Welcome New Partners

• Linda Barone and Larry Zilli
• Juliet and Ken Davenport
• Mark Fisher
• Jola and Alex Sonkin
• Kathliene and Jon Sundt
• Rhonda and Kevin Wixom

Thank you to Mark Fackler, Joyce Ross, Emmy Sobieski and Alan Sorkin for introducing our new Partners to SDSVP.

Learn more about becoming a Partner! Call Membership Director, Jacqueline Silverman at (858) 724-6067.

SDSVP Congratulates…

Happy 1-Year Anniversary!
(Partners who completed their first year in the quarter Oct-Dec 2010)

• Nahieli and Reed Caldwell
• David Cornsweet
• Kate Leonard and Richard Forsyth

We look forward to many more years to come!

Holistic Philanthropy: An Integration Model For Giving

By John Burnett

“Wealth is not new. Neither is charity. But the idea of using private wealth imaginatively, constructively, and systematically to attack the problems of mankind is new.” John Gardner

“Unless someone like you cares a whole lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” Dr. Seuss

It is generally agreed that the word Philanthropy was coined 2500 years ago in ancient Greece by the playwright Aeschylus. Etymologically, the term means “the love of what is to be human.” Aggregating modern interpretations of philanthropy produces the modern definition, “private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of life.”

Although the names of philanthropists have changed, the confusion as to the appropriate purpose of philanthropy is still being debated. Some posit that philanthropy is about helping the poor. Others contend that philanthropy is about acts of altruism resolving social needs that are not served, or are underserved. A third approach is about community building via aggregating funds in order to make a significant impact. Finally, and I hope least prevalent, philanthropy is about self-aggrandizement and receiving recognition.

While all these approaches contain some truth, there is an overriding acceptance that philanthropy necessitates large donations and financial support sustained over time. There is also a noted distinction between philanthropy and charitable giving. The latter term refers to individuals who are willing to give of their money, time, and talent to charitable causes. There is typically no strategic plan behind their giving decisions. Further, their individual efforts alone are seldom recognized as instigating significant change.

For the most part, the word philanthropy applies mainly to wealthy persons, and sometimes a trust created by a wealthy person with a particular social cause in mind. Because of the amount of support provided, philanthropists often make a significant impact on the cause being supported, i.e., think Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. Because of their greater capacities, philanthropists can address both short-term and long-term needs. They can also respond to emergencies.

Although this perspective on philanthropy has remained constant, much of the context has changed. Several factors affecting philanthropy have emerged in the last decade.

Most notably, the importance and evolution of the Internet and supportive technologies have changed the face of charities in the U.S. and worldwide. Every nonprofit now has the capability/requirement to create a website that delivers their “story” and a mechanism for collecting donations. It means that the competition for these dollars is worldwide. It means that transparency and accuracy of information is vital and required by donors. It means that head-to-head comparisons can be made. In addition, social media that directly connects through the Internet creates a personal process for sharing facts and opinions. All these technological advances allow philanthropists to employ the same investment model they might use to determine a possible for-profit investment and/or purchase.

A second factor that has greatly impacted philanthropy has been the degeneration of the world economy starting in 2008. It is reported by economists that this is the first time since the Great Depression of the 1930s that the affluent class has been impacted. As a result, donations by the wealthy has declined by up to 30% in some sectors, and 9% overall. Keep in mind that only 6% of donations are made by individuals or trusts, with incomes over $1 million. Still, fewer assets have produced philanthropists who are more careful, and insist on transparency and accountability. Once again, the traditional investment model is considered as the preferred framework for decision-making.

A third factor is the greater challenges faced by nonprofits in 2011. Virtually all nonprofits are facing tremendous financial stress. Keep in mind that although U.S, donations were approximately $335 billion in 2010, the costs of these nonprofits was over $ 1 trillion. As a result, employees have been fired, salaries reduced, and responsibilities have increased. There is also the double-headed coin of nonprofits. The causes have increased by 34% but the funding has decreased by 11%. In addition, the first Baby Boomers reached retirement age in January 2011, with almost 40% expecting to live on Social Security.

