REBOOT by the National Veterans Transition Services, Inc.graduated its 26th class on Friday, December 16 and received $100,000 from the Bank of America Foundation to support REBOOTing transitioning service members.
Click here to view the news coverage.
January 24, 2012
January 23, 2012
ARTS: Student Featured in Documentary Film
Witness the impact of SVP Investee, A Reason To Survive (ARTS) on the life of a 15 year old girl. Inocente refuses to let her dream of becoming an artist be caged by her life as an undocumented immigrant forced to live homeless for the last nine years. Inocente is one of the youth served by the ARTS Empower program.This film is in production. Click here to view the trailer.
Join SVP for a Night at ARTS!
Thursday, Jan 26
4-5 PM - Interactive Tour
5-6:30 PM - Happy Hour at Solare
For more info or to RSVP, email Dan at dan@sdsvp.org
January 20, 2012
SVP and Investee Featured on NBC 7/39
SVP and the Camp Pendleton Armed Services YMCA are helping to improve the community while strengthening military families in San Diego. George Chamberlin delivers the details on how we accomplish this in his Money Matters interview.
January 18, 2012
The Partner 4-1-1
Congratulations to Rachel and Tom vanBetten on the birth of their baby girl, Annika LeClaire vanBetten on December 13.San Diego Grantmakers has elected David Lynn to represent Social Venture Partners on their Board of Directors. David will replaceAlan Sorkin who provided many years of guidance to the organization.
January 17, 2012
Celebrating the Season SVP-Style
Social Venture Partners and guests gathered at the magnificent home of Sandra Timmons and Richard Sandstrom on a crisp December night in Olivenhain. George Brown, Executive Director of Investee, Camp Pendleton Armed Services YMCA spoke briefly yet poignantly about SVP's impact on the organization. SVP's outgoing Board Chair, Ray Ellis introduced incoming Chair, Tuck Forsyth to the group. In the spirit of the season, SVP Partners donated 22 gift cards to the Armed Services YMCA for their Secret SANTA (Support And Nurture Those Americans who serve) Christmas program. A special time of celebration was had by all!Click here to view photos.
December 30, 2011
San Diego Social Venture Partners: Building a better community
San Diego Social Venture Partners members assist with packing gift baskets for the Community Resource Center in 2010. In front are partners Robin Parker and Louarn Sorkin; rear, CRC Executive Director and ‘investee’ Laurin Pause and Julie Pardee.
From the Rancho Santa Fe Review
December 29, 2011
By Kathy Day
San Diego Social Venture Partners members say their organization is all about looking at philanthropy in a different way.
“We really roll up our sleeves with our partners and get to know them,” said Ellis, noting that it‘s all about leveraging their collective skills. “It’s a three-year relationship – we don’t just walk away.”
In addition to providing unrestricted cash grants, SDSVP provides skilled volunteer expertise to the targeted nonprofits, as well as other groups in need of a helping hand.
“We put the funds and human capital into an organization,” Ellis said. “A little of our expertise goes a long way.”
The strongest attributes of the group, Ellis said, are its “collective impact” on local nonprofits and in how much partners learn from each other about how to be better philanthropists.Their efforts recently gained them recognition from the Association of Fundraising Professionals as San Diego’s Outstanding Philanthropic Organization for 2011.
Each year Social Venture Partners picks a special focus and carefully selects at least two nonprofits, which they call “investees,” explained Ellis, principal of the investment firm Ellis & Associates, LLC, who previously was president of the Marketing Services Division of Protocol Communications, a marketing services firm. He serves on several other boards and has announced he will seek the City Council seat now held by Sherri Lightner.
In 2011, the focus was on the military, a particular passion for Forsyth, who in October completed a four-year “phase out” from his career as a sales executive. He spent the last 20 years with Lee Hect Harrison and became involved with Social Venture Partners four and a half years ago after his wife died.
“I went from working for pay to working for the community,” he said, noting that he was introduced to the group by a friend. “I was always a sucker for a $200 phone call but never knew what my money was doing. This enables me to have a say.”
His most recent “say” has been as lead partner with REBOOT, a local initiative of the National Veterans Transition Services, Inc., that assists veterans in moving back to civilian life and finding meaningful employment. The partners also teamed up in 2011 with the Armed Services YMCA at Camp Pendleton
For 2012, the partners have picked education as the target, although they will stay connected to their military investees and others.
Look at the list of groups they’ve supported and you’ll see that children and youth programs have always been interesting to the organization, Ellis said, making this year’s focus on education a natural choice.
“We don’t know the answers,” said David Lynn, who works in La Jolla specializing in investments, database management and business analytics. He is serving as board liaison on the project that will involve seeking solutions to improve local schools as well as raising more money to that end.
“We want to help build the capacity of a sector, in this case education,” she added.
The process of deciding which nonprofits to support begins with a Discovery Team, which polls partners on what groups they might want to help. Then they invite in experts in that sector who share their thoughts and challenges in that particular arena.
Ellis said that’s often “someone who falls in love with that nonprofit.” That person becomes a key point of contact and forms the team.
