The public-private hybrid system of service provision originated with liberal reformers in the early 1960s. The Ford Foundation piloted several programs that used community-based nonprofits to deliver services and benefits to urban residents. Democratic Presidents John Kennedy and then especially Lyndon Johnson picked up on and sought to embed these approaches into federal policies. They formed the backbone of Johnson’s War on Poverty and his expansive push for a Great Society through initiatives like Head Start, VISTA, Job Corps, and community action programs.