All these changes require adjustments if philanthropy is to remain a viable part of our society, or become an even more effective solver of societal problems. Here are some suggestions:

• Philanthropists need a multiplier effect – an approach that delivers many dollars’ worth of impact for each dollar invested i.e., an investment model.
• Philanthropists must understand the methods of change that breakthrough results require, e.g., scaling back, policy changes, and partnerships.
• Philanthropists must carefully determine how they can best support these efforts – through the roles they play, the resources they devote, and the relationships they develop -- and how these interface with their personal objectives.
• Philanthropists must avoid adding to the costs of the nonprofit through unreasonable requests, convoluted processing, and imposing their personal agenda.
• Philanthropists should focus on their investment model and avoid meddling in programs and organization management.
• Philanthropists can contribute to a better understanding of optimum capacity building, but must do their homework to do this effectively.
• The best contribution a philanthropist might make is influencing public will and government policies, along with supporting research and developing solutions.
• Philanthropists should adopt a 3.0 model of holistic giving, which means going beyond dealing with solving the specific cause, 1.0, through the consideration of the various stakeholders affected, 2.0, to a perspective that takes all societal elements into consideration, e.g., how the success of my nonprofit impacts the effectiveness of other nonprofits, 3.0.

If these suggestions are followed I believe that your philanthropic efforts will be more personally satisfying. It will also mean that the long-range impact of your resources will be more effective to both the nonprofits you support, and society- at- large.

I conclude with an observation. An organization I am currently affiliated with, San Diego Social Venture Partners, exhibits many of the guidelines I just listed. It reflects the new face of philanthropy.

Dr. John Burnett is President of John Burnett Marketing and author of “Nonprofit Marketing Best Practices.”

The Partner 4-1-1

Tony Broad is lending his financial expertise and passion for creating a safer environment and joined the Board of Investee,Tariq Khamisa Foundation (TKF) as its new Treasurer.

Lenore Hawkins recently received an invitation to become a member of the Mont Pelerin Society. In October, Lenore attended her first meeting in Sydney, Australia. Members include high-level government officials, Nobel Prize recipients, economic and financial experts, and legal scholars from all over the world who regularly come together to present the most current analysis of ideas, trends and events.

In April, Ray Ellis is slated to assume the President’s position of the San Diego Employees’ Retirement System’s (SDCERS) Board of Administration. Ray is one of 7 Mayoral Appointees serving with 6 other Trustees.

Generation...Give? Inspiring Future Donors and Doers

November 16, 2010
by San Diego Grantmakers

SDSVP, San Diego Grantmakers and several other SDG members teamed up to invite nationally recognized author, speaker, and founder and president of Share Save Spend® Nathan Dungan to San Diego to offer advice to local families about how to link their financial decisions to their values.  The 55 event attendees received courtesy copies of Nathan's book Money Sanity Solutions and the Money Discussion Starter for Families.  Click on the links to read a local news article about the event and to view more event photos.

Celebrating the Season, SDSVP-Style!

SDSVP Annual Holiday Party

On Saturday, December 11th, SDSVP kicked off the season at the annual Holiday Party!  Partners and guests enjoyed bountiful bites, luscious libations, and the company of wonderful friends.Community Resource Center’sLaurin Pause spoke to the crowd about their impact and how SDSVP’s support has given them leverage in the community. Executive Director, Peggy Kidd thanked SDSVP’s Board Chair, Mark Fackler for three years of service who gave his final words and introduced the incoming Chair, Ray Ellis. 

Click on the links to see party pics and the presentation video.

SDSVP & Friends Pack Holiday Baskets for Community Resource Center

Each year, SDSVP helps Emeritus Investee, Community Resource Center sort, assemble and pack food boxes for their annual Holiday Baskets program. The Holiday Basket program is the largest distribution of its kind in San Diego County, and over 1,600 volunteers pitch in every year to make it a success.  On Monday, December 13th over 30 SDSVP Partners, Staff and friends volunteered for this fun and rewarding effort.

Click on the links to see photos and video.

Welcome New Partners

Jola and Alex Sonkin
Rhonda and Kevin Wixom

Thank you to Alan Sorkin and Mark Fackler for introducing our new Partners to SDSVP.

Learn more about becoming a Partner! Call Membership Director, Jacqueline Silverman at (858) 724-6067.

Resource Teams

In the past year, SDSVP’s Resource Teams have been hard at work! The Resource Teams assist our Investees as well as other nonprofits in San Diego to achieve performance targets and desired outcomes in key capacity building areas. If you have experience in a particular area or would like to learn more about a particular area, please consider joining a team. The time commitment is up to you. It can be as easy as a 2 hour brainstorming meeting or a more in-depth 3 month project – you determine how you’d like to get involved based on your interests and availability. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact Peggy at peggy@sdsvp.org. To see a detailed description of the services offered by each team, please click here.

