Dear SVP friends,

As we approach the end of 2010, I believe we will look back on this year as possibly one of the most galvanizing periods in the history of Social Venture Partners. Many of us are still riding a wave of excitement from our annual conference in Long Beach, California last month. ‘The power of the network’ was a frequent topic of conversation.

SVP Partners from around the world gathered at the 9th annual SVP Conference to learn, share best practices and enjoy each other’s company. Highlights included the fast-paced Fast Pitch competition; provocative keynotes from David Haskell and Sean Stannard-Stockton; and the first ever SVP Idol Storytelling competition. Recaps from these energizing events and presentations are in this update.

In 2011, SVPI will be focused on several key initiatives. These will flow from increased emphasis on collaboration, leadership, innovation and growth and stability. Starting with this newsletter, we are presenting articles and updates based on each of these focus areas along with member news from throughout the SVP network.

Please keep an eye out for details of webinars and teleconferences in December 2010 and January 2011, in which we’ll detail information about these initiatives.  After hearing about them, we hope you will want to get involved!

Social Venture Partners continues to create change by connecting people to causes and by being a leader in contemporary philanthropy. Thank you for all you do to support the Social Venture Partners movement and best wishes to you and your loved ones during this holiday season.

Kind regards,

Ruth Jones, Chief Executive Officer
Social Venture Partners International

Contents:

• They Brought it to the Beach! SVP Conference Ignites a Passion for Networked Philanthropy
• Innovation: Fast Pitch Fever Spread throughout the Network
• Collaboration: Minnesota Nonprofit Expands Reach to Other Cities
• Leadership: Bob Wright Does it Right!
• Glass Fish and a Fire Truck
• New Names and Faces at SVPI

• Save the Dates: Exciting Events Throughout the Network 

They Brought it to the Beach! SVP Conference Ignites a Passion for Networked Philanthropy

At the end of another beautiful California day, the atrium at The Hyatt Regency in Long Beach was buzzing with energy and ideas. More than 175 SVP partners, staff and friends had spent the day learning from one another as well as experts in philanthropy, network weaving and the social sector. Now they were relaxing over drinks, making new connections and strengthening old ties at a reception during this year’s annual SVP conference.

SVP Santa Barbara partner Claude Case held a framed vintage poster of 1960s’ sunbathers, the trophy for the “Maximum Capacity” Award, given to the SVP with the most partners in attendance. ‘They brought it to the beach!’ was emblazoned on the poster – a phrase that summed up the two days of activity at the 2010 gathering. 

After an invigorating Thursday night at the Fast Pitch event (see recap below), Friday began with a powerful quote from keynote speaker David Haskell, CEO of Dreams InDeed International: “Because most social issues dwarf even the most well-resourced, well-managed nonprofit…it is wrongheaded for nonprofit leaders simply to build their organizations.” David went on to describe the keys to a networked approach for achieving social impact and closed by challenging everyone in the room with the question, “What is the SVP dream?”

This question resonated throughout the weekend, bolstered by keynote speaker Sean Stannard-Stockton of Tactical Philanthropy, who shared his thoughts about how the SVP network can use its influence to maximize impact (presentations and audio recordings are available here). The day concluded with a a reception where Dallas SVP founder Bob Wright accepted the Paul Shoemaker Leadership Award with a look of shock on his face. “Who knew you could get an award just for having fun with your friends!”

Nearly twenty breakout sessions, on topics ranging from SVP Arizona’s holistic approach to improving outcomes at a public high school to a conversation with The Economist magazine’s US editor Matthew Bishop, were rounded out by an interactive session on Saturday in which all participants, building on the rich content from the previous day, contributed ideas about the future of SVP.

This year’s conference concluded with the inaugural SVP Idol – a storytelling competition featuring Andy “Simon Cowell” Goodman and hosted by SVP Portland’s own Mark “Seacrest” Holloway! The winning story is below.

One partner summed this year’s SVP conference up this way: “I left the conference feeling wonderfully invigorated!”

SVPI is planning the 2011 SVP conference in Minneapolis. We’re thrilled to announce that Dan Pallotta, author of Uncharitable, has just been confirmed as a keynote speaker. If you would like to serve on the conference advisory committee, contact SVPI Programs Director Rona Pryor at rona@svpi.org.

