April 13, 2009
Social Media for SDSVP
We are pleased to announce that SDSVP is in the process of developing and integrating an online marketing and social media campaign as we rebrand ourselves and begin to develop our new website. Please stay tuned for more updates as we continue to evolve our online strategies.
April 1, 2009
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.
Historic Senate Vote in Favor Serve America Act
By Stacy Caldwell, Executive Director of Dallas Social Venture Partners
Last week on Capital Hill, Social Venture Partners successfully helped gain the attention of the Senate to add the National Capacity Building Act and the Social Innovation Fund to the Serve America Act. I want to alert everyone that the hard work of our social sector has paid off! Now that the senate has passed the Serve America Act, it will go back to the House to reconcile any differences and then send over to President Obama to sign into law.
These two amendments are potentially VERY important to our SVP work (see descriptions below). The Nonprofit Capacity Building Act promotes federal dollars distributed in our communities to help build non-profit capacity. These funds would be available to non-federal grantmaking organizations to match grant dollars to help build capacity in the nonprofit sector. This could be an opportunity to find matching dollars for the work we already do!
The Service Nation Coalition says it is “a historic vote in the United States Senate authorizing the Serve America Act- the largest expansion of national and community service in this country since the 1930s. The bill was passed by an overwhelmingly bi-partisan vote of 78 to 20. In addition to earning the support of the entire Democratic caucus and two Independents, the bill was also supported by a majority of the Republican caucus. What this represents, beyond broad recognition that service is a critical strategy in addressing our most pressing challenges, is the opportunity to move our country's national and community service program forward in a powerful way that is fully embraced by both parties.”
Thank you to everyone who took an interest in this work, picked up the phone, and made your voice heard.
I feel so optimistic to see a piece of legislation that puts the best we have to offer to work for our Country!
Well Done!
National Capacity Building Act
Creates an innovative $25 million fund in the budget of the Corporation for National and Community Service to make matching grants to intermediary nonprofit training and technical assistance entities. Those intermediaries will then provide organizational development assistance (training and technical assistance for capacity building) to small and midsize nonprofits, especially those in areas where nonprofits face "significant resource hardship challenges." Nonprofit intermediaries would need to secure a non-federal 50% match to be eligible for a grant. http://www.cctv.org/news/senator-baucus-introduces-nonprofit-capacity-building-act-2009-1
Social Innovation Fund
A public-private social innovation fund can leverage taxpayer dollars with private funds to make resources available for funding social-entrepreneurial solutions. Creating a fund specifically designated to advance social entrepreneurship would enable government to follow a performance-based model for investment, not unlike venture capital funds, to both seed and scale initiatives. The two related models to follow show how such a fund could work structurally and operationally.
http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/government-engagement/topics/social%20innovation%20fund
Last week on Capital Hill, Social Venture Partners successfully helped gain the attention of the Senate to add the National Capacity Building Act and the Social Innovation Fund to the Serve America Act. I want to alert everyone that the hard work of our social sector has paid off! Now that the senate has passed the Serve America Act, it will go back to the House to reconcile any differences and then send over to President Obama to sign into law.
These two amendments are potentially VERY important to our SVP work (see descriptions below). The Nonprofit Capacity Building Act promotes federal dollars distributed in our communities to help build non-profit capacity. These funds would be available to non-federal grantmaking organizations to match grant dollars to help build capacity in the nonprofit sector. This could be an opportunity to find matching dollars for the work we already do!
The Service Nation Coalition says it is “a historic vote in the United States Senate authorizing the Serve America Act- the largest expansion of national and community service in this country since the 1930s. The bill was passed by an overwhelmingly bi-partisan vote of 78 to 20. In addition to earning the support of the entire Democratic caucus and two Independents, the bill was also supported by a majority of the Republican caucus. What this represents, beyond broad recognition that service is a critical strategy in addressing our most pressing challenges, is the opportunity to move our country's national and community service program forward in a powerful way that is fully embraced by both parties.”
Thank you to everyone who took an interest in this work, picked up the phone, and made your voice heard.
I feel so optimistic to see a piece of legislation that puts the best we have to offer to work for our Country!
Well Done!
