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.

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.

The 130 individuals, known as partners, come from all over the county but there’s a strong contingent of people from the North County area, including outgoing chairman Ray Ellis and his successor Tuck Forsyth.

“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.”

The San Diego group, headquartered at 12555 High Bluff Drive, is part of an international organization. Around the world and locally its members not only invest money – a $5,000 contribution each year for three years is required – but they also invest their time and expertise to improve the community.

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.

The endeavor will also add a new layer as SDSVP enters its second decade, said interim executive director Marion Paul, who was an investee when she worked with Junior Achievement. This year’s education focus includes aligning with other groups that have common goals so they can have a collective impact, she explained.

“We want to help build the capacity of a sector, in this case education,” she added.

Lynn said they will select at least two nonprofit investees and will team up with San Diego Grantmakers, which works to stimulate local philanthropy, and other organizations to pull together a countywide effort to find better ways to educate students.

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.

Next, the Investment Working Group of 30 steps in to evaluate proposals and select the investees. Then the real work starts and a team leader steps up.

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.

Often partners go beyond their donations to Social Venture Partners and make individual contributions to the nonprofits as well as rounding up corporate donations for them, she added. “It’s about leveraging our resources to get more.”

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.

SVP is San Diego’s Outstanding Philanthropic Organization of the Year

On November 1, Social Venture Partners was recognized as San Diego’s Outstanding Philanthropic Organization 2011by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. SVP’s Executive Director, Peggy Kidd and Board Chair, Ray Ellis accepted the award at National Philanthropy Day. They celebrated with over 900 attendees including 20 SVP Partners and staff. This is a wonderful honor for our organization and a real compliment to all of our Partners. Your support and work in the community are greatly appreciated!

See more photos and read about SVP’s award in the San Diego Business Journal.

Business Skills Take Nonprofits to Next Level

By Deirdre Maloney

Monday, October 24, 2011

Alan Sorkin believes that nonprofits need to run more like a business. But it’s not because business people have all the answers.

Sorkin says it’s all about the discipline you see in many successful companies—the discipline to create a structure for an organization, to develop meaningful strategies and effective business operations, to be clear about what is measured, monitored and communicated.

“When it comes down to it, it’s all about capacity building,” Sorkin said, “If you don’t build the capacity of an organization, it will be struggling forever.”

Sorkin believes in this principle so much that he and his wife were one of about 20 founders of San Diego Social Venture Partners, an organization of individuals who want to discover the nonprofit world, find their passion and determine how to best invest their money and time to improve the community. Sorkin is also the president of Social Venture Partners International.

Enriching Experience

SDSVP is a unique model, engaging with partners from the business world who possess a wide variety and deep-set of professional expertise. Those partners then bring their skills together to connect, strengthen and enrich nonprofits, in effect changing their philanthropic “ecosystems.”

“Our network of partners transform nonprofits, transform communities and transform themselves as they move from success to significance,” Sorkin said.

The numbers back up the story. Since 2001, SDSVP has delivered to the San Diego community: more than $12 million in cash and in-kind services; 360 effective philanthropists; 86,000 strategic volunteer hours.

This proven history of transformation is just one reason why SDSVP will be honored as the Outstanding Philanthropic Organizations at this year’s National Philanthropy Day event. The organization will be among eight honorees featured during the annual luncheon, which is sponsored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals San Diego chapter.

The honor, and the work of SDSVP, couldn’t come at a better time. Despite a continuing period of economic doubt and increased competition among the thousands of nonprofits in San Diego, Sorkin believes this is a time of opportunity for those who embrace SDSVP’s philosophies.

“All we see is potential,” he said. “Philanthropy has to change and there are many people who want to change it. We have Generation X and Y with many who are less about making money and more about making a difference. And, we have the largest generation of baby boomers who are retiring younger and have at least one more encore career. Many of them are already using their skills for good.”

Community members can do their part by investing in organizations that invest in themselves.

The Big Day

National Philanthropy Day is a day set aside each year around the world to show appreciation for all that has been accomplished in the culture of philanthropy. The 2011 gathering marks the 39th event for the San Diego Chapter.

The 39th Annual National Philanthropy Day Awards Luncheon will be held Nov. 1, 11:30 a.m. at the Hilton Bayfront San Diego.

A unique development is the decision of three powerful entities in town to join together on behalf of the event. The Jewish Community Foundation, The San Diego Foundation and the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation committed to stand together and share the spotlight as presenting sponsors.

For more information or to register for the luncheon, visit www.afpsd.org.

Deirdre Maloney is an author, speaker and owner of Momentum San Diego, which helps nonprofits meet their missions through better business.

SVP's Executive Director, Peggy Kidd Connects Partners with Passions

Social Venture Partner's Executive Director and Partner, Peggy Kidd connects Partners with their passions in the nonprofit community. She was recently featured as a Nonprofit Profile in the San Diego Business Journal.

Click here to read more.

SDSVP & Reality Changers Featured on XETV San Diego 6 in the Morning

San Diego Social Venture Partners recently chose to invest in two San Diego nonprofits in the education sector Reality Changers and Audeo Charter School for funding and support up to three years. On Wed, March 31, XETV San Diego 6 Morning News interviewed SDSVP Partner, Ray Ellis, Reality Changers Founder, Chris Yanov and graduating senior, Michael Gaulden.

Social Venture Partners Turn Focus to Education

From San Diego Business Journal
Monday, April 5, 2010

By Brad Graves

San Diego Social Venture Partners said on March 25 that it made investments in two nonprofit organizations dedicated to education: Reality Changers and Audeo Charter School.

San Diego Social Venture Partners will offer $25,000 per year to the programs over three years. In addition, the group offers nonmonetary support, in the form of expertise and skills, to the organizations they fund. The total value of the support is $600,000 per organization, said Peggy Kidd, the charitable group’s executive director.

Reality Changers is an after-school mentoring program that helps disadvantaged youth in San Diego County become first-generation college students. Audeo Charter School offers an advanced and self-motivating alternative to traditional education for students in grades six through 12.

