Government
A Brief Guide to 'Social Impact Partnerships'
The GOP-led Congress just paved the way for a novel public-private partnership model. But it's not the usual Trump-era legislation.
Last week, when Congress lifted spending caps put in place during the Obama administration with a budget extension bill, lawmakers also carved out space for a new federal initiative. An act within an act buried on page 534 of the bill, the Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act launches a federal campaign to promote health, jobs, family, and savings across social programs.
So what, exactly, is a social impact partnership? The new law imagines federally fueled, locally driven, public-private partnerships that cut costs for the government. The social goals are practical, from reducing the number of kids in foster care to reducing the number of low-income families receiving means-tested benefits.