National Capacity Building Act
Creates an innovative $25 million fund in the budget of the Corporation for National and Community Service to make matching grants to intermediary nonprofit training and technical assistance entities. Those intermediaries will then provide organizational development assistance (training and technical assistance for capacity building) to small and midsize nonprofits, especially those in areas where nonprofits face "significant resource hardship challenges." Nonprofit intermediaries would need to secure a non-federal 50% match to be eligible for a grant. http://www.cctv.org/news/senator-baucus-introduces-nonprofit-capacity-building-act-2009-1
Social Innovation Fund
A public-private social innovation fund can leverage taxpayer dollars with private funds to make resources available for funding social-entrepreneurial solutions. Creating a fund specifically designated to advance social entrepreneurship would enable government to follow a performance-based model for investment, not unlike venture capital funds, to both seed and scale initiatives. The two related models to follow show how such a fund could work structurally and operationally.
http://www.socialedge.org/blogs/government-engagement/topics/social%20innovation%20fund
Meet Partner, Louarn Sorkin!
By Paul Thiel
San Diego native Louarn Sorkin and her husband Alan, a transplant from Chicago, were very intrigued when they were first introduced to the concept of Social Venture Partners nearly a decade ago. She was frustrated with the level of philanthropy in San Diego and “SDSVP was a delightfully creative idea,” says Louarn. “Pooling money and giving expertise – it just sounded like a great concept.”
That was the beginning of San Diego Social Venture Partners, as the Sorkin’s helped to launch the group locally in 2001. Alan is now chairman of Social Venture Partners International, while both he and Louarn remain deeply involved in San Diego philanthropy.
“Much of the appeal of the Social Venture Partner model was the opportunity to play an ongoing role,” says Louarn, who spent most of her career as a corporate trainer in the real estate, securities and insurance businesses. “It wouldn’t be just writing a check to a nonprofit organization,” she says, “but writing a check and having a part in their growth and sustainability.”
That ongoing relationship is a key point of the value of SDSVP. Louarn says she is particularly impressed with the SDSVP Partners’ expertise and expanded services through the resource teams and their goal to help our nonprofits grow become sustainable and strategic.
Part of her role as a member of the Investment Working Group is helping determine which candidates are the best fits. “One of the most important things we need to know is if the nonprofit organization is coachable,” she says. “Do they only want our money or do they also want our expertise?”
Social Venture Partners has grown since it began, but is staying true to its mission, Louarn says. “It’s morphing a bit, however it is all about the same theme: making good choices about investing in the nonprofit organizations of San Diego County,” she says. “Because of our experience with SDSVP, Alan and I feel much better equipped to make wise choices as to whom we give our time and money.” Louarn served as the Social Chairman for five years, planning quarterly parties, and has served on the Investment Working Group, fund development, board development working groups and the nominating committee.
In addition to being one of the Founding Partners of SDSVP, Louarn also co-founded Just in Time For Foster Youth, a nonprofit organization that furnishes apartments and dorm rooms for young adults who are transitioning from foster care to independent life on their own. After serving on their board for four years and organizing their fundraising events, she transitioned off the board to serve as their advisor. Louarn served two terms as the board president of the La Jolla Guild for the San Diego Opera, and has been involved with many charitable organizations such as St. Germaine Children’s Charity, the Salvation Army Woman’s Auxiliary, Country Friends, San Diego Opera Counsel of Guilds, San Diego Grantmakers, the Single Professional Society for the Performing Arts, Friends of Children and several groups working with abused children.
In March, Louarn was honored by being named a “Woman of Distinction” at the 44th Annual Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary Luncheon. “I like to fly beneath the radar,” she says, “however this was a wonderful honor.” She also received the 10News Leadership Award for her charitable work in San Diego. “So much for flying under the radar!”
Louarn’s philanthropic activities were one of the things that led her to Alan, who was also deeply involved in San Diego’s philanthropic scene.
Alan and Louarn met on a blind date, to which both consented to only after the nagging of their friends. Neither liking the idea of a blind date, they agreed to meet once and talk business only, Louarn says. Turned out their friends were right about the match, and now the pair enjoy occasionally matchmaking for other friends – for romance and business. “We are connectors,” says Louarn”. “We love to connect people and resources.”
The pair stay connected to each other in part by extensive traveling, with a particular focus on river rafting around the world. Among their favorite venues: the Kicking Horse River in the Canadian Rockies.
They also love commuting to Boise to visit Louarn’s son, Craig, daughter-in-law, Wendy and granddaughters, Rileigh, 5-years old and Parker, 8 months old. Alan has two daughters, Jillian and Lainie, with a new granddaughter due in September.
Boise, Louarn says, reminds her of long ago San Diego. “It is just delightful up there,” she says, “it’s like San Diego in the ‘60s. Everyone knows each other, you can walk the streets safely at night and they still have a lot of street fairs and family activities.”
When back in San Diego, Louarn has two unusual hobbies: crocheting hats and scarves and rescuing rabbits.
