National Civic Participation Director Speaks to Local Nonprofits

Nonprofits might be making more money than you think.

"The nonprofit sector is an important economic sector. It's 11 percent of the workforce," says Sonal Shah, White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation director. "Nonprofits generate $600 billion a year."

Shah spoke at the Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence's Fifth Annual conference this morning, telling attendees that her office is trying to put a spotlight on issues and innovations.

"The President and First Lady believe that the solutions to the problems we face are in communities around the country," Shah said. "Our job is to find those."

The office allocates growth funds to successful programs around the country and looks for public/private partnerships, such as the text4baby program with Johnson & Johnson and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Text4baby aims to stem high infant mortality rates among low-income mothers by sending those women a text about what they should do each week of their pregnancy.