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25 Creative, Productive Government Programs Earn $20,000 Grants as Finalists for Innovations in American Government Awards

Today the Ford Foundation named 25 creative and effective government programs as finalists for the Innovations in American Government Awards and granted them each $20,000 for their unique approaches to public policy. On October 23, the 10 most innovative and effective programs will each receive awards of $100,000 after a public competition in Washington, D.C.

• Turning old school buses into portable day-care centers for children in rural areas
• Forcing young vandals to face their victims and take responsibility for their actions
• Creating a nationwide network to collect delinquent child-support payments
• Leveraging the buying power of the U.S. Navy to encourage American companies to share best manufacturing practices and to develop the most globally competitive products.

These are among the good ideas put into action by federal, state and local governments that the Ford Foundation awarded today.

"Twelve years ago, we chose to begin recognizing government innovation because few others were saying positive things about government," said Susan V. Berresford, president of the Ford Foundation. "All of these programs provide continuing examples of government as a creative force, applying effective solutions to real problems."

The purpose of the Innovations Awards is not only to bring public recognition to this dynamic quality of American government, but also to foster the replication of these successful programs by other government entities across the nation. Since the Innovations program began granting awards in 1986, more than 85 percent of the programs receiving Innovations Awards have been replicated. With its selection as a finalist, each program already has distinguished itself as a leading example of a government agency tackling a tough situation -- and succeeding -- by using an innovative and creative approach.

On October 21, representatives of these programs will travel from all over the country to Washington, D.C. to present their credentials to the National Selection Committee of the Innovations program, which will choose the 10 winning programs in a public competition. The National Selection Committee is composed of former elected officials, private industry leaders and journalists, and is chaired by David Gergen, former advisor to four presidents and current editor at large at U.S. News & World Report.

About the Innovations Awards Program

The Innovations in American Government Awards are funded by the Ford Foundation and administered by the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, in partnership with the Council for Excellence in Government. The Innovations in American Government Awards received over 1,400 applications in 1998. In May, the field was narrowed to 97 semi-finalists, and today's announcement reduced the number of contestants to just 25. Of this year's finalists, seven are federal government programs, 11 are state programs and seven are local. Each of the 25 finalists receives a $20,000 grant from the Ford Foundation to be used toward replicating its program in other areas. The winners of the ten $100,000 grants will be announced on October 22, 1998, in Washington, D.C.

The Ford Foundation, established in 1936, is a private, non-profit institution that serves as a resource for innovative people and institutions worldwide. Its goals are to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. A national and international philanthropy with assets of more than $9 billion, the Foundation has provided more than $9 billion in grants and loans to some 9,000 institutions and 100,000 individuals worldwide.

Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government is a graduate school of public policy dedicated to preparing leaders for service in government and other institutions of democratic societies and to contributing to the solution of important public problems.

The Council for Excellence in Government is a national, non-profit and nonpartisan organization whose 750 members have served as senior public-sector officials. Its mission is to improve the performance of government by strengthening results-oriented management and creative leadership in the public sector and to build understanding in government by focusing public discussion on its role and responsibilities.

More information on the finalists and the Innovations in American Government program is available on the John F. Kennedy School of Government's Web site or by calling (202) 467-6600.

The Ford Foundation is an independent, nonprofit grant-making organization. For more than half a century it has been a resource for innovative people and institutions worldwide, guided by its goals of strengthening democratic values, reducing poverty and injustice, promoting international cooperation and advancing human achievement. With headquarters in New York, the foundation has offices in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Russia.