From 2005 until 2007, Louarn crocheted more than 200 hats and scarves that were distributed through the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary for seniors, homeless and transitioning foster youth. In 2008, she institutionalized the practice by starting the “Creative Yarn Group” organization to crochet hats and scarves for the 2008 holiday season. She set a group goal of 300 and the group exceeded that their goal by creating 342 items. This year they have added children going through chemotherapy for cancer as recipients of the “wild colored” crocheted hats.
And the rabbits. “Yes, we have a house rabbit – she weighs less than three pounds, is litter box trained and eats food out of a little rabbit shaped bowl,” Louarn says of her eighth rescued bunny. “She is basic black with a tremendous amount of attitude, so we call her Coco Chanel.”
San Diego native Louarn Sorkin and her husband Alan, a transplant from Chicago, were very intrigued when they were first introduced to the concept of Social Venture Partners nearly a decade ago. She was frustrated with the level of philanthropy in San Diego and “SDSVP was a delightfully creative idea,” says Louarn. “Pooling money and giving expertise – it just sounded like a great concept.”
That was the beginning of San Diego Social Venture Partners, as the Sorkin’s helped to launch the group locally in 2001. Alan is now chairman of Social Venture Partners International, while both he and Louarn remain deeply involved in San Diego philanthropy.
“Much of the appeal of the Social Venture Partner model was the opportunity to play an ongoing role,” says Louarn, who spent most of her career as a corporate trainer in the real estate, securities and insurance businesses. “It wouldn’t be just writing a check to a nonprofit organization,” she says, “but writing a check and having a part in their growth and sustainability.”
That ongoing relationship is a key point of the value of SDSVP. Louarn says she is particularly impressed with the SDSVP Partners’ expertise and expanded services through the resource teams and their goal to help our nonprofits grow become sustainable and strategic.
Part of her role as a member of the Investment Working Group is helping determine which candidates are the best fits. “One of the most important things we need to know is if the nonprofit organization is coachable,” she says. “Do they only want our money or do they also want our expertise?”
Social Venture Partners has grown since it began, but is staying true to its mission, Louarn says. “It’s morphing a bit, however it is all about the same theme: making good choices about investing in the nonprofit organizations of San Diego County,” she says. “Because of our experience with SDSVP, Alan and I feel much better equipped to make wise choices as to whom we give our time and money.” Louarn served as the Social Chairman for five years, planning quarterly parties, and has served on the Investment Working Group, fund development, board development working groups and the nominating committee.
In addition to being one of the Founding Partners of SDSVP, Louarn also co-founded Just in Time For Foster Youth, a nonprofit organization that furnishes apartments and dorm rooms for young adults who are transitioning from foster care to independent life on their own. After serving on their board for four years and organizing their fundraising events, she transitioned off the board to serve as their advisor. Louarn served two terms as the board president of the La Jolla Guild for the San Diego Opera, and has been involved with many charitable organizations such as St. Germaine Children’s Charity, the Salvation Army Woman’s Auxiliary, Country Friends, San Diego Opera Counsel of Guilds, San Diego Grantmakers, the Single Professional Society for the Performing Arts, Friends of Children and several groups working with abused children.
In March, Louarn was honored by being named a “Woman of Distinction” at the 44th Annual Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary Luncheon. “I like to fly beneath the radar,” she says, “however this was a wonderful honor.” She also received the 10News Leadership Award for her charitable work in San Diego. “So much for flying under the radar!”
Louarn’s philanthropic activities were one of the things that led her to Alan, who was also deeply involved in San Diego’s philanthropic scene.
Alan and Louarn met on a blind date, to which both consented to only after the nagging of their friends. Neither liking the idea of a blind date, they agreed to meet once and talk business only, Louarn says. Turned out their friends were right about the match, and now the pair enjoy occasionally matchmaking for other friends – for romance and business. “We are connectors,” says Louarn”. “We love to connect people and resources.”
The pair stay connected to each other in part by extensive traveling, with a particular focus on river rafting around the world. Among their favorite venues: the Kicking Horse River in the Canadian Rockies.
They also love commuting to Boise to visit Louarn’s son, Craig, daughter-in-law, Wendy and granddaughters, Rileigh, 5-years old and Parker, 8 months old. Alan has two daughters, Jillian and Lainie, with a new granddaughter due in September.
Boise, Louarn says, reminds her of long ago San Diego. “It is just delightful up there,” she says, “it’s like San Diego in the ‘60s. Everyone knows each other, you can walk the streets safely at night and they still have a lot of street fairs and family activities.”
When back in San Diego, Louarn has two unusual hobbies: crocheting hats and scarves and rescuing rabbits.
