accomplished by combining voluntarism, contrib-
uting, and investing in a focused approach through local
public/private partnerships.
FINDINGS
1.
Expanding employment requires that new jobs be created, and
that people be made job-ready through counseling, education
and training, and supported by necessary social services.
Due to limited time and resources, it is not feasible to
devise a program embracing all aspects of expanding
employment. Therefore, the Incentives Committee concluded
that it should concentrate on a limited program whereby
43
public/private partnerships stimulated new job creation by
focusing on assisting small businesses, since studies show
that they create most of the new jobs.
2. Local assistance needed most by small businesses is invest-
ment in programs supporting their startup and growth.
Investments in small businesses can take a variety of forms,
such as seed capital, debt, or equity; by providing
technology or management assistance.
3. To encourage such investments in small business, local
public/private partnerships should consider setting targets
and having their achievements recognized ---- very much as
that now given for contribution by "membership" in the Two
Percent and Five Percent Clubs.
Local investment standards should take into account the
size and character of both the community and investing
organizations.
4. To provide further stimulus for contributing, volunteering,
and investing in job creation programs, the Committee is
also recommending a variety of potential incentives. The
following suggests types of incentives that can be
considered at the federal, state, and local levels.
Together, local targets and incentives are intended to aid
local partnerships to undertake a commitment to a continuing
program of job creation.
POTENTIAL INCENTIVES
1.
Job Creation. To focus investments in job creation, the
following incentives could be applied:
Tax credit for contribution to community-based
organizations engaged in activities that expand
employment.
Double tax credits for volunteers for volunteering
time to community organizations such as cooperation
offices assisting small businesses.
Tax credits for investments in "incubators" for small
businesses.
Tax credits for investments in small companies in
designated areas.
Tax credits for making technology available to small
companies in designated areas.
Special investment tax credits for large companies
that locate branch plants in poverty areas.
44
2.
Employment Preparation/Education and Training. It is
critical that education and training be linked to jobs.
Tax incentives such as the following could induce the
needed investments in training and subsequent hiring:
Tax credits for linking education and work experience
for disadvantaged youth and disabled in skills in
acutely short supply.
3. Community Revitalization: Incentives should be extended
not only to corporations for investments, but to encourage
individuals to assist the needy and participate in
community development affairs.
A significant incentive has to be a new spirit which
legitimizes volunteer work and defines it as the desirable
behavior. Financial incentives could include:
Up-front government funding to get redevelopment
stimulated. Higher levels of funding-to communities with
comprehensive revitalization and employment expansion plans
in place.
Tax exemptions for banks on interest paid to provide loans
for stimulating housing and commercial development in inner
cities.
Federal insurance and tax exemptions on interest income for
insurance companies, pension funds and other similar
sources for large commercial and housing projects.
Credits for volunteers for car mileage and a percent of
donated time. (Double credit for time to efforts focused
on expanding employment.)
Tax credits to corporations that provide reimbursement of
employees for percent of time spent on priority volunteer
activities.
Tax credits to corporations that grant additional increases
in retirement pay for seniors who are volunteering.
45
BUILDING
PARTNERSHIPS
CONTRIBUTIONS STRATEGIES COMMITTEE
Chaired by:
Arthur Levitt, Jr.
Members:
Terence Cardinal Cooke
Kenneth N. Dayton
John Gardner
Dee Jepsen
Richard W. Lyman
Cornell C. Maier
Elder Thomas S. Monson
MISSION STATEMENT
To identify and encourage programs that offer the potential for
stimulating improvements in the amount and patterns of giving
by corporations, foundations and individuals.
ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS
The committee has developed and the Task Force has approved
statements concerning contribution strategies for corporations,
individuals and foundations. These statements have been widely
disseminated through the general press and to the specific
constituencies involved. For example, the statement on cor-
porate public involvement has been distributed to individual
corporations, general business organizations such as the
National Association of Manufacturers, the Business Roundtable
and the American Business Conference, as well as to a wide
range of industry trade organizations. Similarly, the state-
ment on foundations has been distributed through the Council on
Foundations and Independent Sector to memberships of each, and
to the newsletters of many national membership organizations.
47
RECOMMENDATIONS
The committee's specific recommendations concerning corporate,
individual and foundation involvement as approved by the Task
Force are:
The Task Force believes that while the private sector is
already making a major contribution to the social and economic
progress of America through a variety of contributions of time,
talent and money, more can be done to make the private sector a
strong partner with government in meeting the needs of American
communities.