Social Venture Partners Gave $3.4 Million in Grants and Thousands of Hours in Volunteer Service to 132 Nonprofit Organizations in 2008

Social Venture Partners International (SVPI) announced its latest numbers associated with organizational growth, grant making and volunteer service. Based on 2008 affiliate network data and capacity building outcomes, the network contributed $3.4 million to 132 nonprofits in 2008. SVP Partners also contributed thousands of hours of volunteer service to nonprofits in cities throughout North America and Japan.

A key finding from the report on capacity building is that nonprofit organizations funded by SVP gave an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5.0 when asked to rate the value of Partner time and talent in helping an organization build its capacity.

San Diego Social Venture Partners (SDSVP) is one of 24 chapters in the SVP network. SDSVP Partners currently make grants and provide business expertise to nonprofit organizations in the San Diego community serving youth and children, the elderly, and the homeless. In 2008, SDSVP gave $193,000 to 6 nonprofits along with 13,000 hours of volunteer service. Since 2001, San Diego Partners have given more than $1.45 million in grants to local recipients.

“SVP Partners were more engaged in 2008 than any year to date,” says Peggy Kidd, Executive Director at San Diego Social Venture Partners. “Despite the economic downturn, people are eager to get involved in their communities and give more than a financial contribution to a cause. The data shows new people are joining SVP because they see its model as a proven and effective way to make a difference.”

Fundamental to the SVP model is engagement in which members give of their time, professional experience and creativity to work in partnership with nonprofits and local leaders to meet community needs. Therefore, cash grants are only a portion of the value that grant recipients gain through their relationship with SVP. Partners also volunteer professional skills and strategic counsel to help nonprofits build capacity and make vital connections within the community. This level of engagement translates to a high level of satisfaction among donors/volunteers throughout the SVP network which is comprised of 24 affiliates in the United States, Canada and Tokyo.

“I think SDSVP is a place where people can contribute a little money and some time in a meaningful way to help the San Diego community,” said Alan Sorkin, SDSVP Partner and SVP International President-Elect. “It is extremely rewarding. Whatever you contribute, you will get back many times over.”

The total number of grants awarded by an SVP affiliate in 2008 ranged from $25,000 to $855,500, with a median of $115,000. Since its inception in 1997, the SVP network has made $32.2 million in grant investments to 335 nonprofit organizations.

About San Diego SVP
San Diego Social Venture Partners (SDSVP) develops philanthropy and volunteerism for the purpose of positive social change in San Diego County. Using the venture capital approach – contributing expertise, time and money – we are committed to creating partnerships that build successful and sustainable nonprofit organizations. To learn more about SDSVP, please visit http://www.sdsvp.org/.

About Social Venture Partners International
Social Venture Partners International (SVPI) is the membership association for Social Venture Partners – an international network comprised of 2,000 accomplished individuals who combine their professional skills and financial contributions with a passion for philanthropy. Partners belong to local SVP affiliates and SVPI supports each affiliate by providing technology, professional development, an annual conference and peer networking opportunities designed to share knowledge and promote best practices throughout the network. The Social Venture Partners network currently has 24 affiliates located throughout the United States, Canada and Tokyo. To learn about starting an SVP affiliate in your city or for more information on Social Venture Partners, please visit http://www.svpi.org/.

A Regional Canyonlands Park System

From The San Diego Union Tribune
3/14/2007

by Richard Louv

On the first page of “Canyonlands: The Creation of a San Diego Regional Canyonlands Park” appears a curious juxtaposition of two graphic images.

One is a depiction of a set of human lungs, with stem branches, lobes, trachea and bronchi. Directly below this image is a satellite view of Mission Valley, revealing the bronchi and branches of San Diego's urban canyons lacing outward through the region's vast watershed.

“Our canyons bring us nourishment, maintain our health and ventilate our lives. They are our lungs and bronchial tubes,” according to the report produced by San Diego Civic Solutions, a collection of business and grass-roots leaders. The white paper will be presented at tomorrow's “Greening the City” symposium, sponsored by the local chapter of Partners for Livable Places.

Comparing our canyons to lungs is no exaggeration, not to anyone who understands their natural role in cleaning our air and preventing flooding and providing a natural water filtration system that would cost billions to replicate; they offer breathing room for wildlife and people; they connect our neighborhoods, towns and cities; they nurture the region's spirit. No other city in the world can claim such a unique topology.

“The idea (is to create) a visionary open space park ... a framework for our region ... a green infrastructure for the future – a necessity, not a luxury,” according to the proposal, which recommends that most canyons would be open to the public, while the most ecologically sensitive canyons would become plant and wildlife preserves.

“This is the time to create the Canyonlands Park,” the authors write. “We will not have another opportunity to create a coherent open space framework for the region.”

This proposal (to be posted at www.sdcivicsolutions.com) summarizes several years of work, including two public charettes and dozens of meetings by Civic Solutions, Citizens Coordinate for Century 3, the San Diego Design Council, Partners for Livable Communities – and Friends of the Canyons groups, sponsored by the Sierra Club, which adopt canyons in their own neighborhoods, haul out trash, remove invasive species, and, in the absence of city maintenance and security personnel, patrol the canyons.

The challenges are considerable. Aerial and satellite photos reveal hundreds of miles of canyons; ownership is sometimes unclear and the canyonland classification is vague.

Among the threats: channelization of creeks; expansion of water, sewer and power lines; utility roads and bridges; languished funding for open space maintenance; encroachment by new housing and businesses; and a school district that would rather grade, say, the 32nd Street canyon into a flat playing field than use it for teaching – though studies show outdoor classrooms improve test scores in science and math.

Thus the necessity of creating one entity, the San Diego Regional Canyonlands Park, which would send this message: If you hurt one canyon, you hurt them all.

The canyonlands proposal for a public/private partnership calls for a variety of funding mechanisms, including grant writing to nonprofit groups and federal and state government agencies, private capital campaigns, alongwith fees and assessment districts.