Innovation: Fast Pitch Fever Spreads throughout the Network

Kicking off the conference’s events was Fast Pitch, a social innovation competition hosted by Los Angeles Social Venture Partners, University of Southern California, and the Academies for Social Entrepreneurship. Held a stone’s throw from where the USC marching band rehearsed, the event showcased ten three-minute pitches from LA-area nonprofit representatives who had worked for the past several weeks with coaches – many of them LASVP partners – crafting their messages and honing their deliveries.

Weeks of practice paid off as the judges were hard-pressed to choose from among ten compelling stories. The top prize went to John Sullivan who started by introducing himself: “I’m an Eagle Scout, an ex-convict, a recovered heroin addict, and the founder and creative director of BTS Communications.”

• BTS Communications, a social venture of Beit T’ Shuvah, is a full-service advertising and social media agency housed within a drug treatment center – it won a $10,000 award for Best Overall Presentation as well as a $2,500 Coaches' Award.
• Food Forward won a $5,000 award for Innovation & Impact and the $1,000 Audience Favorite Award. Presenter: Rick Nahmias.
• South Central Scholars Foundation won a $5,000 award for their Pitch. Presenter: Meredith Curry.

X Prize Foundation founder Dr. Peter Diamandis was the featured keynote at the event. He told the story of the prize’s genesis: a tale of an audacious goal, persistence, connections and chutzpah.

Designed to build the capacity and create visibility for innovative local nonprofits and the social entrepreneurs who lead them, Social Innovation Fast Pitch is a two-month training and mentoring program.

SVP partners in Phoenix and Pittsburgh are currently working on creating their own Fast-Pitch style events for early 2011, modeled on the success of Fast Pitch in Los Angeles. We look forward to featuring their success stories.

Click here to watch the ten finalist Fast Pitches from Los Angeles.

Collaboration: Minnesota Nonprofit Expands Reach to Other Cities

Jeff Tollefson joined SVP Minnesota in 2007 after 20 years in the venture capital industry. Determined to do something more fulfilling, Jeff began asking himself what he should do with the rest of his life vs. what he could do. During this period of reflection, he decided to join Social Venture Partners.  He now says that doing so completely changed his life.  Working with Brad Brown, SVP Minnesota’s Executive Director, Jeff learned about Genesys Works, a nonprofit dedicated to helping low-income, inner-city high school students get on a path towards college and professional skills via meaningful year-long professional internships.

Starting with only 10 students and one corporate partner, Genesys Works was founded by Rafael Alvarez in Houston in 2002. Rafael is now overseeing the national organization and is personally involved in replicating the model throughout the United States.

Determined to expand the organization’s reach beyond Houston, Alvarez targeted Minneapolis, where he sought the assistance of Social Venture Partners. Initially brought in as Lead Partner to support the effort, Jeff Tollefson found himself seeking, and accepting, an invitation to become the Executive Director of Genesys Works in the Twin Cities.

“Taking a leadership role at Genesys Works is clearly one of the best decisions I have ever made,” explains Jeff. “It has given enormous purpose to my life and allows me to walk around with a smile on my face every single day. I no longer have a job. I have a mission.”

Thanks in large part to Jeff’s efforts and the hard work of SVP Minnesota partners, Genesys Works proved its program model was geographically scalable, opening the first expansion site in 2008 in St. Paul. It served more than 300 students in 2009, working in more than 50 major corporations. United States President Barack Obama acknowledged Genesys Works the same year when his administration launched the Office of Social Innovation. Also, at the specific request of Chicago Public Schools, Genesys Works Chicago accepted its first class in the summer of 2010.

This past October, SVP Minnesota pioneered another exciting collaboration: a strategic alliance between SVP Minnesota and the One Percent Club – an organization founded in 1997 by a group of wealthy Minnesotans, each of whom pledged to donate 1 percent of their net worth annually to charities. The first such club in the nation, the One Percent Club attracted 1,000 members over the next decade but its momentum faded in recent years. Its leaders began efforts to revive the organization by reaching out to younger, more tech-savvy partners.

Enter the "partnership" -- not merger -- with Social Venture Partners Minnesota. The partnership was announced in the Minneapolis Club at the 2010 One Percent Club’s annual dinner event. Jeff gave a personal and inspirational speech on his personal philanthropic journey and how he “committed himself to living a life that matters.”