The private sector includes business, organized labor,
religious and civic groups, educational and philanthropic
institutions, service and neighborhood organizations, trade and
professional associations, individuals and families; the broad-
est possible cross-section of American life. Each part of the
private sector has an important role to play in shaping the
future of our nation.
CORPORATIONS
The Task Force recommends that corporations:
1. Within four years, double the level of cash contributions
to nonprofit organizations engaged in public service, with
a goal of tax-deductible contributions equaling at least
two percent of pre-tax net income.
2. Within four years, double the overall level of their
involvement in community service activities, both in
financial contributions and in the mobilization of their
human resources in volunteer capacities.
3. Reassess the pattern and direction of both their cash
contributions and other forms of public involvement to
insure that the most pressing human, social and economic
needs in their communities are being addressed effectively.
4. Commit themselves to active involvement in the development
and enhancement of partnerships between the private and
public sectors in their communities.
In recent years, corporations have gone far beyond cash contri-
butions in their involvement in the community; to job creation
and training for the unemployed, targeted urban investments,
loaned technical expertise to local and state governments and
support for employee volunteer programs. Their total cash con-
tributions of approximately $3 billion have been matched by a
variety of in-kind contributions of goods, services, and loaned
personnel. These contributions are a vital resource in com-
munities nationwide.
48
Individual corporations vary widely in the extent and nature of
their current involvement and in their potential for increased
involvement over time. Thus, the Task Force recommendations
address the overall commitment that must be made by the busi-
ness community in the years immediately ahead. Likewise, the
Task Force recognizes that the most active and lasting commit-
ment will come as the product of each company's own recognition
that the condition of the communities in which they operate is
as much a part of their business as the products they make and
the services they offer.
INDIVIDUALS
The Task Force recommends a goal of doubling individual giving
in the next four years.
Almost 90 percent of private giving is by individuals. In
1981, the total of individual contributions exceeded $44
billion. In addition, individuals contribute an enormous
amount of personal volunteer time, equivalent in 1981 to an
estimated $64.5 billion.
When individuals give money and time, our society benefits in
three ways:
-- specific people and causes are assisted;
-- there is a greater awareness of community needs and
issues;
-- the givers gain an important sense of service.
Since its beginnings, this country has benefited from an extra-
ordinary willingness on the part of individuals to participate
in addressing communities' needs and aspirations. It is impor-
tant to our nation, and to its givers and receivers that we
strengthen that voluntary impulse. A doubling of individual
giving in four years will raise personal donations to a level
of approximately $100 billion.
The present average of personal contributions is about two
percent of annual income, with many individuals and groups
contributing the traditional ten percent "tithe." The Task
Force proposes that Americans work toward an average contribu-
tion of five percent of personal income.
The increased support should go to the causes of one's choice.
That, too, is an important part of our democracy and the plura-
lism that strengthens it.
Individual giving and volunteering go hand in hand. If, within
the next four years we can double the levels of contributed
time and money, we will have multiplied all of the benefits of
49
this country's unique pattern of private initiative for the
public good.
FOUNDATIONS
Foundations are independent nonprofit organizations that have
been funded from private sources, managed by their own trustees
and established to serve the public interest by addressing
social, educational, cultural and other charitable needs. The
majority of foundations are known as independent foundations
originally established and funded by individuals or families.
A second important category is community foundations. They are
a flexible vehicle through which individuals and corporations
can make gifts or bequests of any size for the benefit of a
community or a region and are governed by a publicly appointed
board of trustees. A third category, corporate foundations,
receive their funding from a corporation and their activities
are included in the foregoing statement about corporate public
involvement.
The first two categories of foundations account for about five
percent of all private sector giving in the United States.
Their share of the total has gradually declined over the past
decade due to such factors as inflation, government regulation,
the impact of tax laws and the effect of the securities markets
on foundation assets. The net result has been a continued slow
decline in foundation giving in real dollars over recent years.
At the same time, foundations occupy a unique position in the
private sector and have the potential for playing a more impor-
tant role in helping to address the social and economic needs
facing the country. Foundations are unique in their flexi-
bility to respond to needs, in their ability to take risks and
in their freedom to explore problems. The diversity among the
nation's 22,000 foundations is a classic example of the plura-
lism in America's private sector and provides an opportunity
for a rich and creative response to those issues and needs
which are within the resources of the foundation community.
The Task Force recommends that:
1. Foundations reassess the pattern and direction of their
giving to insure that the most pressing human, social and
economic needs are being addressed effectively.