“For canyons not already in the public realm, incentives could be offered such as tax relief for property owners that provide conservation and public access easements,” according to the report. (Not incidentally, property values adjacent to parks are usually enhanced.) In addition, the application of Transfer Development Rights could help divert development away from canyons to “more agreeable areas.”

The ongoing benefits of saving the canyons would be enormous: natural drainage and protection of the bay from runoff pollution; visual, psychological and physical relief; educational opportunities; habitat preservation; ecotourism (birding is now big business); more pedestrian links; and the enhanced character of surrounding neighborhoods.

Does San Diego have the political will to create such a park in the current era of civic retrenchment? Maybe. Historically, big city mayors and other officeholders hope to leave some sign of their passage more visible, decades into the future, than a balanced budget. Today, expensive brick and mortar won't do.

But our canyons already exist. As hawks circle above and the scent of sage drifts into our neighborhoods, these trachea and bronchi already breathe for us. To survive, they need signage, observation platforms and people power.

In 1868, San Diego civic leaders set aside 1,400 acres for Balboa Park. Today we have the chance to create a regional park every bit as important.

A San Diego Regional Canyonlands Park would be one of the longest-lasting gifts we could give to future generations. The most important thing to do now is to declare it so, and the future will come.

Project Seeks to Raise Green for the Environment

From The San Diego Union Tribune
11/28/2006

By Mike Lee

Former Microsoft executive Aaron Contorer settled in San Diego two years ago, aiming to start a software company. He found that his heart just wasn't in it.

Contorer, 39, soon discovered what he really wanted to do: Jumpstart the region's mostly cash-strapped environmental movement. He and others say it largely lacks the sophisticated management and well-heeled backers befitting a county of some 3 million people, many of whom enjoy nature as they swim, hike and surf.

So, along with other philanthropists, Contorer aims to raise $1 million by year's end for groups that do things like fight for clean water and better beaches. They will announce their campaign today – to take advantage of year-end giving by companies and major donors – after having provided $400,000 in seed money.

Their project, known as the Environment Accelerator Fund, is the latest in a string of recent efforts to boost the profile of conservation causes in San Diego County. For example, a leading foundation is trying to build a $25 million endowment for environmental work. Elsewhere, new alliances have been formed for canyons, sustainable development and global warming.

“San Diego's environmental nonprofits are poised to grow to the next level to help bring vision, science, and intelligence” to regional issues, said Paul Eichen, chairman of the Rokenbok Toy Co. in Solana Beach and a charter donor for the new fund.

The region is widely recognized as a biological gem and it's home to one of the nation's largest collections of threatened and endangered species. But the county's environmental corps still hasn't reached the big leagues.

“Historically in San Diego, the environment has been woefully undersupported and underfunded,” said Bruce Reznik, executive director of San Diego Coastkeeper. “It's sort of an odd dynamic considering that people come to San Diego for the coast, for the environment, for the water.”

Reznik joined what was then called Baykeeper seven years ago. Despite having only two employees at the time, it was the region's largest nonprofit group dealing with coastal issues, he said. Today, the regionally prominent organization has seven staff members but often struggles to meet budget.

“I have a little bigger vision than my ability to raise funds,” Reznik said.

Scrappy movement

The reputation of a small and scrappy environmental movement in the county is largely supported by a new report from the University of San Diego.

Researchers there counted 257 locally based groups dealing with animals and the environment. Because of how the IRS keeps its data, the category goes far beyond what generally is considered environmental activism. For instance, it includes dozens of pet welfare and garden groups.

The organizations reported combined revenues of nearly $240 million in 2004. The total is far larger than in Orange County or the Silicon Valley but far smaller than the Bay Area, which is home to the Sierra Club's national headquarters and about 750 other environmental and animal outfits.

Much of the local income is raised by one organization – the Zoological Society of San Diego, which runs the San Diego Zoo, the Wild Animal Park and a research center. Tax records from 2004 show that its revenues topped $160 million, about two-thirds of the regional total.

More than 60 percent of the county's environmental groups collect less than $25,000 per year. That means they can't support a professional staff, a typical prerequisite for generating more income and improving the quality of their programs.

Nonetheless, thousands of volunteers, new alliances and a few major court victories have helped environmentalists gain influence beyond what their balance sheets might suggest.

“(Environmentalists) seem to be doing a lot with a little,“ said Laura Deitrick, co-author of the USD report.

She does see a potential problem.

“They have been busy doing their daily work and have not spent as much time thinking forward in terms of growing their assets,” Deitrick said.

Less 'old money'

San Diego County's environmental sector remains modest because of several reasons, nonprofit experts say. One is that the region's growth spurt is relatively recent, so there's less “old money” than in places such as San Francisco and Boston.

The limited number of major corporate headquarters also plays a role. Such offices often employ big donors who become board members for nonprofit groups.

“We are just now starting to see the generational continuity and the embracing of place” that long has been common in Northern California and other parts of the country, said Bill Kuni, a local entrepreneur and philanthropist.

When Kuni arrived in San Diego 24 years ago, he looked for groups helping to protect the landscape that he found so attractive.

“It was almost totally individual champions who did not have a major organization behind them,” Kuni said.

In 2000, he helped start the Environment Working Group at The San Diego Foundation in an effort to buoy conservationists trying to contain fast-growing development.

The Environment Working Group proved to be an important mechanism for spreading cash and convening experts in ecology. It has distributed about $3.35 million since its inception. The money often is awarded in chunks of $15,000 to $50,000.

Last year, the foundation kicked off a $25 million endowment campaign to support environmental work. There is $1 million in the pot.

Many of the county's well-known environmental groups owe part of their growth to the foundation. They include the San Diego River Park Foundation, the Environmental Health Coalition, the local Sierra Club chapter and the Escondido Creek Conservancy.

The Escondido conservancy started in 1991, but didn't have the money for an executive director until last year. Unlike most environmental leaders in the region, the conservancy's executive director, Geoffrey Smith, has a master's degree in nonprofit leadership.

