Investment Working Group Update - Jan 2010

In the summer, SDSVP Partners chose "Education" as the 2010 grant focus area. In the fall, the Investment Working Group received 42 Letters of Interest (LOI) from a variety of educational organizations. Small teams reviewed the LOI's and made recommendations as to which organizations should be invited to submit a proposal. Fifteen organizations were chosen to submit proposals. In January, the Investment Working Group heard the recommendations of the proposal review teams and as a group decided on 6 agencies to make presentations. Final decisions will be made in March.

Advocacy & Policy Committee Update - Dec 2009

Objective: Determine Short-Term Action Items to Support our Two Investees

Simonne Ruff, CSH

• 8,000 homeless per night county-wide, most transitional/episodic
  - Up to 2,000 chronically homeless, often with disabilities – disproportionate use of
  expensive resources to support this segment, as opposed to supportive housing which is
  more cost effective
• CSH’s goal is to be a catalyst for high-quality supportive housing
  - Sense is there is a lot of money for supportive housing that is not being used
  - CSH works with project sponsors like Father Joe’s, Catholic Charities to help keep
  projects healthy, including funding (which usually comes from CRA funds through banks
• Don’t expect any new money on the table for 2-3 years, so current strategy is to use Section 8 Voucher system
  - S8 administered through Housing Commissions, current waiting list is 5-8 years, 12,000
  limit in SD City given to specific individuals, 10,000 in SD County
  - Solution is to repurpose from Tenant-Based to Project-Based; Housing Commissions can
  move 25% of the 12,000 to be special purposed
  o Currently SD City only has 250 special-purposed, about 200 are Project-Based
  o County not doing much repurposing at all, not likely, resistance all around
  - Housing commission agreed to release an RFP for 200 Project-Based units, but they
  haven’t done so yet
• What SDSVP can do and who the players are:
  - Break that log-jam for the first 200
  - Keep the cycle going for more
  - Richard Gentry, CEO of City Housing Commission
  http://www.sdhc.org/giaboutus1a.shtml
  http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rick-gentry/11/60b/30a
  - Carrol Vaughan, EVP of City Housing Commission
  http://www.sdhc.org/giaboutus1b.shtml
  http://www.linkedin.com/pub/carrol-vaughan/7/44/444
  - County Director of Housing and Community Development: David R. Estrella
  http://www.co.san-diego.ca.us/sdhcd/aboutus/about_us.html
  - City Council or Council influencers: Kevin Faulconer
  o City Council doesn’t vote on this item, it’s all under the City Housing Commission, but
  they can exert pressure
  
  Action Items
  - Meeting with Rick Gentry (David & Leigh J)
  o Simonne to make introduction
  - Write Talking Points / Briefing Book (TBD – David L / Sherri N to find)
  - Consider rename to “Advocacy and Policy Committee”
  o Ask Board for approval and to announce at party (David L)
  - Develop SDSVP Advocacy Infrastructure (Kathy F)

Advocacy Working Group Update - October 2009

• In order to begin investigating options for advocacy within SDSVP, we are forming the SDSVP Advocacy Working Group
• The Advocacy Working Group will initially function by bringing in nonprofit Executive Director’s to hear about their issues/needs, then determine how SDSVP can best support their efforts, whether by supporting connections to funding or legislative officials and/or direct advocacy efforts
• The general focus area of the Advocacy Working Group is Effective Philanthropy, which includes a) connecting our Investees and their sector with funding sources, and b) non-monetary support on issues, either as individual partners or officially as SDSVP
• Ideally, the Advocacy Working Group would work on a second 3-year phase of our Investees that have successfully built their capacity and can handle a more significant role, including efforts to promote sector-wide changes and/or larger sources of funds
• First test case with Laurin Pause, Executive Director of the Community Resource Center, regarding homeless issues in San Diego. Initial expectation is that SDSVP has the opportunity to actually move the needle on this issue – rumor has it that as few as 100 contacts from respected people may be enough to affect the legislation.

For more information contact the Advocacy Working Group Chair, David Lynn davidl@ayamba.com

Discovery Team - July 2009

The Discovery Team is currently preparing the way for SDSVP's next successful investment by providing the data our Partners need to choose winning Investees.

The team heard from 4 industry experts in the field of Education. Then they reviewed the issues discovered and conclusions drawn from discussions with the expert panelists. Currently they are deciding how to frame SDSVP's investment offer to agencies throughout San Diego.

More details to come!

Join us for the Investment Working Group Kick-Off on Tues, Sept. 22
6:00-7:00 PM - New Partner Orientation
7:00-9:00 PM - All Partners

Partners interested in joining the Investment Working Group for the 2009-2010 cycle, please contact mandy@sdsvp.org.