From 2005 until 2007, Louarn crocheted more than 200 hats and scarves that were distributed through the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary for seniors, homeless and transitioning foster youth. In 2008, she institutionalized the practice by starting the “Creative Yarn Group” organization to crochet hats and scarves for the 2008 holiday season. She set a group goal of 300 and the group exceeded that their goal by creating 342 items. This year they have added children going through chemotherapy for cancer as recipients of the “wild colored” crocheted hats.
And the rabbits. “Yes, we have a house rabbit – she weighs less than three pounds, is litter box trained and eats food out of a little rabbit shaped bowl,” Louarn says of her eighth rescued bunny. “She is basic black with a tremendous amount of attitude, so we call her Coco Chanel.”
February 27, 2009
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.
Meet Partner, Scott Tritt!
By Paul Thiel
Formerly a television news producer – the guy who decides what gets on the news and what doesn’t – Scott Tritt knows the power of publicity. And that’s a power he intends to bring on behalf of SDSVP Investees.
“My background in public relations and media is something non-profits can make use of,” says Tritt, who worked in television news in Los Angeles, Monterrey and Bakersfield in addition to San Diego. “I’m certainly willing to help wherever I am needed, but I suspect that’s where I will start.”
Among the highlights of Tritt’s media career was reporting on the first Gulf War, which was started and largely took place at night. He was working the normally quiet overnight shift at his station. “What otherwise would have been a very boring job was one of my best experiences,” he says.
Tritt started working for non-profits with the Disability Awareness Network. “The group works to help people understand people with disabilities and discredits stereotypes like blind people can’t cook and people in wheelchairs can’t drive,” says Tritt.
Over time his interests grew and he saw that other non-profits had needs. Tritt wanted to become involved in more things, but needed a framework. “SDSVP appealed to me because it gives organization and structure to my volunteer time,” he says. “To a large degree the appeal of SDSVP lies in the fact that it reaches across many types of non-profits.”
Tritt was born and raised in Glendale and attended college at Claremont McKenna. It was a college friend – ironically someone who is not associated with SDSVP – that turned him on to the group. He joined last month, adding that the social networking with other Partners was an important part of the appeal.
Tritt enjoys eating out (among his favorites: Piatti in La Jolla Shores) and following Kobe Bryant and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers. Earlier in life he was a trumpeter. “My trumpet is still in Glendale,” says Tritt, “so if there is a desire to put together a band for SDSVP, I could probably be recruited!”
Welcome to the team, Scott!
Formerly a television news producer – the guy who decides what gets on the news and what doesn’t – Scott Tritt knows the power of publicity. And that’s a power he intends to bring on behalf of SDSVP Investees.
“My background in public relations and media is something non-profits can make use of,” says Tritt, who worked in television news in Los Angeles, Monterrey and Bakersfield in addition to San Diego. “I’m certainly willing to help wherever I am needed, but I suspect that’s where I will start.”
Among the highlights of Tritt’s media career was reporting on the first Gulf War, which was started and largely took place at night. He was working the normally quiet overnight shift at his station. “What otherwise would have been a very boring job was one of my best experiences,” he says.
Tritt started working for non-profits with the Disability Awareness Network. “The group works to help people understand people with disabilities and discredits stereotypes like blind people can’t cook and people in wheelchairs can’t drive,” says Tritt.
Over time his interests grew and he saw that other non-profits had needs. Tritt wanted to become involved in more things, but needed a framework. “SDSVP appealed to me because it gives organization and structure to my volunteer time,” he says. “To a large degree the appeal of SDSVP lies in the fact that it reaches across many types of non-profits.”
Tritt was born and raised in Glendale and attended college at Claremont McKenna. It was a college friend – ironically someone who is not associated with SDSVP – that turned him on to the group. He joined last month, adding that the social networking with other Partners was an important part of the appeal.
Tritt enjoys eating out (among his favorites: Piatti in La Jolla Shores) and following Kobe Bryant and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers. Earlier in life he was a trumpeter. “My trumpet is still in Glendale,” says Tritt, “so if there is a desire to put together a band for SDSVP, I could probably be recruited!”
Welcome to the team, Scott!
January 30, 2009
La Cuna Overhalls Website
I wanted to say a huge THANKS to SDSVP for forwarding my name to SDSU’s Entrepreneurial Management Center. WOW, has Bernie and his team done an impressive job at very thoughtfully updating our website. Down to the little details, they really have done a complete overhaul so that it is far more helpful in allowing us to achieve our two critical goals that all other needs fall under at La Cuna--- finding parents and funding. His multidisciplinary team was totally on the ball and had very professional skills. We hustled, and we got the whole project done in 6 weeks, which took a lot of work, including some weekend work. They took the project incredibly seriously and came to the table with a lot of talent.