"The power of this partnership is it joins traditional philanthropy with the new wave," says Brad Brown, Social Venture's executive director. “The arrangement offers the club access to a younger generation of philanthropists, a different style of philanthropy, and an administrative home: SVP Minnesota, today with a membership of 75, gains access to some of Minnesota's biggest philanthropists. It’s a win-win all around.”

Jeff Tollefson continues to serve as Executive Director of Genesys Works – Twin Cities and the organization continues to help high school students find a path to college and meaningful work. The One Percent Club is now an official partner with SVP Minnesota and the 2010 SVP Annual Conference will be held in – wait for it – Minnesota! We’re looking forward to visiting this exciting hub for innovative and collaborative philanthropy. Special thanks to Brad Brown and Jeff Tollefson for their dedication to the community and to the SVP movement at large.

Leadership: Bob Wright Does it Right!

Each year, SVPI presents the Paul Shoemaker Leadership Award to the Social Venture Partner who has demonstrated consistent commitment to strengthening the SVP network and to the SVP model of engaged philanthropy, and through this, to his or her community.

Bob Wright, Partner of Dallas SVP, was presented with the award at the SVP annual conference in Long Beach, California last month.
Bob encompasses the essence of Dallas Social Venture Partners. He is a founding Partner and has continued to be a visionary and instrumental to its success since its inception. His dedication as a Board member for DSVP and SVPI radiates his passion for the model and the network. Bob is a valued asset to the Dallas community, Dallas Social Venture Partners, and the Social Venture Partners network. (Pictured (l to r): Andy Williamson, Bob Wright, Krystyna Williamson, and Paul Shoemaker.)

Bob is the founder of Dallas Social Venture Partners and currently serves as the Emeritus Board Member. He is a founding board member and past president of SVPI. Bob co-authored “The Little Green Book of Venture Philanthropy” and serves as an adjunct professor, teaching social entrepreneurship in the graduate school of business at the University of Texas at Dallas.  Recently he served as the Chair of the bigBANG! a major social innovation & entrepreneurship initiative established by DSVP.

Glass Fish and a Fire Truck

Contributed Article by Sally Gillis and Willow Russell

Three SVPs competed in the final round of the SVP Idol competition at the SVP conference last month: SVP Boulder County, San Diego SVP, and SVP Seattle. Audience members voted via text message and selected SVP Seattle as this year’s top choice. Following is the award-winning story.

Just off the main lobby at Boyer Children’s Clinic sits the Executive Director’s office. Much like the crow's nest on a ship, the office provides an excellent view of the bustling clinic.

For twelve years Mike Stewart walked by this office, often popping in to chat with the director, Judi Moore. Sometimes they would talk about a family Mike met that day, parents filled with anxiety having just discovered their baby had special needs. Other days they brainstormed for an upcoming event or celebrated the first steps of a two year-old girl whose parents feared would never walk.

One afternoon Mike dropped in to ask Judi a quick question, and as he leaned against the doorframe, a little boy dashed past him and climbed onto a chair to get to the table in Judi's office.

Standing on his toes the boy reached out to touch a large bowl that was filled with colorful glass fish.

Just then his mother rushed in to scoop him up. “Sorry about that,” she laughed, a little out of breath, and turned to leave.

“Hang on a second,” Judi called. “It's Alicia, right? How are things going?”

Mike watched as Judi chatted with Alicia, her son Trevor dipping his hand into the bowl to touch the glass fish. He smiled, knowing that this was Judi's plan all along.

It was no accident that the fish bowl sat in plain view of the lobby. It was Judi's way of connecting with families, and the part of her job that truly brought her joy. In these impromptu sessions she could check in to make sure parents and kids like Alicia and Trevor, who is developmentally delayed, were getting the support they needed.

For Mike, it was almost impossible to imagine a day when Judi wasn’t sitting in her office, doing just this. Sadly, a few months later, he found out what that day looked like.

Mike was perusing the paint aisle at Lowes Hardware when he got the call. Judi was in a coma after a freak bicycle accident, with no hope of recovery. Ditching his full cart, Mike rushed to the hospital room, and surrounded by colleagues and friends, he said a painful goodbye to his respected mentor and dear friend.

The next day Mike’s head swam with questions. How would he tell his coworkers about Judi’s death? How should he share the news with the Boyer community? How would he find time to grieve himself?

There was little time to ponder as Judi, the consummate planner, had appointed Mike as Acting Executive Director in her succession plan. Judi and Mike had worked in tandem for more than a decade. He hoped that was enough to guide him.

