Letter from SDSVP Board Chair, Mark Fackler

Dear SDSVP Friends,

San Diego Social Venture Partners is a unique organization dedicated to serving two separate and distinct constituencies: our Partners and our Investees. Our mission, “San Diego Social Venture Partners cultivates effective philanthropists who drive community solutions with investments of their time, expertise, and resources,” provides us direction. Serving these two constituents provides a beautiful synergy.

In this past year, our Partners have donated a stunning 13,000+ hours of service to the San Diego community. This not only provides our Investees and many other San Diego-based nonprofit organizations with talented horsepower, but it also provides our Partners with many experiential learning opportunities.

Many SDSVP Partners worked more than 1,000 hours doing research and raising money for the Environmental Accelerator Fund. These dedicated Partners raised $800,000 in cash and pledges to fund the creation of a new organization. The Equinox Center is a non-partisan, independent, nonprofit research center focused on economically sound environmental sustainability for the San Diego region. What a unique synergistic opportunity for educating SDSVP Partners while serving the needs of the San Diego community.

Last year, our Partners chose to support nonprofit organizations that help the elderly during the next three-year grant cycle. Beginning last summer, SDSVP Partners researched the issues facing elders in San Diego. After many months of preparatory work, SDSVP began our grant-making process that culminated in choosing Elder Law & Advocacy and ElderHelp of San Diego as our two new Investees.

As we add Elder Law and ElderHelp to our portfolio, San Diego Canyonlands and San Diego Coastkeepers are completing their three-year grant cycle. We are proud of their accomplishments and growth over the past years. We look forward to their continued growth and a close relationship.

I sincerely thank all the Partners, corporate sponsors, and community supporters who have donated their time, expertise, and resources to serve San Diego through SDSVP. San Diego is a stronger community because of your work, and I am proud to be a Partner with you.

Best Regards,

Mark Fackler

Chair, SDSVP Board of Advisors, 2007-2008