2. Foundations commit themselves, where appropriate, to active
involvement in the development and enhancement of partner-
ships between the private and public sectors in their com-
munities, and to the nurturing of community-based organiza-
tions that play SO important a role in such partnerships.
3. Foundations voluntarily recognize their continuing account-
ability to the public as nonprofit organizations and follow
50
the example of many foundations in openly communicating the
amount and nature of grants made and their grantmaking
objectives and priorities
4.
Every effort should be made to reverse the declining birth
rate of foundations by aggressively promoting the formation
of new foundations.
COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS
Community foundations have an especially vital role to play in
community partnerships because of their staffs' broad knowledge
of the geographic area they serve, and their ability to pool
gifts from many sources to meet community needs. These founda-
tions often are in a position to provide expert grantmaking
assistance to local corporations who desire to increase the
level of their giving. They also make excellent partners with
national corporations and foundations desiring to make contri-
butions in cities or regions where they lack information about
local needs. As a bridge between the donors and the local
nonprofit sector, community foundations are natural partners to
work with local governments to address community problems.
The Task Force recommends that:
1. The cities and regions without community foundations take
steps to form such foundations. The key persons in such a
process are community leaders, heads of nonprofit organiza-
tions and bank trust officers, and attorneys and estate
planners working with individual donors to establish a
pooled community trust committed to addressing local needs
and concerns. In addition, independent foundations and
corporate foundations can play an important role in
providing technical and financial resources for the
formation of new community foundations.
2. Localities with community foundations mobilize resources to
obtain additional gifts, bequests and corporate contribu-
tions to provide a substantial asset base from which grants
can be made.
3. Existing community foundations place a high priority on
providing technical and financial assistance in the forma-
tion or enhancement of public/private partnerships in their
communities.
The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 includes a feature which
establishes the annual payout requirement for foundations at five
percent of assets. This change from prior law increases the
ability of foundations to preserve their assets at a level which
should insure a steady payout of grant dollars in future years.
At the same time, there may be other legislative and regulatory
changes which will further enhance the responsive ability of
foundations and facilitate the creation of new foundations.
51
BUILDING
PARTNERSHIPS
COMMITTEE ON MARSHALLING HUMAN RESOURCES
Chaired by: Frank Pace, Jr.
Members:
William Aramony
Terence Cardinal Cooke
Walter G. Davis
Daniel Gilbert
George Romney
The Reverend Leon Sullivan
Alexander Trowbridge
MISSION STATEMENT
To encourage increased commitment, recruitment, placement and
management to volunteers in community service and to enhance
the atmosphere for volunteering.
}
STRATEGY
To pursue its mission, a decision was made to directly involve
the volunteer community and other related groups. Thus, a
first major activity was to form an advisory group of persons
from major national volunteer organizations. (See Appendix
Information.)
This advisory group then suggested that it be expanded to in-
clude representation from labor, the corporate community, and
religious institutions. Small working groups were formed to
help carry out the agreed-upon committee objective:
1. To reaffirm the fact that volunteering is an essential part
of the fabric of American society.
53
The Committee developed a publication for policy
makers entitled Volunteers: A Valuable Resource which
includes: "Volunteering: The Policy Maker's Role;"
"The World of Volunteering: Questions and Answers;"
"Who Volunteers? A Statistical Survey;" "What
America's Leaders Say About Volunteering: Selected
Quotations;" Suggested Remarks; and Acknowledgments.
This will be distributed to the White House, Congress,
Governors, Mayors, national volunteer organizations,
and other interested national organizations.
The Committee, with the help of the Postmaster
General, paved the way for a commemorative stamp on
volunteering to be issued in 1983--the first of its
kind.
The Committee participated in discussions with the
Advertising Council on its campaign to promote volun-
tarism. In particular, on the film commissioned by
the Independent Sector.
2.
To recognize contributions made by young people as volun-
teers in community service and to encourage more young
people to volunteer.
Dr. Gilbert and Mr. Bricker prepared a paper for the
Task Force on youth, emphasizing the need to challenge
young people by offering opportunities for them to
become involved, as well as the importance of working
with youth rather than for youth.
The Committee organized a three-day event in Washing-
ton, attended by 47 young people representing 23
national volunteer organizations (see Appendix
Information) which provide youth volunteer activities.
Over thirty communities were represented. The
highlight was a meeting with President Reagan,
including opportunities to question the President, and
having individual photos taken with the President.