The help comes in a variety of ways, from Resource Teams that step in to assist with fundraising efforts, management practices, developing their boards and leaders, as well as providing financial management, information technology or marketing and PR expertise.Each year during the three-year relationship, the partners and investees develop an annual plan. But it’s not just about the nonprofit, Ellis said. “We measure us and them against program outcomes and the impact in the community.”
And, Paul noted, it’s not about raising money for them but also about helping them raise money and building a stronger organization.
To date, that impact has been great. In 2011, the partners gave $175,000 in direct cash contributions; add in-kind services, additional personal donations and 9,510 hours of volunteer time and the tally hits $1.7 million in value to the community, according to the annual report.
And, in case you were wondering, yes there is a “social” in Social Venture Partners. Members get together for social gatherings as well as having fun with their projects, Paul said, noting that again this year they helped the Community Resources Center put together 300 gift baskets.
Learn more at www.sdsvp.org.
December 8, 2011
Holiday Gifts - Where SVP Partners are Giving
During the Holidays, gifts are abound...charitable contributions included. Increasingly, we know that more people are not just writing checks but actually seeking a return on their charitable investment. The Wall Street Journal's How to Donate Like a Pro suggests that by volunteering your time and researching a nonprofit's effectiveness, your dollars will make the biggest impact possible. We here at San Diego Social Venture Partners are known for just that: doing our due diligence before investing in a nonprofit and then giving of our time and expertise to help them become more effective. Click here to learn more about SVP
I know some of you are asking: "Now is the season of giving...so where do I start?"
Our Partners are very generous with their time and donations, especially during the Holidays. Would you like to see what nonprofits they are interested in? Once a year, we highlight some of their favorite organizations with a link to donate or volunteer.
Disclaimer: The nonprofits on this list are not necessarily vetted by SDSVP. They only represent organizations where our Partners are giving during the holiday season.
Center for Missing & Exploited Children
Partner: Rachel van Betten
Providing information and resources to law enforcement, parents, children including child victims as well as other professionals.
Community Resource Center
Partner: Laurin Pause
Providing critical assistance in the areas of domestic violence services, food programs, and emergency and transitional housing assistance.
Friendship Circle in San Diego
Partner: Jerry Schneider
Addressing the challenges facing the families of children with special needs in a novel and innovative way.
George Mark Children’s House-San Leandro California
Partner: Peg Eddy
First children's hospice house in the U.S. providing medical, emotional and practical support to families with children that have life-threatening and terminal illnesses.
Horses of Tir Na Nog
Partner: Patsy Hartman
Providing consistent, quality care for horses in need of a loving, life-long home.
Junior Achievement of San Diego and Imperial Counties
Partner: Wendy Gillespie
Providing financial literacy education that empowers young people to own their economic success.
Volunteers of America of SW California
Partner: Mark Neilson
inspire hope through our ministry of service by providing individuals and families with tools to improve their quality of life.
SVP Investees:
A Reason to Survive (ARTS)
Providing visual, performing, and literary art programs for kids facing life challenges.
Audeo Charter School
Provideing a unique alternative educational environment for students whose academic and psychosocial needs are not met by traditional approaches.
Camp Pendleton Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA)
Enhancing the lives of Camp Pendleton Marines, Sailors, and their families by offering programs and services that focus upon Spirit, Mind, and Body.
Reality Changers
Providing tutoring and mentoring to disadvantaged San Diego youth to become first-generation college students.
REBOOT by the National Veterans Transition Services, Inc. (REBOOT)
Assisting veterans in adjusting to civilian life and securing meaningful employment by combining best-practice performance social solutions and techniques.
Tariq Khamisa Foundation (TKF)
Teaching students about the realities of violence, forgiveness, gangs, and the importance of making positive choices in their lives.
December 6, 2011
Getting to Know You: Partners, Christopher Bush and AmyK Hutchens
Christopher Bush and AmyK Hutchens originally came to SVP via friends, but it’s the organization’s record of success that has kept them involved. “Knowing that our resources of time, talent, and treasure will produce a positive, measurable impact,” Christopher says, has kept his work on the Board, Investment Working Group, Marketing Team, and other areas meaningful.When Christopher and AmyK aren’t volunteering, hiking, or traveling, they work with their team at AmyK International, Inc., their leadership and sales development company. Prior to joining AKI, Christopher served as a business development executive in companies from business brokerage to banking to medical technology. If he seems buttoned-up now, though, consider this revelation: “I was a ‘rock star’ in the ‘80s,” he confesses. “Well,” he amends, “actually, I played in a band that toured the East Coast.” Perhaps bigger hair? Impressive, nonetheless.
November 22, 2011
Record-Breaking Grant Awarded to Reality Changers
The California Wellness Foundation awarded a record-breaking $250,000 to Reality Changers, making this the largest grant ever received by the organization. "This program is helping young people from neighborhoods with the highest rates of gang violence and homicides in San Diego become the first in their families to go to college," said Julio Marcial, a Foundation program director.
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