“A lot of . . . (environmental groups) really lack the business skills of understanding what their mission is and how to build a program around their mission and stick to it,” Smith said.

A 2003 study of land conservancies in the county found they were twice as likely to have done a formal planning process for on-the-ground work as they were to have a strategy for the organization.

The lack of management expertise is especially apparent at the board level, Smith and others said. Currently, the boards commonly consist of friends and activists without much regard for specific skills such as public relations and fundraising.

That's where Contorer and Eichen come in. They are seeding the new fund with $200,000 each as they court other contributors.

They also expect to get donors involved on boards and demand measurable results from groups receiving money from them. Their fund is managed by San Diego Social Venture Partners, a grant-making group that donates its services.

“We're trying to grow the (environment) sector. That means supporting the research to understand the problems and what it takes to fix them and then impact a society,” said Contorer, a full-time philanthropist.

The effort comes as national environmental groups are struggling to connect with the American public. Contorer thinks there is a large and untapped segment of donors who don't consider themselves traditional environmentalists but want San Diego to not become “a second-rate Los Angeles” because of overdevelopment.

“It's not about banning cars and hugging trees. It's about having a wonderful way of life now and not ruining it” for future generations, Contorer said.

Giving A Boost To Philanthropy

From The San Diego Union Tribune
8/3/2006

By Nancy Jamison

I have the good fortune to work with philanthropists every single day. Not Warren Buffett or Bill and Melinda Gates, but good people right here in San Diego County who are all, in their own ways, making a significant contribution to the well-being of our community. Nearly everyone can be a philanthropist – and you don't have to have billions.

Philanthropy – which translates from Greek as “love of mankind” – is no longer the domain of the Rockefellers and Carnegies. Today's philanthropy is much more widespread, democratic and even scientific.

And while stupendous gifts will always make the front page, wonderful hometown philanthropy happens every day, with smaller dollar amounts but huge benefits for nonprofit agencies and the people they serve. As an article in a recent issue of The Economist magazine stated, “the $1.5-billion that Mr. Buffett will contribute each year over the coming decades is only a small addition to the total contributions from the rest of us. In fact, it is just about one-half of 1 percent of the $260-billion that Americans gave to charity last year. The knowledge of how to use charitable dollars effectively turns out to be a much rarer commodity than the dollars themselves.”

In other words, while giving away money can be an easy and fun thing to do, it requires some homework to ensure that your charitable dollars will have the desired results.

Late last year, I became the executive director of a membership organization called San Diego Grantmakers. Our purpose is to connect, educate, develop and inspire a diverse group of foundations and corporations to stimulate effective philanthropy in the San Diego region.

We have 81 members – including family foundations, community foundations, independent foundations and corporate giving programs. Our members are committed to making a difference in ways that have true and lasting impact.

They carefully analyze and work with the groups that serve our most underserved populations. They study community needs not addressed by the public sector and fill in the gaps in a professional and fair manner. They anticipate trends and leverage dollars. They are working more strategically, because they know that charitable donations alone will not solve society's problems.

I hope that the focus on Buffett and Gates leads to more and better giving, and that more successful business people make similar choices about how to spend their time and money. It is not just the super-rich who can decide to donate money strategically. Current and future philanthropists can learn lessons here as well.

The Gates Foundation has systems in place to carefully evaluate the performance of its grants – and change things if it is not getting the results sought. It does so with rigorous analysis, using best practices in evaluation and benchmarking.

This is a trend in grant-making that will benefit the social sector. Nearly all San Diego Grantmakers members are exploring how to do evaluation on a scale that makes sense for them. It is not as easy as it seems in the business world, because positive outcomes mean more than just making money – and the reason the need exists in the first place is that other efforts have failed.

Gates and Buffett are partnering, collaborating, joining together to create greater benefit. This, too, is a trend in philanthropy. If I have $1,000 to give away and you have $1,000, let's give it to the same worthy nonprofit organization so that it can really accomplish something.

In San Diego, we have powerful examples of such pooled efforts and funding. The Homelessness Working Group, San Diego Neighborhood Funders, the San Diego Women's Foundation, San Diego Social Venture Partners, the Jewish Women's Foundation and the San Diego HIV/AIDS Funding Collaborative are just a few. They operate on the same basic principle: working together to understand problems and then funding together for bigger, better impact.

This collaborative approach is also known as “giving circles.” Anyone can participate – billions not required. There is a giving circle in South Carolina called Dining for Women. Friends get together for a potluck and then donate what they would have paid had they gone out to dinner. They spend the evening socializing and researching prospective recipients. It's a “Giving Club” instead of a “Book Club.” They may be giving away hundreds of dollars instead of billions – but they are still making a positive difference in the lives of others.

At San Diego Grantmakers, we believe in helping philanthropists of all shapes and sizes give in ways that increase the quality of life for everyone in our community. Ultimately we can all join the same club that Bill, Melinda and Warren belong to – the club of generous people who choose to use their personal or corporate resources in an organized and intelligent way to help others, to help our country, to help the planet. It is a club that I am extremely proud to be associated with, and I hope that even more San Diegans will join.

Foster Home Services Expand With $500K Donation

From the San Diego Business Journal
7/31/2006

By Stacey Bengtson and Joyce Glazer

The San Diego Social Venture Partners has given the Angels Foster Family Agency and La Cuna more than $500,000 in grants and in-kind business consulting services. Both organizations place foster babies and toddlers into safe, loving homes. The money will help increase public awareness of their services, assist in strategic planning and business development, raise additional funding and strengthen the growth and influence of the organizations.

How Venture Philanthropy is Making Non-Profits More Accountable

From the San Diego Daily Transcript
1/19/2006

By Richard Bockoff and Barbara Bry

Throughout his successful business career, entrepreneur Alan Sorkin had a long history of involvement with numerous charitable organizations. Yet, he was frustrated because he wanted a higher level of personal participation. He also noticed that many organizations operated without accountability for their promised social results. So in 2001 Alan and his wife, Louarn, became founding members of San Diego Social Venture Partners (SDSVP), part of a national trend of what is being called venture philanthropy.