These youth representatives also visited the Greater
Washington Youth Fair. This event was coordinated by
the Boys Club's Jelleff Branch, which worked
collaboratively with over 25 other local volunteer
organizations. The D.C. Fair was designed as an
example of a local private sector initiative for in-
volving youth in community service. These youth
representatives plan to return to their communities
and produce a similar local initiative during 1983. A
goal of participation by many more communities annual-
ly was established.
54
3.
To reconfirm the relationship of volunteer organizations
with corporations and unions.
Material was gathered on the subject of existing cor-
porate volunteer activity and is reflected in a Letter
to Chief Executive Officers and a Corporate Community
Involvement Action Guide. The letter and the guide
will be disseminated through major business
associations.
Representatives of volunteer organizations met with the
AFL-CIO's Community Service Department, with the intent
of preparing a paper on cooperation among unions and
volunteer organizations on how better to work together.
The AFL-CIO will host an educational meeting with
volunteer organizations, and both the AFL-CIO and
volunteer organizations would continue to address the
subject of volunteering at conferences, meetings and
other forums.
4.
To stress the effectiveness of volunteer organizations.
The Committee worked with the Gannett Newspaper chain
and the American Society of Newspaper Editors to en-
courage local newspapers to include a column on volun-
teer opportunities. Mr. Pace sent a letter to 1100
newspapers around the country, encouraging the use of
such a column.
The Committee has developed plans for publication of a
directory of available management development, educa-
tion, and training for nonprofit organizations (paid
personnel and volunteers) at universities, schools,
and in nonprofit organizations.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Committee acknowledges the fact that volunteers play an
essential role in the fabric of American society and recommends
that policy makers continue to find new ways to publicly
recognize volunteers. The Committee clearly feels it has only
begun an effort which needs to be sustained and built upon.
Therefore, the advisory group recommends that:
1. It continue its efforts through 1983 to complete these
activities. Mr. Pace has agreed to coordinate them.
To that end, the advisory group will:
Keep in touch with those youth who came to the three-
day D.C. conference, and assist them with their local
initiatives.
55
Work with the advisory group to identify and remove
impediments to volunteering.
Through business organizations, catalogue and encour-
age non-cash involvement in community service.
Proceed with the Postmaster General on the production
of the commemorative stamp, to be issued in 1983.
Continue to provide comments to the Advertising Coun-
cil on its voluntarism campaign.
Continue to work with the White House Office of Pri-
vate Sector Initiatives.
Continue discussions with organized labor.
Continue to work with newspaper editors.
Complete the resource directory.
2.
And that an office within the White House:
Be designated as the Administration locale for infor-
mation about and contact with volunteers.
Continue to work with organizations which provide
youth volunteer activities and, more specifically,
youth fairs.
Provide resource information about volunteer organiza-
tions to the President and assist in the dissemination
of materials produced by this Committee.
56
BUILDING
PARTNERSHIPS
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
Co-chairs:
Ellen Sulzberger Straus
Thomas H. Wyman
Members:
John W. Gardner
C. William Verity, Jr.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Communications Committee was formed to serve as an advi-
sory group to the Task Force as a whole and its individual com-
mittees in devising and implementing a communications program
with the press and the public.
STRATEGY
The Committee, from the start, began to outline a communica-
tions strategy to assure that the Task Force secure a reputa-
tion of one that reports results rather than one that simply
results in a report.
As the various Task Force committees began to reach out to
hundreds of communities across the country, the private initia-
tive story began to unfold. At the heart of this story were
the classic examples of neighbor helping neighbor, and partner-
ships between local government and private sector leaders. It
was determined that if these examples were emulated elsewhere,
they would bring to life and to vivid definition the concepts
underlying the Task Force's work.
Thus, the Task Force became the "mirror" for these examples of
people helping people and began a nationwide awareness campaign
to reflect them to communities around the country. This cam-
paign was in no way intended to suggest a magic in partner-
ships, but to the extent that they brought disparate elements
of a community together in common cause, they were viewed as
powerful instruments to community social and economic progress.
57
To transmit these partnership examples, the Communications Com-
mittee focused on three vehicles for creating a national aware-
ness: print media, broadcast media, and public speaking oppor-
tunities.
PRINT MEDIA
Editorial roundtables were arranged with major national publi-
cations to highlight community partnerships. These practical
examples of private enterprise became the substance of scores
of feature articles in hundreds of media outlets, as the press
realized that the public was hungry for positive human interest
stories.
Drawing from the Task Force data bank of some 2,500 examples, a
weekly series of feature stories, called "The Brighter Side of
Today's News,' was inaugurated by the communications division.
