Dear Social Venture Partners and Friends,

The Social Venture Partners story continues to develop and 2010 is shaping up to be an exciting chapter for the SVP network. For starters, SVPI is working with four SVPs to apply for a grant from the US Social Innovation Fund, authorized in the Serve America Act of 2009.

The fund will provide grants to grantmakers to invest in promising, innovative nonprofit organizations, with the goal of strengthening their evidence-base and developing the infrastructure required to address national challenges in communities of need. Participants in the program must also be dedicated collectors of data and that they share their knowledge of what works with the field.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? I hope so as SVPI believes Social Venture Partners could not be a better match for this grant program. SVPs in Cleveland, Portland, San Diego and Seattle are working together on a joint application, with SVPI as the co-ordinating partner.  A special thank you to Diane Helfrey, Executive Director of Los Angeles SVP for helping the team navigate the application process.  In addition to promoting the fact that SVP is the largest network of philanthropic donors operating in North America, we are also stressing the fundamental role of partner engagement within each SVP organization.

On any given day, I am discussing ideas and best practices with our dedicated Executive Directors on how to best engage their boards, donors and community partners. These hardworking leaders along with our SVP Board Chairs and the SVPI Board of Directors are passionate about developing philanthropists and creating influential citizens and agents of change throughout and beyond the communities and regions they serve.

SVP partners are known for giving their time, professional skills, creativity and dollars, working with local nonprofits to bring about social change. We are also taking a long look at what we want the SVP legacy to be: in what direction do we want our shared values to lead us? Partners from throughout the network will be gathering in Seattle next month for the 2010 SVP Partner Peer Gathering to explore and design the future of their SVP and the Social Venture Partners network.

Thank you for all you do to support the Social Venture Partners movement. I look forward to seeing you in Seattle next month.

Warm Regards,

Ruth

Ruth Jones
Executive Director
Social Venture Partners International

In this issue:

Replication: Boston Looks at Risks & Rewards for Nonprofits
Seattle Partner Speaks Up for State's Youngest Learners
Everything is Still Bigger in Texas: Check out the BigBANG!
What We're Reading: "Nodes, Not Hubs: The Power of Networked Philanthropy"
VISTA Corps Members on track for SVPs in the United States
Transforming Communities After Disaster: Katrina@5
SVP Annual Conference: Can You Hang Ten at Long Beach?

Replication: Boston Looks at Risks & Rewards for Nonprofits

Like most SVPs throughout the network, SVP Boston works with small and medium-sized nonprofit organizations that often seek to replicate their programs or services in other communities. Concerned about the risks associated with replication, SVP Boston hosted a forum this month at The Boston Foundation to take a closer look at the issues surrounding replication.

“We know that small and medium sized nonprofits strive to replicate programs as part of goals associated with growth and outreach,” says Marjorie Ringrose, Executive Director at SVP Boston, “however we also believe that replication is a particularly risky process – one that can threaten the existing organization and that organization’s current programs.”

Defining replication
Those in the nonprofit and funding worlds are very familiar with the term “replication,” but there isn’t widespread agreement on a definition within the sector and related literature. So, SVP Boston came up with their own working definition:

replication: the reproduction of successful, proven programs in a new setting, often involving a new physical location

Exploring the issues
SVP Boston invited SVP partners, investees, funders, and small/medium sized nonprofit guests to take a closer look at the issues surrounding replication and address some specific questions:

• What changes can we make now to our organization or our operations that will prepare us for replication? Where will work now pay off hugely in the future?
• Given that we have limited resources, where specifically should we assign them for most leverage?
• What are the areas/activities that similar organizations have failed to identify as being important, then under resourced, leading to missed opportunities or undo risk?

Marjorie Ringrose Executive Director SVP Boston

“We wanted to gather and consolidate advice about where nonprofits should focus their scarce resources – time, skills and money,” says Marjorie. “We also wanted to know where or when the pay-off of investing is the greatest. Or, conversely, where or when is the down-side of not investing intolerable?  Essentially, we were looking for the 80/20 rule for successful small/medium sized nonprofit replication.”