Venture philanthropists consider themselves "activist" investors, not "passive" donors. These venture funders look for both a social return on their investment (SROI) and a high level of engagement with the causes they fund. The investors require the establishment of a sustainable business model with fixed measurable milestones. Moreover, these activist investors leverage their financial contribution by providing additional value through assistance with strategic planning, marketing, board development and the development of appropriate business systems.

Although venture philanthropy is only a small part of national giving, it has received a lot of publicity, and other donors, including foundations and corporations, are asking tougher questions and demanding more rigorous, verifiable outcomes from the causes they support. Venture philanthropy started in Silicon Valley in the 1990s as venture capitalists and entrepreneurs wanted to apply business principles to social problem solving. Entrepreneurs particularly understood the importance of building a solid management team just as they had done in the companies they had started.

Entrepreneurs Darcy Bingham and Carrie Stone brought the movement to San Diego, and the local Social Venture Partner group now has 70 members, primarily couples, who contribute $5,000 per couple per year.

Through SDSVP the Sorkins became involved with the Human Development Foundation (HDF), one of the charitable organizations SDSVP supports. Alan feels this charitable organization is a good example of opportunities that came to fruition with SDSVP's input. HDF's goal is to help gifted children from low-income families achieve their full potential. In 2002, SDSVP provided the organization with a three-year grant of their partner's time, talents and resources. The $49,401 grant was earmarked for the Parent's PLACE, (Parent Literacy and Academic Curriculum Enrichment) Program, which places parents in the classroom so they learn their child's curriculum.

According to Marjorie Fox, HDF's executive director, the return on investment has been leveraged dramatically when you calculate the value of strategic planning, board development, the donation of 24 computers, thedevelopment of a Web site, the development of technology to track tutor time and other activities, and other financial contributions. This example of venture philanthropy shows clearly that when you leverage money with involvement, you exponentially increase the returns.

Effective venture philanthropy takes money, time and effort. While it is often obvious to the recipient that outside strategic involvement produces measurable results, what is even more striking is that in talking with the "investors," one finds that their perspective is that they often feel they got more out of the process than the recipient of their support.

It is a delicate balance between the nonprofit and the funder. To lead effectively, one cannot be intrusive. But, by the same token, the nonprofit needs to understand, appreciate and create an atmosphere in which guidance can be accepted and acted upon. The nonprofit sometimes thinks that all it needs is the money. But what is most needed is "smart" money, and in that area SDSVP fills a critical role.

Breaking the Cycle of Abuse and Poverty

From the San Diego Business Journal
11/21/2005

Barbara Bry

Angela’s son Robert was born when she was 16 years old. At first, Angela, now 18, lived with Robert’s father.

Then he went to jail, and she turned to YES (Youth Empowerment Services) for Haven, a program for pregnant and parenting teens who don’t have a family for support. Without the YES program, Angela and Robert would be part of the most vulnerable population in our community at high risk of becoming homeless, living in poverty and more than likely abused or exploited.

Angela’s story is typical of the 20 young women currently in YES for Haven. Born in Mexico, Angela moved with her family to Escondido when she was 4. Sometimes she lived with her mother and father, and other times with her aunt. At the end of ninth grade, she got involved with drugs and dropped out of school. A year later, she was pregnant and moved in with her boyfriend.

“I don’t know what I would have done without this program,” Angela said. “This program has taught me how to parent, live on my own, manage my time, save money, and live with my peers.”

Petite, with long black hair, wearing a simple white camisole, jeans and white sneakers, Angela speaks articulately about her past and her future. It’s hard to believe that she has a 2-year-old son and a terrifying past.

YES for Haven, started in July 2004, is operated by a collaborative, including:

• The Salvation Army, which houses the program on its Door of Hope campus.
  
• Access, Inc., a community-based organization that provides job training, education and job placement services, as well as immigration assistance to low-income residents for more than 36 years.


• Casey Family Programs, a national organization that provides an array of services for children and youth, with foster care as its core. CFP funds research and dissemination of exemplary transition practices for foster care youth.

The concept is to provide, in one location, a wide range of services, including intensive employment readiness services and independent living skills, so that these women can get jobs and become good mothers and productive citizens. So far, 26 young women have participated in the program.

YES for Haven is one of several nonprofits funded by San Diego Social Venture Partners, a membership organization of 75 business and community leaders. Members of the group contribute their time, talent and resources to build the capacity and sustainability of not for profits in San Diego. SVP granted YES for Haven a $90,000 grant payable over three years if the program continues to meet measured outcomes and milestones.

In addition, SVP provided goods and services valued at between three to six times the cash donation. The group developed job tours, job shadowing opportunities in health care, technology and hospitality for the girls and established the Success Lab at YES for Haven complete with five Gateway computers. SVP partners have also volunteered their business expertise and guidance in developing a three-year strategic plan.

Since Angela has been involved with YES for Haven, she is looking forward to her high school graduation in December. After she graduates, she will leave YES for Haven, and has applied to three transitional living programs in San Diego County.

When Givers Get Together

From Business Week
3/7/2005

By Jessi Hempel

"Giving circles" let you have more of a say in where your charitable dollars are going If your name is Bill Gates (of Seattle), you have considerable say in how your philanthropic dollars are used. But if your name is Bill Allen (of Hockessin, Del.), you may not have much direct influence on the charities you support -- that is, unless you funnel your funds through what's known as a "giving circle."

An idea born in the late 1990s, when New Economy do-gooders sought to put their tech riches to philanthropic use, these giving circles have kept growing even as many tech entrepreneurs have seen their wealth dry up. Today there are about 220 giving circles in 39 states across the country, ranging from small groups of neighbors who organize around the dining room table to large-scale organizations such as Seattle's Social Venture Partners, which sponsors 22 giving circles with thousands of members worldwide. Now potential donors can connect to nearby giving circles through Givingforum.org/givingcircles, which was launched on Feb. 8 by the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, based in Washington, D.C.