The stories were mailed each week to editors of 2,000 daily and
weekly newspapers.
As the influence of the stories spread, the press began calling
for other data bank examples which could be adapted in their
communities.
Organizations with allied interests asked for examples they
could use. For example, the American Advertising Federation,
which had adopted voluntarism as its theme for 1982-1983, dis-
tributed the material to its 210 members for use in local ad-
vertising and public relations campaigns.
The Advertising Council also accepted the theme of voluntarism
for one of its public service media campaigns, with Ogilvy &
Mather, Inc., as the volunteer agency. Providing funds as well
as counsel, the Task Force joined with the Independent Sector
in sponsorship of the campaign, which will run in 1983 and 1984.
The National Municipal League is scheduling a booklet on the
"Brighter Side" for distribution to thousands. More than a
hundred trade association executives asked for stories to use
in their trade publications.
The Task Force newsletter, "Building Partnerships NEWS," spread
the spirit of voluntarism and private sector initiative across
the country to more than 7,500 readers on a regular basis.
BROADCAST MEDIA
In the spirit of voluntarism, Pat Boone narrated a dozen radio
and television spots on the "Brighter Side" stories and com-
posed, arranged and sang an accompaniment called "Lend A Hand,
America" for distribution by the Task Force to more than 5,000
radio stations.
58
It became apparent early on that the Task Force story was
powerful visually and television was its earliest proponent. A
broadcast advisory subcommittee. was formed, with Charles S.
Mechem, Chairman of Taft Broadcasting, as its head. This group
provided advice to the Task Force for spreading the private
initiatives story across the country through the electronic
media.
Already in existence was the most powerful asset the Task Force
had in the form of a news series produced by KAKE-TV, Wichita,
which became the prototype for scores of individual TV stations
across the country. To date, some 70 television stations have
aired programs on private initiatives, job-a-thons, volunteer-
ing, or special community projects.
ALCOA used one private initiative story line and funded a public
service television spot, which it distributed to 200 television
stations.
Religious television networks were quick to see that the Task
Force objectives paralled theirs, and Mr. Verity and Mr. Guth
appeared on four major religious networks.
The combination of efforts between local and religious sta-
tions, as well as a number of major Task Force announcements
and meetings on private initiatives, turned the work of the
Task Force into a national television story.
CBS News produced a 6-minute network story on private initia-
tives. ABC-TV relayed the news series of its own affiliate,
KAKE-TV, to its 208 stations. The Public Broadcasting Service
covered a Task Force meeting in Wichita on its "Nightly News
Report. And two dozen on-camera interviews with Task Force
members were done by national networks, local stations and
McNeil-Lehrer.
SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES
It was agreed by the Committee members that the media activi-
ties would be augmented by an active and effective speakers'
bureau, enabling key spokespersons to appear often before
national, regional, and local audiences to encourage volun-
tarism and private sector initiatives.
To that end, the Task Force speakers' bureau scheduled approxi-
mately 150 speeches and panel discussions for members and senior
staff. These appearances ranged from Boston to Guam, and the
staff members alone logged an estimated quarter of a million
miles.
59
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION PROGRAM
An initial committee of the Task Force, the Awards and Recogni-
tion Committee, completed its work in late spring. Chaired by
Mr. Wyman, the Committee prepared a guide book for governors
and mayors to use in establishing recognition programs to honor
individual efforts and community partnerships long after the
national President's Task Force had expired.
60
BUILDING
PARTNERSHIPS
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS COMMITTEE
Chaired by:
Jeri J. Winger
Members:
William Aramony
Helen G. Boosalis
J. Richard Conder
Edward H. Kiernan
Robert D. Lilley
Robert Mosbacher, Jr.
MISSION STATEMENT
To identify existing community partnerships at the local level
and promote the establishment of similar partnerships through-
out the nation.
To facilitate the development of private sector leadership net-
works at the community level so that communities of all sizes
may become better organized to meet local needs with local and
private resources.
STRATEGY
To establish a framework for community partnerships which set
boundaries and aid in the establishment of priorities for part-
nership activities.
The framework noted three key elements:
1.
Community leadership -- To encourage community leaders to
help identify needs, and promote partnership processes
between the public and private sectors to find solutions.
61
2.
Entrepreneurship -- To generate entrepreneurial thinking
about financial and non-financial dimensions of partner-
ships.
3. Community building -- To develop programs which become self-
sustaining.
