2013 Smarter Together Denver Impact Report - Social Venture Partners
SMARTER TOGETHER IMPACT REPORT May 2014
www.svpdenver.org
Lead & Invest in Collaborations … to create cross-sector solutions
Strengthen Nonprofits
Engage Givers … to do more for our community
… for more effective impact
So-
Pro Bono Consulting
Volunteer Opportunities
Coaching & Mentoring
Nonprofit Education
Relationship Development
New Relationships
Cash Investment
Personal Development
Education Sessions
Collaborations
Leveraged Donations
Board and Staff Development
Convening
Personal & Business Collaborations
Collective Action Thought Leadership and Expertise Connections
2 SVP DENVER / IMPACT REPORT
Good people giving money to good causes. It’s the way philanthropy traditionally happens. But we’re facing big challenges in our community and money alone is not enough to solve them.
That’s why SVP goes beyond philanthropy. We strive to make an impact at three different levels – individual, organizational and systemic. SVP works side-byside with givers, nonprofits, and cross-sector leadership to address local community needs. This means developing core skills, management practice, strategies and systems to enhance the effectiveness, impact and sustainability of the nonprofit sector. Both local and global, SVP Partners invest time, money, and skills in nonprofits that share our immediate community. At the same time, they are part of an international network of 3000 givers, volunteers, leaders, and change-makers. Together, our network has given more than $46 million and hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours to almost 600 nonprofits since 1997. Still growing, we have member organizations in 35 cities around the world with more ramping up. Learn more at www.svpdenver.org.
SVPDENVER.ORG 3
organizational IMPACT / Strong Nonprofits, Better Results
Our job? To help nonprofits serve more community members and/or provide more effective programs while remembering one rule…
Strong Nonprofits Deliver Better Results It’s that simple. Things like sound financial systems and up-to-date technology can mean the difference between reaching 500 or 5,000 people in need. That’s why SVP works with nonprofits for several years, strengthening all the behind-the-scenes systems that help take their work to the next level. Over the past year SVP Denver Partners worked with 12 different nonprofit Investees on a variety of projects
including marketing, branding, strategic planning, fund development, board governance and more. SVP Denver offered two facilitated educational sessions on the subjects of measuring program impact and building business / nonprofit partnerships. Over 50 staff and board members from businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies participated in educational sessions presented by SVP.
Plus, in 2013, SVP Denver piloted a Foundation co-investment model wherein SVP Partners assessed and developed capacity for nonprofits to prepare them to effectively utilize funding from Foundations.
I n 2 0 1 3 , S V P t u rned E V E R Y $ 1 O F G R A N T FU N D S I NTO $ 4 .70 O F N O N PRO F IT S U PP O RT
$75k
$30k
$36k
In volunteer time from skilled professionals
In unrestricted cash investments
In professional development education
based on $100 per hour
based on $75 per hour
Since 2000 SVP has invested with 45 nonprofits giving more than 18,000 volunteer hours and $685,000. 4 SVP DENVER / IMPACT REPORT
$141,000 In Total Support
INDIVIDUAL IMPACT / Amplified Giving
Through SVP, Partners pool and leverage their dollars, contributing more than they could alone. But that’s just the beginning. Partners DO more as a result of their involvement with SVP. According to a biennial survey conducted by the SVP Network, since joining SVP Denver, our Partners…
GIVE MORE
50%
50% of Partners surveyed increased their giving since joining SVP.
ARE MORE INVOLVED IN THEIR COMMUNITY The majority of Partners surveyed increased their civic engagement, and many are now community leaders. 69% say that SVP was a factor.
69%
GIVE MORE STRATEGICALLY Partners develop a more strategic approach to their giving. Among the Partners who indicated a change, 64% say SVP was a factor.
78%
67%
BEFORE JOINING
64% 62%
39%
33%
38%
SINCE JOINING Changes In How Partners Give
Are OUTCOMES Driven
use formal processes
make fewer, larger donations
SVP BY THE NUMBERS A growing and dynamic network, SVP offers a wide variety of ways to learn and engage with our community. Check out our numbers from last year.
93% of Partners volunteered through SVP (partner engagement)
20% of Partners represented their business in SVP
91.7% of Partners give beyond SVP
93.4% of Partners volunteer beyond SVP
40+ distinct volunteer opportunities with nonprofits and SVP
SVPDenver.ORG 5
INDIVIDUAL IMPACT / One Partner's Story
The Most Impactful Experience
Lauren considers SVP the most impactful experience she’s had in Denver outside of her job. Every day she’s inspired to learn something new along side likeminded professionals with an incredible appetite to give back. Experiencing the change in the non-profits that she helps is, in her words, “incredible”. Lauren Benjamin grew up in New Orleans in a family that taught the value and necessity for philanthropy from early on. It seemed only natural that once she graduated from college her hopes would be to work for a non-profit. Then, in 2005, her hometown was hit by a lifechanging event, Hurricane Katrina. Lauren’s basic family values kept her on a path that supported not only giving back but supporting community. It was a natural succession that she would move back to New Orleans and volunteer her time with Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans. Her requirements for
6 SVP DENVER / IMPACT REPORT
personal growth were met. It was high on the level of commitment but it was also exactly what she was looking for to fulfill her need for challenge. In 2012 Lauren moved to Denver and, by no surprise, she found Social Venture Partners. SVP provides a mix of support for Lauren that includes connecting with other like-minded philanthropists, personal growth potential and making friends, and making a strategic impact on her community. Snapshot from Lauren’s experience: • Lauren was brought up in a philanthropic family but was seeking out her own individual style of giving back. • Lauren was searching for a way to immerse herself in her new hometown, Denver. • Lauren Benjamin joined SVP in August of 2013.