“Complicating the issues,” adds Marjorie, “is the fact that much of the thinking and writing about replication in the United States has been from the perspective of large nonprofits replicating nationally. These tend to be well resourced organizations with many sites across the country and they are often replicating services or programs based on a carefully designed and in some cases, proven, replication strategy.”

To identify where small/medium sized nonprofits should invest, SVP Boston interviewed about 40 people in their community -- nonprofit leaders who had successfully replicated, nonprofit leaders who had less than successful replications, academicians and consultants – and ask these individuals what they did well in a replication and what they wished they’d done differently.

Panelists and participants dove right into the issue areas noting  that small and medium-sized nonprofits are typically resource constrained with little financial ability to hire external resources to assist with replication. What staffing they do have is required to run existing programs and manage their existing organizations. As a result, there are usually few, if any, paid staff members dedicated to replication planning or implementation. In Marjorie words, replication is, for most of these small organizations, a moon-lighting activity.

Discussion also included the fact that smaller nonprofits often have replication as part of a strategic plan, but it can also be part of the dream of an ED or Board Chair, or, more often than not, an opportunistic invitation from a funder to come into their community. Any or all of these factors can be in play and create a compelling desire to expand.

To Replicate or Not to Replicate: Key Lessons Learned
Many issues surfaced at SVP Boston’s March research, but five came up repeatedly as the most critical. It was these five that the forum presenters and group discussion focused on.

• Information assets: What information about your organization and your program do you need to know? And how much is enough?
• True cost: How do we think about the true costs of our programs and how does that inform our decision about what to replicate and how much funding we will need to do so?
• Leadership and internal resource requirements: How, as leaders, do we motivate our people for the long-haul that is replication – and for the moonlighting that is unavoidable.
• Site selection: How do we know where to locate a new site? How do we know when to say “yes” and, equally important, how do we know when to say “no”?
• Building local community support: How do we go into a new community as a newcomer (or worse, a threat) and build local support for our work?

While each of the five focus areas is unique, they have three things in common: 1) The investment (time, resources, funds) take time to make ; 2) All require resources that many small/medium sized nonprofits are short on – they will have to be acquired or developed; 3) addressing these five issues will not only aid in replication, but will help strengthen a nonprofit’s current programs and organization by developing better business practices overall.

Replication and True Costing
Marjorie also noted that representatives from nonprofits in the room were particularly interested in true costing and learning how to estimate the direct costs associated with replication. 

“This was great news,” says Margorie. “So many best practices for nonprofits come from experience, intuition and simply being in the trenches, but true costing is an approach and exercise that can be taught. It is also a skill among SVP partners with a background in business or finance.”

To learn more about Boston’s recent forum on replication, contact Marjorie Ringrose at mringrose@svpboston.org.

Seattle Partner Speaks Up for State's Youngest Learners

SVP Seattle Partner Janet Levinger

On January 19, 2010, SVP Seattle partner, Janet Levinger testified before a United States Senator to express support for House Bill 2731 and applaud current initiatives to include Pre-K in basic education throughout Washington State.

An SVP Partner since 1997, Janet is deeply engaged with Seattle’s advocacy work, serving on their Early Learning Advocacy and Policy Committee (APC), on SVP Seattle’s board and the advocacy sub-committee. Through her work with the APC Janet was inspired to become an advocate. She organized and attended a “Meet your Legislators” session for her district, which gave her the opportunity to meet her elected officials in a relaxed environment.  She also organized and participated in a series of seminars sponsored by the Early Learning APC.

As a result of her APC experience, Janet realized she wanted to work with an organization that focused on education advocacy: she has become a board member of an organization she’d long supported – the League of Education Voters (LEV).

“I realized that lots of early learning professionals and policy experts were going to be testifying and I could leave the facts and figures to them,” explains Janet. “I had attended an Andy Goodman workshop at the SVPI conference where he showed the power of telling stories. I thought a story would be best given who I was and what others were going to be saying. I believe my testimony was effective and impactful because it made a dramatic statement.”