RESULTS
Education and training materials which were developed include:
1. "Building Partnerships for America's Future" -- provides
definition, overview, and case examples of community part-
nerships.
2. "Corporate Community Involvement" -- An action guide on
corporate community involvement in the generation and
strengthening of community partnerships.
The first document ever produced which provides case
examples of volunteers, contributions, and investment
efforts of large, mid-range, and small businesses. The
efforts catalogued describe programs with neighborhoods and
governments, and encompass economic and residential develop-
ment and human services. A resource list is included.
3. Investing in America -- The first book produced with chap-
ters by major institutional investors in the United States
-- banks, savings institutions, insurance companies, pen-
sion funds, credit unions, cooperatives, community develop-
ment corporations, small businesses and venture capital
firms, foundations (program related investment), corpora-
tions (non-financial), mutual funds, and religious organi-
zations. There is also a chapter on investment partnership
innovations. This book is a report by these organiza-
tions. The theme is investing in community partnerships
and includes resource lists and hundreds of case' examples.
4. "Partnerships in America" (video tape) -- A 23-minute
training film with general information on community
partnership formation and community investment. The tape
includes footage from Task Force-sponsored meeting of chief
executives, highlighting speakers from the public and
private sectors and nonprofit groups.
WORKING MEETINGS
1. Corporate Community Involvement (July 26-27): A White
House meeting with the President. This was the first
meeting of chief executives ever convened to discuss their
role as investors in community partnerships. Eighty-five
62
corporate leaders from 44 cities, representing 24 states,
attended a program that included presentations by 17 civic
leaders from corporations, local governments, foundations,
community development organizations - representing private
profit, nonprofit, and public sector interests in community
partnerships. Eight Task Force members participated in
this working meeting as keynoters, panelists, and panel
convenors. The focus of the working meeting was on commu-
nity investment.
2. American Community College Trustees (August 24) Eleven
trustees and their representatives from community colleges
attended this meeting designed to provide information about
partnerships and establish a follow-up program of forums in
their communities. Four federal departments also sent
representatives. Follow-up forums were scheduled in:
Kansas City, Kansas; Chicago, Illinois; Omaha, Nebraska;
Annandale, Virginia; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Kirkwood,
Iowa; Seattle, Washington; San Jacinto, Texas; Cumberland,
Maryland; Jacksonville, Florida, and San Francisco,
California.
3. Investment Institutions (September 14): Sixteen investment
institution representatives attended a meeting to discuss
their chapter contribution to the book, Investing in
America. This was the first meeting to bring major
institutional investors together to discuss the role of
investment in community partnerships.
4. Religious Leaders Roundtable (October 5): An interdenomi-
national meeting of religious leaders. Fifteen people
participated in a roundtable discussion on the role of
their national organizations in promoting partnerships. A
planning committee was selected and is meeting periodically
with the White House.
The White House Office of Private Sector Initiatives partici-
pated in each of these meetings.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. That the Project Data Bank be continued in an independent
non-governmental setting. The project bank information
serves as a means for sharing ideas -- the utility of which
shall be determined by prospective users. There should be
a formalized system whereby the information could be made
available to communities.
2.
Emphasis on the establishment of community partnerships,
and on active involvement of local officials with the
private sector. Mayors should be made aware, by Governors'
Task Forces, of the importance of community partnerships
63
and the need for them to play a key role in finding ways to
join public and private resources to meet community needs.
Particular attention should be given to the needs of
smaller communities and should include consideration of
their technical and financial needs.
3. Governors' Task Forces should be encouraged to have both
public and private sector members. These Task Forces are
in a strategic position to help maintain the momentum
generated in numerous communities.
4. It is extremely important to publicize and spotlight
successful examples of the private sector working with
community enterprises.
5. The basic concept of partnership arrangements is valid and
should be reinforced at every opportunity, with community-
level dialogue on public issues and common problems. This
dialogue should emphasize the strengths of joining public
and private-sector resources.
6. A mechanism should be established to ensure that the work
of the Task Force will be continued, with emphasis on
community partnerships. To develop new partnerships and
enhance existing programs, it is recommended that leader-
ship at all levels, including corporate, government, and
community, encompassing profit and nonprofit mechanisms, be
nurtured so that partnerships become long-term, self-
sustaining efforts.
64
BUILDING
PARTNERSHIPS
APPENDIX INFORMATION
All references to appendix material or publications mentioned,
but not included, in this report are part of the permanent
record of the Task Force and can be obtained by contacting the
White House Office of Private Sector Initiatives, 202-456-6676.
65