President's Social Innovation Fund Would Seek Out Creative, Results-Oriented Organizations

Youth Villages CEO Patrick Lawler was one of a select group of nonprofit leaders invited to the White House Tuesday to hear President Barack Obama's call to increase the reach of America's most effective nonprofit organizations through public/private partnerships.

Earlier this year, Youth Villages was named by the White House as a nonprofit organization with "promising ideas that are transforming communities."

Obama used an East Room gathering to talk about his new proposals, which include a $50 million social innovation fund that will be used to spur public/private partnership and investments in community nonprofit organizations like Youth Villages, which have programs that have been proven to work.

"We're going to use this fund to find the most promising nonprofits in America," Obama said. "Instead of wasting taxpayer money on programs that are obsolete or ineffective, government should be seeking out creative, results-oriented programs like the ones here today and helping them replicate their efforts across America."

Youth Villages was an early champion of research-based treatment approaches and helping troubled children and families in the least restrictive setting, especially through intensive in-home services. The organization has produced consistently high long-term success rates for the approximately 13,000 children Youth Villages serves each year. In 2008, 86 percent of the children who completed their program at Youth Villages were discharged successfully; data consistently show that 84 percent are living successfully in the community two years after discharge.

"We are pleased that the White House is recognizing Youth Villages, as an organization that does what works and know that it's a tribute to our employees, foster and adoptive parents, volunteers, mentors and donors who have supported our organization over many years," Lawler said. "It also validates our decision decades ago to use effective treatment programs and devote significant resources to research and outcome evaluation."

Lawler has been CEO of the nonprofit organization since its formation in 1986. During that time, Youth Villages has grown from helping 50 children a year to touching the lives of more than 13,000 children and families in 10 states and the District of Columbia in 2008.

In 2006, U.S. News & World Report and the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government named Lawler one of "America's Best Leaders," along with financier Warren Buffett, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Teach for America CEO Wendy Kopp.