As a citizen, a philanthropist, and a community volunteer with a passion for early learning, Janet has a unique perspective.  Her testimony on January 19 reflected this, and was shaped by the storytelling workshop she attended at last year’s SVP conference in Dallas.

You can read Janet’s full testimony here. To learn more about Andy Goodman, author of Storytelling as Best Practice and keynote speaker at the 2009 SVP Conference, go here.

Everything is Still Bigger in Texas: Check out the BigBANG!

bigBANG! is an event on June 10, 2010, in Dallas at Union Station’s Grand Hall, designed to advance socially innovative ideas in the state of Texas.

Presented by Dallas Social Venture Partners and The Dallas Foundation, bigBANG! convenes a community of investors, philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders and others who want to help catalyze positive impact. The day features a variety of interactive experiences and access to like-minded leaders, cutting-edge tools and innovative ideas designed to advance mission-based work and socially minded businesses.

bigBANG! celebrates those who are maximizing social impact throughout communities in Texas.  The ultimate goal of bigBANG! is to create visibility for these innovative organizations and the social entrepreneurs who lead them: the event will showcase a “pitch” presentation and offer a variety of informative and interactive experiences throughout the day. Modeled after other efforts to showcase entrepreneurs in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and Boston; the bigBANG! marks the first time that North Texas will feature a venture capital-like “pitch stage”. Seven nonprofit organizations selected by the Texas Social Innovation Initiative will take the stage in front of a community of “impact investors” to share their stories and growth plan.

  Learn more about bigBANG! at www.bigbangtx.org.

What We're Reading: "Nodes, Not Hubs: The Power of Networked Philanthropy"

Membership within the Social Venture Partners network begins by joining Social Venture Partners International. Created as the connection between SVP member organizations, SVPI’s mission is to support, enable and catalyze the SVP movement by building a network of knowledge sharing and best practices and maintaining the integrity of the SVP model and brand. While SVPs promote the unique SVP model, SVPI works to promote the power of the SVP network.

A compelling article in Stanford Social Innovation Review by Jane Wei-Skillern and Sonia Maricano touts the benefits of being a “networked nonprofit,” i.e. being a node within a constellation of equal, interconnected partners, rather than a hub at the center of their nonprofit universe. The article challenges the conventional wisdom that nonprofits must be large and in charge to do the most good: instead, the author suggest that nonprofits focus less on growth and brand and more on carrying out their missions and cultivating their networks.

You can read the entire article here.

VISTA Corps Members on track for SVPs in the United States

AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) is a US service program designed specifically to fight poverty. VISTA encourages individuals from all walks of life to engage in a year of full-time service with a sponsoring organization that is attempting to bring individuals and communities out of poverty.

Working closely with SVP Arizona ED Terri Wogan, SVPI has received approval for eight VISTA placements in US SVPs in late 2010 and early 2011.  This is the first in a planned two stage process that we hope will see VISTA members placed in the majority of US SVPs within the next two years. 

SVP Arizona VISTA Volunteer Becca Mandel

Becca Mandel is a VISTA volunteer currently working as a Communications Associate for SVP Arizona. SVPI caught up with Becca this month to hear how her experience is going.

SVPI:    "When did you start working with Terry and SVP Arizona?"

Becca: "My AmeriCorps VISTA service started on August 28, 2009."

SVPI:    "What types of projects are you currently working on?"

Becca:    "I’m working with our newly formed Communications Team on our storytelling initiative to learn how to tell SVP’s story in a creative and innovative way. I have been spending much of my time developing our social media in order to create new channels to tell our story. This includes Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and our blog. My other current project is working with our SVP Teens group. I have spent the year attending their bi-weekly meetings and leading and organizing their efforts. Recently, I coordinated their site visits to the two organizations they are considering for their grant cycle and led them through a discussion analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each in order to make their final decision. It has been a fantastic experience working with the Teens, learning from them, and watching them grow!"