Unlike traditional giving circles, which are often sponsored by colleges or museums and require donors to pledge a certain amount to help maintain that institution, these new philanthropic endeavors are distinguished by their hands-on approach. They are often founded by a small group of donors interested in making an impact on a certain social problem. Members are asked to chip in from $100 to $25,000 a year, with the average contribution around $2,500. The cash is usually held by a community foundation, a public charity designed to save individual donors the cost of setting up their own private foundations. Giving circle members then determine which nonprofits receive their grants, often targeting causes such as education or environmentalism. Many circles also require members to volunteer their time. Members do everything from the minimal -- a service day cleaning up a local school -- to the more time-consuming -- a seat on the nonprofit's board of directors.

"A CHECK IS JUST A CHECK"

Bill Allen and his wife, Kim Lumhoo Allen, belong to the Delaware chapter of Social Venture Partners. He is a senior executive at a local financial-services firm; she heads a company that runs for-profit schools. Two years ago the couple looked for philanthropic opportunities that would allow their limited dollars to have a greater impact on their favorite cause -- education. In addition to their $7,500 donation -- the annual cost for a family to join -- Bill joined the SVP Delaware board, where he reviews grant applications. Kim conducts teacher training at a charter school that SVP supports. "A check is just a check," says Bill. "Here we can see the difference we're making."

Stanford University philanthropy professor Laura Arrillaga started Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund (SV2) in 1999 to appeal to younger donors. "They view their social investments with the same importance as for-profit investments," says Arrillaga. According to the group's bylaws, all SV2 members get an equal vote on how the group allocates its $350,000 in annual grants. Last year, for instance, they helped support local doctors who volunteered their time to care for people with chronic illnesses.

Many of these social venture groups encourage members' children to get involved. Kahryn Nix, who owns a court reporting firm, works with teens in Social Venture Partners Arizona. Like the Delaware chapter, the Phoenix chapter operates independently but meets certain SVP criteria such as the $5,000 minimum donation. Her granddaughter Lauren Fielder, 16, is one of a few dozen kids who raise funds through car washes, garage sales, and bowl-a-thons. Nix then helps the junior givers to decide where their funds should go.

Recently, after a visit to a local nursery for homeless children, Fielder and her friends decided the children needed shoes. They sponsored a car wash and purchased 60 pairs. Says Nix: "We want to bring her up to understand giving is important."

This hands-on philanthropic culture is often what attracts donors to giving circles. In San Diego, medical entrepreneur Ted Tarbet and his wife, Michele, have been members of the local SVP chapter since 2001. When wildfires struck nearby Julian, Calif., in October, 2003, the Tarbets took their daughter, Alexis, now 14, to Julian along with other SVP friends to help distribute food and clothing. "The clothes I was giving out weren't as nice as the ones I had at home," says Alexis Tarbet. So she collected money from SVP members, nearly $30,000 in all, and put it toward $275 gift certificates for every teenager in Julian. "Sure, we could write a check to the Red Cross to help victims, and we probably would anyway," says Ted Tarbet. But with SVP, he adds, you see the impact of your efforts. It beats seeing your name on some givers' plaque.

HDF Awarded for Education Research Tools

From the San Diego Daily Transcript
2/24/2005

By Michelle Loase

Human Development Foundation, which offers encouragement and educational opportunities to underprivileged children, received some encouragement of its own earlier this month when it was given the Salute to Excellence Award for Excellence in Technology Innovation.

HDF was presented with the award at the Feb. 8 event recognizing excellence in nonprofit management, sponsored by Nonprofit Management Solution and the Waite Foundation. The local nonprofit was specifically recognized for its Web-based software, created by Abaris Technologies. The software correlates tutoring strategies and student progress, and serves as a time clock. Researchers at the San Diego State University College of Education use the data to assess the effectiveness of certain tutoring strategies.

"HDF students have made statistically significant gains in reading achievement over the school year, as a direct result of the literacy strategies used by OPEN GATE tutors," said Marjorie Fox, president and CEO of HDF. "Prior to the development of this Web-based technology, it was impossible to track activities in direct relation to student English literacy gains."

Dean Rosenberg, owner of Abaris Partners, and San Diego Social Venture Partners were also thanked by Fox. The OPEN GATE program is the foundation's primary initiative, providing resources and advocacy for highly gifted children who come from low-income families. For more information about HDF, visit www.humandevelopmentfoundation.com.

The Change Masters - The Top 25 Groups That Are Changing the World

From Fast Company

1/1/2005

By Cheryl Dahle

How do you solve the world's problems? With creativity, passion, and the savvy to turn scarce resources into big impact. Meet the winners of the 2005 Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Awards.

How long has it been since you were surprised by hope? As you browsed the morning newspaper, when did you last feel a sense that the world was becoming a better place? That the forces propelling the future were on the right track? That the power of imagination was serving those with healing ideals rather than those with darker agendas? Overwhelmed as we are by images of bad news, it is easy to tacitly embrace the notion that humanity's only possible trajectory is downward.

But that simply is not true. The proof lies in your hands, in the pages that follow. Here you'll read about the winners of Fast Company and Monitor Group's second annual Social Capitalist Awards: 25 organizations that are using creativity, business smarts, and hard work to invent a brighter future. These social entrepreneurs are more than architects of change with grand, skyscraper-scale visions; they are general contractors of getting stuff done. They will surprise you with hope and delight you with results.

"Whatever our professions, we are all citizens, and we all care deeply about unmet social needs -- which is precisely where social entrepreneurs make their essential contribution," says Mark Fuller, Monitor's chairman. "But good intentions are not enough. To put that vision into action, their efforts must meet the harsh test of performance, and their labors the demanding standards of accountability."

Consider the work of Endeavor Global, a New York-based nonprofit that seeds economic growth in developing countries by supporting the work of large-scale entrepreneurs. In 2002, 97 companies funded by Endeavor generated $332 million in revenue and created 8,562 jobs in Latin America.


