As we continue navigating through this period of economic uncertainty, I’m pleased to report that Social Venture Partners is attracting new partners and we continue to hear from prospective partners in various cities who would like to start an SVP in their community.

I recently returned from Atlanta, one of several cities with a keen interest in the SVP model. This growing interest in the SVP model proves that our mission is more critical than ever and that the SVP movement is redefining philanthropy.

Toward that end, the concept of ‘capacity building’ – an original and defining component of the SVP model – is now part of a national discussion in the United States. The Serve America Act, the largest expansion of national and community service in the US since the 1930s, creates an innovative $25 million fund to make matching grants to intermediary nonprofit training and technical assistance entities. As our network continues to grow and think big, SVP has created a task force to explore and follow developments associated with the National Capacity Building Act.

So not only are partners thinking big, they continue to give big. Based on our most recent network data report for 2008, the SVP network has cumulatively invested more than $32.2 million in 335 nonprofits since SVP Seattle was formed in 1997. The total value of grants awarded by an SVP affiliate ranged from $25,000 to $855,000, with a median of $115,000. Equally impressive is the finding that more partners are engaged in SVP, i.e., the number of partners making only financial contributions decreased and the number of educational events held throughout the network increased.  SVP partners are clearly committed to learning more about philanthropy and contributing their time and experience to improve their communities.

I want to thank all of the 2,000 SVP partners working with nonprofit organizations in the US, Canada and Japan. You are helping local agencies deliver valued programs and services for their communities. And we also appreciate the steadfast support and dedication to SVP from foundations and funders that support the SVP model and movement.

In closing, I invite you to check out these upcoming events:

• May 21: SVP Communication Peer Group. Anyone charged with creating communications for SVP is invited to participate in these quarterly conference calls. Click here to register and for more information.
• May 22: SVP Podcast on the Serve America Act. Dallas Social Venture Partners will release a Podcast at www.dsvp.org capturing a recent conversation about how the act is relevant to the SVP model and movement.

SVPI is proud to provide ongoing opportunities for SVP partners to connect, learn and build community with philanthropists from around the world. 

Regards,

Ruth Jones, Executive Director
Social Venture Partners International 

In this issue:

SVP Supports Serve America Act

Arizona Celebrates a Decade of Dedication

Seattle Partner Named Commerce Chief in Washington State

Peer Learning and Leadership Lessons in Phoenix

Tweets, Pokes and Tubes: SVPs Embrace Web 2.0 Technologies

New Tools and Resources from SVPI

Give BIG Together: An Update on the 2009 Annual SVP Conference 

SVP Supports Serve America Act

Spearheaded by Stacy Caldwell, Executive Director for SVP Dallas, partners throughout the United States took an interest in this exciting bill and made their voices heard by contacting their Senators and encouraging them to pass the Serve America Act.

The bill was passed by an overwhelmingly bi-partisan vote of 78 to 20. In addition to earning the support of the entire Democratic caucus and two Independents, the bill was also supported by a majority of the Republican caucus.

Of particular interest to SVP is the newly created social innovation fund, a public-private social innovation fund designed to leverage taxpayer dollars with private funds to make resources available for funding social-entrepreneurial solutions. You can learn more here.

Arizona Celebrates a Decade of Dedication

SVP partners in Arizona gathered beneath the stars at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort on April 24 to celebrate the organization’s 10 year anniversary. Executive Director, Terri Wogan led a reflective conversation with SVP Arizona founders: Jerry Hirsch and previous and current Chairs Ed Zito, Sarah Strunk, Maurine Karabatsos and Dan Rigby. Kristen Couture, President of SVP Teens also participated. Attendees gathered for a group photo and an award for Social Entrepreneur of the Year was presented to Eddie and Nadine Basha.

Since its inception in 1999, SVP Arizona has invested more than $3 million in nonprofit organizations that support positive outcomes for kids including educational scholarship programs for under-privileged children; computer centers for at-risk kids; and a peer-operated teen suicide/crisis hotline.

Congrats to SVP Arizona. Here's to another 10 years of making a difference!

Seattle Partner Named Commerce Chief in Washington State

SVPI is pleased to report that SVP partners are continuing to emerge as change agents in their communities. On March 10, 2009 Governor Chris Gregoire introduced Rogers Weed as the head of Washington State’s Department of Commerce.

A long-time SVP Seattle Partner, Rogers worked with a nonprofit organization called Climate Solutions where he helped them reach out to the emerging CleanTech sector and engage business people in Northwest climate policy.

Rogers worked closely with a Climate Solutions director to create a new group called Business Leaders for Climate Solutions. That group then lobbied for and helped win passage of the Climate Action and Green Jobs Bill.  This bill set Washington State on a course to cap its carbon emissions and develop a training program for green jobs.

Congratulations Rogers!

Peer Learning and Leadership Lessons in Phoenix

SVP staff from throughout the network gathered together last month for an inspired day of peer learning in Scottsdale, Arizona. The day began with an optional Zumba aerobics session led by Lou Ann Ross, Executive Director in Pittsburgh. After breakfast, staff divided into groups to exchange ideas and experiences associated with co-funding and collaboration; increasing partner retention and satisfaction; educating partners and inspiring philanthropists; how and when to use Web 2.0 technologies; helping partners connect and engage through social events; and conveying community needs to recruit new partners. At the end of the day, staff bonded over a bonfire while roasting marshmallows and making s’mores.