SDSVP Business Operations Resource Team Update - June 2009

Here is a quick update of "what's happening" with the SDSVP Business Operations Resource Team and an idea of some upcoming opportunities:

• Andy Rinde and JoAnne Berg are working with ARTS on a Business Operations Review and several related projects.
• David Johnson is consulting with the Corporation for Supportive Housing on staffing and outsourcing issues.
• David Lynn referred an outside agency, the Community Christian Service Agency, which has requested a board level presentation on "Managing in Tough Economic Times" and "Developing a Vision for the Future".
• A Business Operations Review is planned for mid-July for La Cuna.
• Peggy Kidd has sent information about the Team to several former investees who may need our help.
• Phyllis Huckabee has drafted a terrific Human Resources Capacity Evaluation checklist.
• Joyce Ross assisted Angels with their search for a new Director of Development, including participating in interviews.
• JoAnne Berg is consulting with investees Angels and Elderhelp, assisting in their staff training and financial statement preparation.
• JoAnne Berg made a Board presentation to Angels on "Reading and Understanding your Financial Statements" and met with the Finance Committee of Elderhelp to review their year to date results.
• Bill Hahn is working with LaCuna, providing a top-level CFO type review of their financials each month before they go to the Board.
• Sherri Neasham is coordinating a "forum" of lead partners and resource team heads to meet and brainstorm about what's going on with our investees and make sure that the resource teams are coordinating their efforts.

We have room for many more Partners on our team. If you're interested in getting involved, please email Resource Team Chair JoAnne Berg at joanneberg@gmail.com.

Investment Team Update - March 2009

The Investment Team selected two nonprofit organizations to become SDSVP's 2009 Investees. This year's cycle was one of the best yet! The decision process was tough as all the applicants were top notch and doing great work in the community with youth and children. The two new Investees will be announced in May.

Investment Working Group Update - February 2009

At the Investment Working Group meeting on February 17th, the final four agencies made presentations. At the end of the meeting, the committee decided to make site visits to 6 agencies. On March 17th, the Investment Working Group will make the final decision on the 2 agencies who will become SDSVP's 2009 Investees.

Investment Working Group Update - January 2009

Four of the final eight agencies made presentations. At the end of the meeting, we discussed whether to schedule the agencies for a site visit. However, no official decisions have been made. The other four agencies will be presenting to the IWG on Feb. 17. Afterward, the committee will make final decisions on site visits.

Communications Working Group Update - November 2008

The Communications Working Group (CWG) is

• Providing assistance with Partner Bootcamp by leveraging resources to produce promo video and other announcement material
• Revising Investee Story/Case Study Project templates and interview questions based on the work of Dallas SVP’s storytelling initiative
• Creating Investee stories/case studies using interns and volunteers
• Writing new Partner profiles for the SDSVP newsletter
• Continuing work on the master communication plan

Investment Working Group Update - October 2008

• The IWG reviewed the Letters of Interest (LOI) and selected 16 agencies to submit proposals. The proposals are due December 3 and the Proposal Review Teams will be meeting during December. If you have not been contacted by your Team Leader or are interested in serving on a review team, please contact Joyce Ross at JoyceDRoss@aol.com.
  
• The November 11 Partner Bootcamp meeting listed on the IWG schedule has been cancelled. Instead, workshops will be offered in January and February. Sherri Neasham will be sending out an announcement soon regarding content and dates.

Communications Working Group Update - September 2008

Communications Working Group (CWG)

• The PR/Marketing Resource Team is combining with CWG to better leverage our efforts and experience partners. The newly combined CWG will focus on both Investees and internal SDSVP communications.
• CWG is looking forward to working with the newly formed Partner Development Working Group and Fund Development Resource Team.
• SDSVP needs to hold itself to a higher standard than we hold our Investees. CWG will be analyzing our web site to determine how we get there.
• CWG is focusing our volunteer journalists on efforts to uncover the impact of SDSVP and our Partners in the community.

Investment Working Group Update – September 2008

Investment Working Group (IWG)

• The IWG Discovery Team spent the summer researching our 2009 investment focus area in order to provide SDSVP with an understanding of the pertinent issues facing children and youth in San Diego.
• At the IWG kick-off meeting, Sherri Neasham reported on the Discovery Team findings and Michael Carr from SAY San Diego and Susan Wolking from the Girard Foundation gave us insight into the area of youth and children in San Diego.
• Over 30 organizations attended the Grant Briefing Session to learn about SDSVP’s grant application requirements. Bruce Reznik from Coastkeeper and Marjorie Fox from Human Development Foundation discussed their experiences with SDSVP from the Investee point-of-view.
• Deadline for organizations to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) is Oct 13. LOI Review Teams have been formed. To join a team, contact Joyce Ross at joycedross@aol.com.