Focusing on what had to be done, Mike coordinated with Boyer's social workers to provide additional counseling for the staff and the families the clinic serves. For over a month and a half, Judi’s office was an open sanctuary filled with cards, drawings, and flowers where people could go and reflect on Judi’s life and commitment to Boyer.

In the midst of this and in the months to follow, the world kept turning. There were still grants to write, programs to run, events to hold, and the ever present question: Who could fill Judi’s shoes?

While Mike was appointed as Acting Director, it was the board’s decision whether to make that permanent. He was, in effect, auditioning for the role, which added another layer of anxiety and emotional confusion to an already difficult situation.

Lying awake one warm July night, Mike replayed a series of speeches he’d heard earlier that summer.

It was at the celebration of Judi’s life. Kane Hall was packed with hundreds of people, and speakers like author Sherman Alexie, praised Judi’s national impact, her leadership in the field, and her role as an advocate.

One speaker described Judi as a “bull dog.” When it came to defending Seattle’s most vulnerable children against budget cuts and unfair policies, she yelled first, and dealt with the ramifications later.

Staring at the ceiling, Mike confidently concluded that no one would ever describe him as a bull dog. Thoughtful, dependable, quiet…Did people see him as soft? Would they walk all over him?

Mike turned over, closed his eyes, and willed himself to sleep – unsuccessfully.

What if people thought Boyer was going down the drain without her? Judi had been the face of Boyer for 30 years. How was he ever going to measure up to that?
 
A few days later Mike sat in a bustling cafe, which had become a regular spot for his bi-weekly meetings with Mark Craemer. Mark is a leadership coach from Social Venture Partners, which provides Boyer with funding and specialized volunteers.

Mark sat across the table mulling over the anxieties Mike had just shared.

“I’m going to say something that might sound a little callus,” Mark began. “But hear me out. I think…I think we might need to take your memory of Judi down – just a notch.”

Mark followed this with a story.

His wife had passed away a couple years back. It was painful, and tragic. And after her death, Mark found himself surrounded by people singing her praises as if she’d had no flaws.

“She was wonderful,” Mark said. “No question. But she was also imperfect, as we all are. It was important for me to remember that as I rebuilt my life.”

After a quiet moment, Mark continued, “You’re not Judi’s clone, Mike. Be yourself.”

Slowly, with Mark’s encouragement Mike began list his strengths. Some of these he shared with Judi, and some of them were his alone – new assets he brought to the table. Like his steady focus, and his ability to stay calm and collected in even the most stressful situations.

Mike and Mark’s sessions continued in this vein and then branched into other areas – preparing for fundraising meetings, talking through staff management issues, and perfecting the vision that Mike would share with the board at his final interview.

Able to be completely open and honest, Mike started to chart his own course, while still honoring Judi’s legacy.

Later that summer, Mike was named Executive Director.

He now sits at the helm of Boyer.

On Mike's table, where Judi's fish bowl used to be (in plain view of the lobby), sits a bright red fire truck. It was gift from the Boyer staff, and is now the envy and delight of every child who dashes into Mike's office.

SVP has hundreds of these stories, because it’s not just about giving away money. SVP is about people. And about the relationships that transform individuals, organizations, and communities.

New Names and Faces at SVPI

2010 brought several talented newcomers to the SVPI family this year! Please welcome our new team members based in Seattle:

Becca Mandel – Americorps *VISTA Leader
A native of Arizona, Becca most recently served as the VISTA Volunteer at Social Venture Partners Arizona working as their Communications Associate. This year, she moved to Seattle and joined SVPI as the AmeriCorps*VISTA Leader. A recent graduate from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, Becca earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a concentration in Biology. She has a strong interest in global health and is currently a volunteer for Salud Juntos, a nonprofit working to empower and enrich the lives of people in Latin America through improved health and well-being.

Katalin Marky – SVPI Administrative Coordinator
Katalin joined the SVPI team in November 2010 after completing her masters degree in public administration at the University of Washington. A native of Hungary, Katalin moved to Seattle nine years ago. She taught German at the Washington Academy of Languages and the German Language School. She later worked for Corbis Corporation providing customer and technical support associated with intellectual property management. Katalin completed internships with the Committee for Children and the Washington Toxics Coalition. At SVPI, Katalin supports all programs, events and operations. She holds degrees in Political Science and Teaching German as a Foreign Language from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest.