SVPI:    "Are you enjoying the experience? What are some highlights so far?"

Becca:    "I am definitely enjoying my time as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at SVP Arizona! I am working hard, learning every day, and gaining experiences that many recent graduates my age don’t get. I have had several highlights in the last six months but three things stick out in particular:

• I had the opportunity to attend and volunteer for the Annual SVPI Conference in Dallas in October and it was unlike anything I have ever experienced. The energy, collaboration, and innovation of the SVP group was unique and special. It left me--and I think everyone else, incredibly inspired!
  
• Another highlight from this year also comes from the conference in Dallas. I participated in the Storytelling workshop in Dallas as well as the month long webinar starting in January. Andy was a fantastic and engaging presenter and the concept of connecting through narrative stories is a very important and effective skill—especially with the kind of work SVP does. I am excited to start implementing what I learned!
  
• My final highlight was getting to spend time with each of the nonprofits we work with to gain a better understating of the wonderful things they do in the community. It was so powerful to hear each of them talk about their partnership with SVP and how they wouldn’t be where they are now without our support."
  

Based on conversations with ED Terri Wogan and VISTA volunteer Becca Mandell, we have reason to believe the program is a true win-win for both parties. SVPI is proud to be a sponsor for the AmericaCorps*VISTA program.

To learn more, contact Ruth Jones at SVPI.

Transforming Communities After Disaster: Katrina@5

SVP partners throughout the network are dedicated to transforming communities by tackling tough issues. Any and all issues addressed by local nonprofits become tougher, and may seem insurmountable in the wake of a major disaster such as the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. Next week, many philanthropy leaders in the United States will be gathering in New Orleans for a special conference called Katrina@5.

Katrina @ 5: Partners in Philanthropy is a special convening of the philanthropic community, nearly five years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, to explore the lessons of response, rebuilding, and transformation in the Gulf Coast, and how they apply to communities around the country.

According to Tim Walter, CEO Association of Small Foundations and Katrina@5, more than 20 philanthropy organizations have committed to sending leaders to the conference next week.

Register for the event or learn more at www.KatrinaAtFive.org.

SVP Annual Conference: Can You Hang Ten at Long Beach?

2010 SVP Conference
October 21st - 23rd
Hyatt Regency
Long Beach, CA

“I must come back, these people are inspiring.” – 2009 Conference Attendee

Save the date: SVP partners from around the world will be gathering in Long Beach, California this October to meet, learn from and be inspired by philanthropists who are changing their communities for the better. SVPI delivers world-class speakers and programs on timely topics.

Surfing With Sarah: Can You Hang Ten in 2010?
SVPI Board Member, Sarah Bock, has issued a challenge to SVP Denver and the SVP network at large. She’s committed to ensuring that 10 partners from SVP Denver register and attend this year’s conference and she’s inviting all SVPs to “Hang Ten in 2010” by committing to the same goal!

Formerly the Executive Director and a current Chair Emeritus of Social Venture Partners Denver, Sarah has more than a decade of nonprofit development and communications experience.  Her published works 

SVP Denver Partner Sarah Bock with husband Chris

include a conflict negotiation exercise for the Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation and a series of articles for the Women’s Magazine in Boulder, Colorado. Sarah recently joined the board of The Denver Foundation.

Sarah and SVPI look forward to seeing you in Long Beach!  Check back here for updates on the 2010 conference throughout the year.

Social Venture Partners International's mission is to support, enable & catalyze the Social Venture Partners movement by building a highly effective network of knowledge sharing & best practices.

info@svpi.org  | www.svpi.org  |  206.728.7872 voice  |  206.728.0552 fax

Editor: Cara Lewis, SVPI Communications Manager | cara@svpi.org

Design and Production: Aya Burgess, SVPI Administrative Coordinator | aya@svpi.org

Distribution: This update is sent to SVP partners, staff, board & friends on a quarterly basis.