It's incredible. Every day I learn something different. It's a partnership where people can truly work together and watch organizations change right before us because of us.” Lauren Benjamin SVP Partner Board Vice Chair
Organizational IMPACT / One Investee's Story
ReVision: Growing a Nonprofit During a service trip to Nicaragua in 2006, Eric Kornacki and Joseph Teipel were inspired to tackle poverty and make the world a better place. Driven by a passion to rethink solutions with a new philosophy and approach, they founded ReVision International the following year. Now, fast forward 8 years later and see how Eric and Joseph have super-charged the organization after not one, but two growth-changing experiences with SVP. ReVision works with people in marginalized neighborhoods to develop leaders, cultivate community food systems, and grow a resilient local economy. “We believe that true change comes from the bottom. Community-based models are tailored to a given place, leveraging assets and addressing deficiencies. We realized that there are food deserts in our own backyard, communities with no access to fresh food. Our food system plays such a big role in the type of economy and society we live in, so we wanted to tackle that from the community level,” said Eric. In that spirit, Eric and Joseph set out to give residents of the Westwood neighborhood the knowledge and resources they needed to grow their own food, asking for only commitment in return. As their programs began to grow, adding staff became a necessity. In 2009, ReVision applied to SVP for help with developing hiring policies, creating job descriptions, learning where to find qualified candidates, and putting practices in place for new personnel. Eric explained, “This narrow scope of work supported the growth we were about to undertake. As a young organization, it was great to have a sounding board, somebody to help us walk through the process.” Over the next 3 years, ReVision went from having 40 backyard gardens to having over 200 – so much growth that its programs had outgrown its internal capacity. So again they turned to SVP. “We didn’t have the right structures and systems in place to support that growth. In early 2012, we were on the ropes, out of cash, and things weren’t looking good. Most funders were nervous, but SVP was in our corner. After strategic conversations with SVP, we decided to call a time out, stopping program growth for all of 2013. We needed to slow down construction and start focusing on our foundation,” stated Eric. SVP Partners Jeff Ambs (Third Principle Marketing) and Dan Gross (BHGR Law) began a project to help ReVision invest time in their marketing, branding, fundraising strategies, and tightening up their strategic vision. With their assistance, Eric noted, “We tackled tough questions and came out the other end with a really strong brand identity and a fund development plan that focused on diversifying our funding and leveraging our strengths to be more attractive to funders. As a result, we’re sitting on the cusp of groundbreaking initiatives and major funding. We received a $1 million grant from the Colorado Health Foundation. There’s no way they would have given us that money in 2012 - we weren’t a stable enough organization. Now we have similar-sized, if not larger, opportunities on the horizon.” Eric summarized his SVP experience by saying, “We love the idea of nontraditional philanthropy, not just top down giving but rolling up your sleeves, investing time and aligning expertise. The fact that Investees put in their own time ensures that they have skin in the game. It’s just a brilliant model; I’d like to see more philanthropy go that direction. SVP is a true partnership – they invest themselves in their Investees. I can’t name another organization that does that.”
SVPDENVER.ORG 7
2013-2014 BUSINESS PARTNERS DaVita HealthCare Partners Kaiser Permanente Little Pub Company
2013-2014 INDIVIDUAL PARTNERS
2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mike Margolf, Chair Michael Soares, Chair Emeritus Prabtej Chawla, Finance Chair Stephen Edmonds, Development Chair Susan Hyatt, Member at Large David Richardson, Member at Large Traci Lacheta, Member at Large Jeff Ambs, Member at Large Sarah Harrison, Denver Foundation Liaison
STAFF Pat Landrum, Executive Director Kara Cassidy, Operations & Communications Coordinator
CONTACT 303.996.7324 55 Madison Street, 8th Floor Denver, CO 80206 www.svpdenver.org
SPECIAL THANKS Nancy Barlow, Barlow Advertising & Design, Inc.
