Social Venture Partners Grows Philanthropy, Report Reveals

(Seattle, WA – February 1,  2012) Social Venture Partners announced results from its latest in-depth, longitudinal study assessing the effectiveness of its unique model of engaged philanthropy.  Specifically this study measured Social Venture Partners’ role in influencing its 2,100 partners to increase their philanthropic development and engagement. According to the report, 2011 Report on Philanthropy Development Outcomes “Making a Difference Where it Matters”, partners (members) in SVP increase their philanthropic giving, give more strategically, are more involved in their community, and the longer they are an SVP partner, the greater the changes in these outcomes.    

According to one survey respondent, “I give more because I have learned more about the impact that strategic donations can have - I know I can make a difference where it matters to me.”

Key findings:

Partners’ giving increases because of SVP.

65% of respondents indicated that their giving has increased since joining SVP.  80% credit SVP with at least some impact on their giving. 36% cited involvement with SVP as the leading factor.

Partners give more strategically because of SVP.

Respondents’ use of each of ten giving criteria has increased between 61% and 163% since joining SVP. 96% of them cite SVP as impacting the way they give.  53% citing it as the leading factor.

Partners are more involved in the community because of SVP.

Respondents report increases in all nine defined areas of community involvement, including a 66% increase in volunteering. 91% credit SVP in increasing their community involvement, with 51% citing SVP as the leading factor.

The longer a partner is involved in SVP, the greater the changes in all three outcomes.

One in four long-term partners has increased their giving by more than 100%. Long-term partners report giving more strategically.  Similarly, long-term partners report larger increases in eight of the nine areas of community involvement, particularly volunteering (77%), leveraging resources (70%) and community problem solving (66%).

“We know there’s a tremendous chasm between the challenges we face as a society, and the scale at which we are tackling those challenges,” says Ruth Jones, CEO of Social Venture Partners International, the network association of SVPs, which  produced this study.  “Every day we ask ourselves, how can we, as a collective of Social Venture Partners, make the biggest impact possible on the most deeply entrenched social issues?  This report confirms that SVP is a powerful vehicle for social change.  SVP changes giving behavior and is strengthening the philanthropic landscape.”

Philanthropy development is a fundamental element of the SVP model.  SVP partners give their time, professional experience and creativity to work in partnership with nonprofits and local leaders to meet specific community needs. Partners volunteer professional skills and strategic counsel to help nonprofits build capacity and make vital connections within the community.  

SVP continues to redefine traditional philanthropy by actively transforming the behavior of its partners to increase overall community engagement.

About Social Venture Partners

Social Venture Partners (SVP) is a global network of local partners connecting passion and purpose. SVP helps individuals realize greater impact with their giving, strengthens nonprofits and enriches the social sector: we make connections that make a difference.  As of January 2011, the SVP network had contributed nearly $41 million in grant investments to 500 nonprofit organizations and provided tens of thousands of volunteer hours in service and counsel. Today, there are more than 2,100 people involved in 25 Social Venture Partners organizations in the United States, Canada and Japan.

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