Or take Social Venture Partners, which has invented a powerful model of philanthropy that now operates in 23 cities: Investors pool $5,500 apiece along with their time to help local nonprofits. SVP's elegant, virtuous-circle model produces smarter, more engaged donors and stronger nonprofits.

And returning winner New Leaders for New Schools improves education in inner cities one school at a time, by recruiting and training great principals for low-income schools. NLNS schools already have shown gains in reading and math scores. And more than 20 cities are creating their own principal-training programs with elements of the NLNS model.

The Social Capitalists are part of a global movement of entrepreneurs who've chosen to apply their skills to the common good. Though estimates of their ranks rise into the tens of thousands, figures are tough to verify. But if the group's size is nebulous, its impact is not: Just the bit of this movement devoted to making small loans to the poor, like winner ACCION International, lifted incomes of nearly 27 million families worldwide in a little over a decade, according to the United Nations Development Programme. Such results signal a new era of enlightenment in the social sector. Together, these organizations form a distribution network for social innovation -- the beginnings of a system for reinventing systems.


To pick the Social Capitalists, Fast Company worked closely with Monitor Group to evaluate 118 nominees. We looked for groups with audacious aspirations, as well as the entrepreneurial savvy to fuel those plans. We looked for true innovation: unique, new solutions to social problems, or creative business models that produce bigger results than previous approaches. We looked for groups with proven track records and the resources to stick around in the future. And, most important, we looked for nonprofits that were moving the needle on social change -- measurably and demonstrably making a difference with their work.

The stories of these organizations will remind you that many of the forces shaping society's future are within our control. Social capitalists show that pushing humanity's path upward is simply a matter of will and resources. It is also a function of our collective willingness to believe in possibility, to meet each day's news with the belief that the world can be a better place. Consider this an invitation, then, to raise your expectations.

Visit the Social Capitalist Resource Center. You'll find analysis of the 2005 results, descriptions of many finalist organizations, and biographies of the many experts who contributed to the package.

The Top 25 Groups That Are Changing the World

• ACCION International


• ApproTEC


• Aspire Public Schools


• City Year


• College Summit


• EARN


• Endeavor Global


• First Book


• Grameen Foundation USA


• Housing Partnership Network


• Jumpstart


• New Leaders for New Schools


• PATH


• Rare


• Room to Read


• Rubicon Programs Inc.


• Scojo Foundation


• SEED Foundation


• Social Venture Partners


• Springboard Forward


• TransFair USA


• Vera Institute of Justice


• Verite


• Witness


• Year Up

Business People Lend their Talents to Worthy Organizations

From The San Diego Union Tribune
5/14/2004

By Michael Kinsman

As a busy and successful businessman, Dale Stein used to have a way of dealing with the nonprofits that always seemed to hover nearby.

"I told them: 'You need money? I'll write you a check. And if I give you more than you need, will you leave me alone?,' " Stein said.

That was before he figured out that the best investment he could make in a nonprofit organization was one of time, not money.

Stein is one of 53 members of San Diego Social Venture Partners, a group of businesspeople who have banded together to help nonprofit organizations become more stable and sophisticated in their operations. The group formed after learning about the success of a similar partnership in Seattle.

The venture partners target social organizations by providing them funding, management expertise and strategic guidance over a three-year period. The group's goal is to help nonprofit groups operate more efficiently, so they spend more time on their missions instead of having to scramble for operating cash year after year.

"Every nonprofit wants to feed 5,000 people when they have the resources to feed 50," said group member Alan Sorkin, a former housing developer who now devotes his time to nonprofit pursuits. "But the passion that exists in these organizations is amazing. It is passion most for-profit CEOs would kill for in their businesses."

Stein, who has been involved in founding or running companies such as Westec Security, Technology Assurance Group, IPx Connect and Glacier Water, is quick to agree. Tapping into that passion, he finds himself re-energized.

"I've had a lot of successful businesses through the years," he said, "but the most enjoyment I've ever had in my life is working with a nonprofit."

Stein, 57, currently is the venture partners' chief liaison with the nonprofit Human Development Foundation, a San Diego organization that is tutoring highly gifted students from lower-income and non-English-speaking families through its Open Gate program at Oak Park School in San Diego.

In addition, foundation tutors work with the children's parents to help them understand the curriculum the children are following. These tutors often communicate to the parents through languages other than English.

"San Diego Social Venture Partners has enabled us to do things we would have never accomplished on our own," said Marjorie Fox, who heads the foundation.

"It makes us more sophisticated because we've had some very strong businesspeople look at our organization and tell us what we needed to do to be more effective," Fox said. "There's no way we could go out and hire the experts they have been able to bring us."

The venture partners currently work with six nonprofit agencies, adding two a year in a three-year rotation. The group helps organizations working with teen mothers, education, work-force training and justice issues, Sorkin said.

It recently began working with Second Chance, a downtown social service agency that bought a Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop in Hillcrest. Second Chance operates Strive, a tough-love program for the long-term unemployed thay will steer some of its graduates in jobs at Ben & Jerry's for a six-month period to help them reacclimate to the work force.

The venture partners found that many of the issues facing the Human Development Foundation were like those that affect many other nonprofits in San Diego. The organization labors year after year to gain enough funding to keep its program rolling.

Stein estimates that Fox was spending 60 percent of her time just to raise the $160,000 her organization needs to operate each year.

"She spends her time and energy just trying to stay in business," Stein said. "We wanted to free her from that and let her concentrate on her program. We basically see what the needs of the organization are and then figure out a way to fill them."

Recruiting assistance

When manpower or expertise is not readily available, the venture partners solicit help from other businesspeople. That's how Mike Richardson, a strategic planning specialist from Carlsbad, was recruited to assist the Human Development Foundation develop a long-range plan. Most of his work involves small and medium-sized, fast-growing firms, and Richardson found nearly an identical situation in the foundation.