In a follow-up survey, 100 percent of participants said the session provided them with actionable ideas for their involvement with SVP and broader philanthropic and civic goals. Participant feedback included:

"This was an amazing conference and converation. I learned so much that is useful and mind-broadening!"

"I thought the topics were great, and very relevant. I also loved the peer learning format."

"This was a great day. Well designed and strong topics. Great venue and even great food!"

SVP staff, partners and board members also participated in Leading in Tough Times, an exploration of contemporary leadership and convening practices and how these contribute to building teamwork, aid collaboration efforts, and enrich the work SVPs do with nonprofit organizations. Led by consultants Nancy Cannon-O’Connell and Lisa Johnson, the session focused on celebrating agile leadership and understanding leadership behaviors that can be applied to our work with SVP and other leadership efforts in which we are involved.

A highlight from the session was seeing a video called "Celebrate What's Right With the World" by DeWitt Jones and discussing critical leadership behaviors throughout the typical stages of SVP growth.

Nancy Cannon-O’Connell is a partner with SV2 in Silicon Valley, an SVPI Board Member and an executive coach with more than twenty years of experience in management in strategy development.

Tweets, Pokes and Tubes: SVPs Embrace Web 2.0 Technologies

SVP has always had a strong appetite for innovation so it’s no surprise that many affiliates are using the latest technologies to recruit and communicate with partners as well as to seek and share information with the nonprofit sector. Check out some of the most popular tools for social networking today:

• Los Angeles uses Meetup to promote “Venture Philanthropy in LA” at their Third Thursday lunch events. Designed to help partners connect and meet new friends, prospective partners are welcome to attend and learn more about LASVP. You can see their Meetup description here. Meetup is the world's largest network of local groups. Designed to make it easy for anyone to organize a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up face-to-face, Meetup enables more than 2,000 groups to get together in local communities each day.
• Several SVPs use YouTube to deliver a more personal message from partners, staff or investees to website visitors. Check out this video from SVP Portland or this one from SVP Toronto. YouTube is the leader in online video, and the premier destination to watch and share original videos worldwide through a Web experience. It allows people to easily upload and share video clips on www.YouTube.com and across the Internet through websites, mobile devices, blogs, and email.
• LinkedIn is becoming a popular networking site for SVPs including Minnesota, Cleveland, Dallas, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Portland. Partners who use Linked In to manage their professional contacts can create or join a group for their local SVP. When you join Linked in, you create a profile that summarizes your professional experience and accomplishments. You can then find, be introduced to and collaborate with others with specific experience or shared goals.
• Several SVP affiliates have pages on Facebook and there is an overarching group for the Social Venture Partners network. If you are on Facebook, you can search for “Social Venture Partners” within the “Browse Groups” option. Another Facebook page that may be of interest to you is the “Nonprofit Organizations” page which promotes nonprofit organizations on Facebook.
• Twitter is becoming a popular tool for social networking and micro-blogging. It allows you to send and read other users' updates known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length which are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have subscribed to them (known as followers). Two of the most popular twitterers in the SVP network right now are Paul Shoemaker in Seattle and Stacy Caldwell in Dallas. You can find and follow these tweeters on Twitter by searching for paulshoeSVP or SCaldwell.

Last but not least, many partners are creating My Sites profiles on the SVP intranet. Designed to help all partners and members of the SVP community "leverage the network," My Sites allows partners, staff and board members to access one another and seek resources for mentoring, recruiting and collaboration.

Unlike external social networking sites, My Sites is a contained network and it includes specific details on what each member has done within their SVP and how they became involved with philanthropy. Some partners view My Sites as a fortified SVP rolodex and others consider it to be a wonderful internal resource for collaboration. Either way, we hope you'll check it out and create your My Site profile today!

Let SVPI know how you would like to see the SVP network use Web 2.0 technologies and let us know how you and yours are using today's networking tools to carry out your philanthropic goals! Ideas and stories can be sent to cara@svpi.org.

New Tools and Resources from SVPI

• SVP Resource Center:  A new feature of the Intranet, the Resource Center contains how-tos, templates and tools categorized into capacity building, communications, grantmaking, partner education, recruiting, SVP evaluations and case studies, SVP-specific tools and resources, and working with investees.
• SVP-in-a-Box – the 2009 Edition. A collection of lessons and best practices for operating an SVP. It includes many links to tools, resources, and other materials that will focus efforts and strengthen ability to execute SVP's mission successfully. This latest edition includes an expanded section on Philanthropy Development and Partner Education, so be sure to check it out. SVP-in-a-Box is a rich resource for new staff, committee or team leads and board chairs.
• Affiliate Capacity Assessment Tool – An Excel-based tool that helps SVPs identify capacity strengths and challenges, prioritize, and establish capacity building goals. SVPI recommends that SVPs use the self-assessment biannually, and certainly before beginning a strategic planning process. SVPI periodically analyzes collected responses to uncover trends and common challenges faced by affiliates, and strives to create tools to address those issues.

Give BIG Together

Click here to read the latest news on the 2009 SVP Conference.