We also have four new members of the talented SVPI Board of Directors:

Beth Steinberg, SVP Portland
Beth brings extensive human resource experience in both emerging and Fortune 500 companies. She is currently and HR Executive at Nike, Inc.  Her previous work includes leadership and organizational development for Mozilla, SeaChange Capital, The Motley Fool, The New Teacher Center, Lynda.com, and other emerging non profits and technology companies. She was also the VP of HR at Facebook and Electronic Arts. Beth has a BA in Psychology from San Jose State University and attended Executive Program courses at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. She is very involved with the Silicon Valley non-profit community, focusing on environmental and education issues and is currently on the Board of Trustees at Hidden Villa. An active partner at SVP Portland, Beth sits on the Advisory Boards of Rypple, Talent Spring and Bojam, emerging technology companies.

Keith Swayne
Keith Swayne was the second-generation President/CEO of Case Swayne Co.; a Corona, California based food processor. Keith served on the Board of Directors of the National Food Processors Association in Washington D.C. and was a member of the Executive Committee of that organization until his retirement in June 2000. He currently serves on Advisory Boards for several private companies in and out of the food industry. He has also served as a personal coach for the President and CEO of TEC International (The Executive Committee, now Vistage) and is active in non-profit organizations including the Orange County Human Relations Commission/Council; the Laguna Beach Boys and Girls Club, (Past Board President); as a board member of the Santa Monica Mountains Institute.  Keith has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Oregon and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley. He also served as an officer in the Navy including duty in Vietnam.

Richard Tollefson, SVP Arizona
Before founding The Phoenix Philanthropy Group in 2004, Richard Tollefson was Vice President for Institutional Advancement at his alma mater, Thunderbird School of Global Management, the world’s leading international business school. There he managed two comprehensive fundraising campaigns, raising $120 million in 26 countries, including a $60 million commitment – at the time the largest-ever naming gift to a business school – and transformed Thunderbird’s alumni association into a global professional association. With over 25 years of extensive fundraising, alumni relations, and advancement management experience, he has successfully guided many acclaimed arts, culture, and educational institutions, including Master Chorale of Orange County, The Joffrey Ballet, the University of Arizona, and Arizona State University, where he was part of a $600 million campaign leadership team. Richard is a past recipient of the Outstanding Fundraiser of the Year award from the Arizona chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Jeff Tollefson, SVP Minnesota
After nearly 20 years of working in the venture capital field helping to build successful entrepreneurial companies, Jeff joined SVP Minnesota and accepted the job as Executive Director for Genesys Works where he leads the organization’s activities in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Prior to Genesys Works, Jeff was co-founder and general partner of Crescendo Ventures, a global venture capital investment management firm with more than $1.1 billion under management and offices in Minneapolis, Palo Alto and London. Upon graduating from the University of Iowa, Jeff began his professional career in banking with ABN/LaSalle Bank in Chicago. He later worked for Allied Group Merchant Banking and Investment Advisers, Inc. (IAI Ventures). Jeff and his two partners created Crescendo Ventures in 1998, acquired the $200 million IAI Ventures portfolio, and quickly built Crescendo Ventures into one of the larger and more active venture capital firms in the U.S. Jeff has also been an active volunteer with the Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission, Equality Arizona, Human Rights Campaign and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Save the Dates: Exciting Events Throughout the Network

Scaling Success - Shaping an SVP Mezzanine Fund - Introductory webinars on 11/29 and 12/14
Learn more about this exciting initiative, kicking off in 2011. Join Brad Brown, Executive Director, SVP Minnesota; Lance Fors, Partner, SV2; Alan Sorkin, Partner, San Diego SVP; Jeff Tollefson, Partner, SVP Minnesota and Executive Director, Genesys Works for an introductory webinar on either Monday, November 29 at 10:30 AM PST or Tuesday, December 14th at 10 AM PST. Click here to register for 11/29's webinar. Click here to register for 12/14's webinar.

Pittsburgh and Phoenix fly the Fast Pitch Flag - 2/17/2011 and 3/2/2011
Inspired by the success of LASVP’s Social Innovation Pitch, Pittsburgh SVP and SVP Arizona are establishing their own Fast Pitches.  East coasters can attend the Pittsburgh event on February 17, 2011, South-westerners should put March 2, 2011 in their calendars.