"Most organizations are trying to grow so fast that they rarely take time to plan where they are headed," Richardson said. "They don't ever seem to have the resources they need to do that. With nonprofit organizations you have an even more acute set of circumstances with even less resources."

Richardson spent six months working with Fox to develop a strategic plan, eventually joing the Human Development Foundation's reconstituted and expanded board of directors. He said his involvement with the organization opened his eyes to the world of nonprofits.

"It really was an easy buy-in," he said. "It's a no-brainer when you see how your expertise can be used to help an organization. Who wouldn't want to help out once they see that?"

The venture partners also found two firms to help develop software for a computerized scheduling program for the foundation's tutors and at one point solicited donations of 26 personal computers for the gifted children whose families couldn't afford to buy them.

Marketing strategies

As part of its new strategic plan, the foundation will work with the venture group to develop a marketing strategy for creating a $2.5 million endowment that will allow the foundation to concentrate on expanding its educational programs.

Each member of the venture partners agrees to put up $5,000 each year, plus lending time and expertise to individual nonprofits.

Sorkin said he tries to find out what skills his members have and what interests they have.

"A lot of times you find someone who has skills, but is looking for something else to give them satisfaction," he said. "It isn't necessarily using the same skills you do eight hours a day."

Commitment levels vary. Some partners work a few hours a week with a nonprofit and others 30 or more. Many have spouses who participate.

"When you are asking someone who already probably has a packed schedule to do more, you want to make sure that their spouses approve," Sorkin said. "We found that by including them you eliminate the hurdle of them adding something else to their plate."

The venture partners carefully review nonprofits they may wind up supporting. Their goal is to find organizations doing socially beneficial work that have the potential to expand.

They want to provide some financial support, but larger amounts of business expertise.

"We can give them money – and do – but the management help we give them is more valuable," Sorkin said.

When he was approached about joining Social Venture Partners last year, Stein said he was immediately struck by the "sanity" the organization was taking into nonprofits.

He said finding people who share his values makes his experience with the venture partners more rewarding. He also appreciates that he is able to put his time and energy into a project to make sure his money was being wisely spent.

"The goal is to make the nonprofits we work with self-sufficient," he said. "We have a three-year commitment, and then we're gone. But if you really are committed to these nonprofits, why would you get out after three years?"

Shaking the Foundations

From INC Magazine
5/1/2002

By Donna Fenn

Sanjay Chopra is an astute donor. The founder of two technology companies recently joined 59 other fledgling philanthropists to give $50,000 to KidsVoice, a Pittsburgh nonprofit that provides legal services to children in juvenile court. The group chose KidsVoice from 113 grant applicants after nonprofit experts briefed them on Allegheny County's most serious youth problems. Chopra was particularly impressed with the organization's new director, who had ambitious plans to add social workers to his staff of lawyers. Chopra also liked the fact that KidsVoice needed more from him than just money. "My strengths are technology and putting infrastructures together," says Chopra, who will put those skills to work for KidsVoice as it expands.

Such shrewd hands-on management of his charitable affairs is especially remarkable considering that 18 months ago, by his own admission, Chopra didn't even know how to spell philanthropist. The entrepreneur owes his rapid ascent of the learning curve to Social Venture Partners (SVP), a fast-proliferating grant-making network that channels money to local nonprofits. "The idea is to educate philanthropists," says Chopra, referring to SVP's mission of teaching businesspeople to give wisely. SVP not only raises donors' sophistication but also lowers barriers to entry. "Partners" each pledge $5,500 a year for at least two years. Education makes philanthropy more appealing, and the four-figure commitment makes it affordable.

SVP is part of a galvanic shift in philanthropy, from elitism toward democracy. As a result, in part, of the boom years of the past decade, 700,000 households each hold at least $5 million in net worth. While the newly affluent may lack the magnate-scale fortunes of a Rockefeller or a Carnegie, they increasingly want to spread some of their money around. That collective impulse pushed charitable contributions to $203 billion in 2000 from $124 billion in 1995. And the number of donors is expected to swell even further over the next 50 years as at least $41 trillion in intergenerational wealth is passed on. When it comes to giving, it appears, the rich are no longer quite so different from you and me.

The majority of giving is still checkbook philanthropy -- a response to the dinnertime phone solicitation or the heart-wrenching direct-mail piece. But the nouveau generous often want to be more involved than that; they want to personally select causes they find meaningful and to make sure their gifts are well spent. While traditional donors invest in institutions, the thinking goes, new donors invest in ideas. "People are looking for a strategy of philanthropy," says Paul Schervish, director of the Social Welfare Research Institute at Boston College. "They need clarity and insight so they can discern who recipients are, what they need, and how they want to fulfill those needs."

For entrepreneurs, who are accustomed to having more business smarts than money to throw at a problem, the idea of increasing the value of a moderately sized donation through personal involvement is appealing. "I've learned that the nonprofit world is not that different from the for-profit world in terms of fund-raising, revenue, and taking care of your customers," says Chopra. "But they need much more help than typical businesses do with organizational issues."

Not only are more donors demanding more information about more nonprofits, but they're also evaluating more mechanisms for giving. If you're getting seriously involved in philanthropy for the first time, there are choices to make that have little to do with your passion for cancer research or the Special Olympics. Should you set up your own foundation? Put money into a donor-advised fund? Start a giving circle? Pledge company stock? "There's been an explosion of models," says Joe Breiteneicher, president and CEO of the Philanthropic Initiative, a nonprofit research and consulting firm in Boston. "This world is unlike anything I've ever seen. Diversity and pluralism have come to philanthropy."

The new models are a response to growing demand, but they may also help create demand. Many sprang from the minds of entrepreneurs seeking to improve the nonprofit sector (and who also knew a growth industry when they saw one). Some reflect business innovations -- ranging from Internet marketplaces to networked communities -- that have demonstrated legs in the for-profit realm. As such, they make the philanthropic world both easier for ordinary businesspeople to enter and more familiar once they're there.

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