Recent Resource Team Activity:

Board Development: Tender Loving Canines Assistance Dogs, Just in Time For Foster Youth
Business Operations: YWCA, Christian Community Services Association, End Violence Against Women International
Fund Development: YWCA, Tender Loving Canines Assistance Dogs
Information Technology: Shakti Rising, Coastkeeper
Marketing: Audeo Charter School, MatchingDonors.com
Outcome Planning: TKF, Reality Changers

SDSVP's Changing of the Guard

A new year brings a changing of the guard at San Diego Social Venture Partners. We’d like to thank Mark Fackler for his 3+ years of incredible leadership and service as SDSVP’s Board Chair. Mark has helped us to build the infrastructure to ensure SDSVP’s own sustainability in the future. As we say goodbye to Mark, we’d like to welcome Ray Ellis as he takes the helm as SDSVP’s new Board Chair. We look forward to his term as SDSVP continues to grow, thrive and make a significant impact in San Diego. Please take a moment to read more about these two inspiring leaders.

Mark Fackler
By Mandy Sherlock

Being Chairman of a nonprofit board could be considered “unglamorous”; the role often requires behind-the-scenes work that goes unnoticed. For San Diego Social Venture Partners, the job included plenty of backstage duties including infrastructure and capacity building work…but that’s exactly what Mark Fackler loved most about being Chair.

As Board Chair, Mark spent much of his time doing the “dirty” work: reviewing minutes, evaluating financials, setting agendas, and facilitating meetings – and this is what rang his bell. Although it was far from working one-on-one with SDSVP’s Investees, being Chair was rewarding to Mark because it allowed for the other Partners to be more effective in helping the San Diego community.

“Being Chair is like running an Ironman Triathlon,” Mark says, “It’s quiet, lonely work. Often times you’re isolated and there’s never any glory. But in the end the hard work pays off.” It’s true. Mark never ceased in his quiet, relentless pursuit of the organization’s goals.

Mark was an SDSVP leader during a time of evolution and progression. In 2009, SDSVP became independent from The San Diego Foundation securing its own 501c3 nonprofit status. Mark was instrumental in the grueling process of putting together the application package, “I thought to myself, ‘A lot of kids or homeless or elderly will be better cared for because I’m typing a 250 page document.’ It was difficult work but rewarding to be part of the change.” This background work which many do not enjoy was gratifying to Mark. Seven weeks later, when the 501c3 determination letter arrived from the IRS, there was joy at the end of the long road.

Advice for the next Chairman? “Use your talent to enable the organization to be better than it was. Act as a shepherd to allow all the individuals to use their gifts.” Mark was successful doing just that: using his talent to leverage the great talent within SDSVP.

Ray Ellis
By Scott Tritt

As a member of SDSVP's Board, Ray Ellis has been a guiding force for the organization for some time. Nonprofits throughout San Diego have benefited from Ray's expertise in the fund development arena, a skill that seems always in high demand.

As incoming Chair of our Board of Directors, Ray's wisdom will be put to a new test, as he guides the Partnership's future.

Ray's the first to admit that nearly every decision made at SDSVP is reached through consensus, whether of the Board, the Partners or both. But he also realizes the importance of leadership and of setting goals to mark worthwhile achievements.

He says SDSVP is on solid footing, and points to our highly motivated staff, especially the recent addition of Jacqueline Silverman as Membership Director, as evidence that we're moving in a good direction.

As for his priorities while at the helm, he wants to meet with new and existing Partners, especially transplants from outside San Diego, to make sure they're reaching their personal goals within SDSVP, and to be sure the organization continues to have a positive impact on our Partners and our community.

He vows to ensure that our Board provides strategic direction, and continues to refine the recruiting process to expand and deepen the partnership. He anticipates useful results from SDSVP's internal outcome planning process, currently about two-thirds complete.

Ray considers himself goal-oriented and wants to develop retention and recruiting strategies to make sure Partners share positive experiences, and are motivated to assume leadership positions.

Naturally, Ray will rely on his fund development expertise to develop revenue streams for SDSVP to ensure the organization's growth and permanence as a leader in “bringing great people together to dramatically impact San Diego philanthropy”.