Public Domain

Ed DeSeve, Senior Advisor to the President

He’s probably the most important man you’ve never heard of. Ed DeSeve is President Obama’s senior advisor, responsible for implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). What does this mean? DeSeve is managing and disbursing $800-plus billion in economic stimulus funds.

A lecturer and writer, he has extensive experience in the public and private sectors. Grantmakers heard from DeSeve at the Council’s Annual Conference. And the editors at TAI asked him a few questions after this speech.

TAI: How can philanthropy help you meet ARRA’s objectives and priorities?

Ed DeSeve: Collaboration is key. It provides an opportunity to break through existing stovepipes and bring people and information together in new ways. I find that today’s most effective leaders are focused not only on how they can solve a problem, but on whom to pull into the problem-solving process.
We—the Recovery Implementation Office—are embracing some core principles as we look to disburse the stimulus money and create jobs. These principles are:

• government is a connector first and a problem solver second
• government pulls together the right people around a problem
• government enables action through knowledge, resources, and visibility

With this lens, foundations play a critical role. From what I can see, foundations are natural connectors in their communities and/or focus areas. Through the knowledge you have on specific focus areas, connections you have with numerous affected communities, and the resources to spark action, there are huge opportunities for you to get engaged.

You should know that we are in the early stages of working with a select few federal agencies to identify specific problem areas within the ARRA’s focus areas. These include weatherization, health IT, high-speed rail, and broadband. We’re also working with these agencies to develop effective programs that will pull stakeholders and affected communities together through technology and face-to-face functions that will address those problems.

Once we figure out our exact goals and objectives, foundations should and will play a role in implementation.

TAI: Foundations around the country have knowledge on all kinds of issues. Is there a mechanism/point person for foundations to share this information with government?

DeSeve: As we wrestle with how to manage the disbursement of federal stimulus dollars, it is imperative that we not overly rely on our current structures. As we look to meet ARRA’s objectives, we must not fall into a trap that this is a top-down exercise that fits into matrixes that get red, yellow, or green stoplights. We clearly understand that foundations can play a critical role in achieving ARRA’s objectives.

Our focus in the Recovery Implementation Office is for government to be a platform that enables problem solving. We are moving to more collaborative models that empower people across the country to increase awareness, action, and results. With ARRA we want to tap into the latent potential of all Americans and the government workforce to become as agile as the threats and opportunities we face.

TAI: Foundations are ready to help.  How can they partner with you and the other agencies?

DeSeve: We have met with your [the Council’s] board chair and president and are working on some concrete next steps. Through these discussions, we know that you stand ready to help us in this cause and appreciate your willingness to help. As we get traction, we will come back for you for your knowledge, connections, and resources to help power up this collaborative approach.
Let’s make sure we remain focused on identifying the problems and finding new solutions. Old models and approaches will not get us to where we need to be. I believe we have, before us, an opportunity to attempt new and unique methods. While our challenges are great, so is our ability to meet them.

Click on the image to watch Ed DeSeve address Council conference attendees. He suggests five ways his office and foundations can work together.