Any nonprofit that is chosen to work with them is incredibly fortunate.
Again, thank you!!!
Rachel Humphreys
Founder/Executive Director, La Cuna Inc.
http://www.lacuna.org/
Any nonprofit that is chosen to work with them is incredibly fortunate.
Again, thank you!!!
Rachel Humphreys
Founder/Executive Director, La Cuna Inc.
http://www.lacuna.org/
Angels Recruiting Through Website
By Monica Schrader - Executive Director, Angels Foster Family Network
When San Diego Social Venture Partners notified Angels Foster Family Network of their three-year grant award, founder Cathy Richman knew exactly how to put that funding to good use. Angels immediately hired a web designer to overhaul their web site with a fresh new look and feel as well as improved flow. The primary goal for the website was to recruit new foster families.
Angel’s mission is to rescue abused, abandoned and neglected babies by matching them with a select group of foster parents to ensure maximum emotional, social and intellectual development of each child. With such a powerful mission and newly revised website, the campaign was launched to reach more children than ever by recruiting more foster families. The new website was also listed on multiple search engines to ensure Angels name was predominate when individuals were tooling around the internet looking for fostering options.
The launch was a success with Angels going from 25 placements in 2006 to 54 placements in 2007 and nearly at goal for placing 60 children to date in 2008. The Angels website has become the primary source to recruit families to become foster families. Check it out at http://www.angelsfoster.com/. Thank you SDSVP!
When San Diego Social Venture Partners notified Angels Foster Family Network of their three-year grant award, founder Cathy Richman knew exactly how to put that funding to good use. Angels immediately hired a web designer to overhaul their web site with a fresh new look and feel as well as improved flow. The primary goal for the website was to recruit new foster families.
Angel’s mission is to rescue abused, abandoned and neglected babies by matching them with a select group of foster parents to ensure maximum emotional, social and intellectual development of each child. With such a powerful mission and newly revised website, the campaign was launched to reach more children than ever by recruiting more foster families. The new website was also listed on multiple search engines to ensure Angels name was predominate when individuals were tooling around the internet looking for fostering options.
The launch was a success with Angels going from 25 placements in 2006 to 54 placements in 2007 and nearly at goal for placing 60 children to date in 2008. The Angels website has become the primary source to recruit families to become foster families. Check it out at http://www.angelsfoster.com/. Thank you SDSVP!
Elder Law & Advocacy’s Senior Shield
Elder Law & Advocacy (EL&A), 2008 SDSVP Investee, has been working on behalf of low-income seniors for thirty years, providing basic pro-bono legal services while at the same time responding to specific needs when they are identified. For example, increasing abuse and neglect of seniors in nursing homes led to the Nursing Home Rights Enforcement Project. Now EL&A hopes to respond to current threats to the well-being of unsuspecting seniors – scams and Medicare fraud – through an ambitious education and prevention initiative, Senior Shield…thanks to co-funding generated through the help of SDSVP!
Senior Shield addresses a critical need for information that alerts seniors, families and caregivers about scams and the potential for Medicare fraud. Seniors are lured into situations that jeopardize their health and financial well-being – sometimes forcing them out of their homes or negatively impacting their health – because they are either too trusting or simply unaware.
The result of scams and fraud victimizing seniors can be devastating. Senior Shield has three primary goals. The first is to increase public awareness about financial scams and Medicare fraud, with a focus on reaching seniors and the people who care for them. The second is to advocate for seniors by educating lawmakers about predatory schemes and trends in San Diego and Imperial Counties and throughout California. As a result of this work, EL&A will help seniors preserve their assets, decreasing the risk of displacement from their homes and helping them to maintain their health and achieve the best quality of life possible.
Senior Shield addresses a critical need for information that alerts seniors, families and caregivers about scams and the potential for Medicare fraud. Seniors are lured into situations that jeopardize their health and financial well-being – sometimes forcing them out of their homes or negatively impacting their health – because they are either too trusting or simply unaware.
The result of scams and fraud victimizing seniors can be devastating. Senior Shield has three primary goals. The first is to increase public awareness about financial scams and Medicare fraud, with a focus on reaching seniors and the people who care for them. The second is to advocate for seniors by educating lawmakers about predatory schemes and trends in San Diego and Imperial Counties and throughout California. As a result of this work, EL&A will help seniors preserve their assets, decreasing the risk of displacement from their homes and helping them to maintain their health and achieve the best quality of life possible.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Share