Jeff Ambs
Tom Maddox
Ginny Bayless
Mike and Claire Margolf
Joshua and Lauren Benjamin
Andrew and Dawn Marshall
Joanne Bennett
Micki McNie
Sharon Blender
Amy Messenger
Chris and Sarah Bock
Maneesh Modi
Betsy Brick
Ken Mokray
Michelle Brown
Stacy Riffe
Mike Burrell
Jared and Elaine Schoch
Kate Carr
Mark and Tia Schumacher
Prabtej Chawla
Jessica Simmons
Dawn Cross
Brian and Elizabeth Sipes
Jeremy Duhon
Michael Soares
Stephen Edmonds
Elena Squarrell
Justin and Ashley Folkestad
Amy St. Denis
Dan Gross
Mike Stewart
Nick and Monica Hemmert
Jamie and Maia Stone
Clarisa Hernandez
Julie Stone
Mark and Jennifer Hopkins
Amy Swieringa
Sue Hyatt
Robert Tipton
Mark Jennings
Liz Toohey
Niki Koubourlis
Megan Toohey
Aaron and Traci Lacheta
Charles Westrin
Ryan Lally
is a fund of
55 Madison St, 8th Floor Denver, CO 80206 TEL 303.996.7324 [email protected] SVPDenver.org
www.svpdenver.org
Lead & Invest in Collaborations … to create cross-sector solutions
Strengthen Nonprofits
Engage Givers … to do more for our community
… for more effective impact
So-
Pro Bono Consulting
Volunteer Opportunities
Coaching & Mentoring
Nonprofit Education
Relationship Development
New Relationships
Cash Investment
Personal Development
Education Sessions
Collaborations
Leveraged Donations
Board and Staff Development
Convening
Personal & Business Collaborations
Collective Action Thought Leadership and Expertise Connections
2 SVP DENVER / IMPACT REPORT
Good people giving money to good causes. It’s the way philanthropy traditionally happens. But we’re facing big challenges in our community and money alone is not enough to solve them.
That’s why SVP goes beyond philanthropy. We strive to make an impact at three different levels – individual, organizational and systemic. SVP works side-byside with givers, nonprofits, and cross-sector leadership to address local community needs. This means developing core skills, management practice, strategies and systems to enhance the effectiveness, impact and sustainability of the nonprofit sector. Both local and global, SVP Partners invest time, money, and skills in nonprofits that share our immediate community. At the same time, they are part of an international network of 3000 givers, volunteers, leaders, and change-makers. Together, our network has given more than $46 million and hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours to almost 600 nonprofits since 1997. Still growing, we have member organizations in 35 cities around the world with more ramping up. Learn more at www.svpdenver.org.
SVPDENVER.ORG 3
organizational IMPACT / Strong Nonprofits, Better Results
Our job? To help nonprofits serve more community members and/or provide more effective programs while remembering one rule…
Strong Nonprofits Deliver Better Results It’s that simple. Things like sound financial systems and up-to-date technology can mean the difference between reaching 500 or 5,000 people in need. That’s why SVP works with nonprofits for several years, strengthening all the behind-the-scenes systems that help take their work to the next level. Over the past year SVP Denver Partners worked with 12 different nonprofit Investees on a variety of projects
including marketing, branding, strategic planning, fund development, board governance and more. SVP Denver offered two facilitated educational sessions on the subjects of measuring program impact and building business / nonprofit partnerships. Over 50 staff and board members from businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies participated in educational sessions presented by SVP.
Plus, in 2013, SVP Denver piloted a Foundation co-investment model wherein SVP Partners assessed and developed capacity for nonprofits to prepare them to effectively utilize funding from Foundations.
I n 2 0 1 3 , S V P t u rned E V E R Y $ 1 O F G R A N T FU N D S I NTO $ 4 .70 O F N O N PRO F IT S U PP O RT
$75k
$30k
$36k
In volunteer time from skilled professionals
In unrestricted cash investments
In professional development education
based on $100 per hour
based on $75 per hour
Since 2000 SVP has invested with 45 nonprofits giving more than 18,000 volunteer hours and $685,000. 4 SVP DENVER / IMPACT REPORT
$141,000 In Total Support
INDIVIDUAL IMPACT / Amplified Giving
Through SVP, Partners pool and leverage their dollars, contributing more than they could alone. But that’s just the beginning. Partners DO more as a result of their involvement with SVP. According to a biennial survey conducted by the SVP Network, since joining SVP Denver, our Partners…
GIVE MORE
50%
50% of Partners surveyed increased their giving since joining SVP.
ARE MORE INVOLVED IN THEIR COMMUNITY The majority of Partners surveyed increased their civic engagement, and many are now community leaders. 69% say that SVP was a factor.
69%
GIVE MORE STRATEGICALLY Partners develop a more strategic approach to their giving. Among the Partners who indicated a change, 64% say SVP was a factor.
78%
67%
BEFORE JOINING
64% 62%
39%
33%
38%
SINCE JOINING Changes In How Partners Give
Are OUTCOMES Driven
use formal processes
make fewer, larger donations
SVP BY THE NUMBERS A growing and dynamic network, SVP offers a wide variety of ways to learn and engage with our community. Check out our numbers from last year.
93% of Partners volunteered through SVP (partner engagement)
20% of Partners represented their business in SVP
91.7% of Partners give beyond SVP
93.4% of Partners volunteer beyond SVP
40+ distinct volunteer opportunities with nonprofits and SVP
SVPDenver.ORG 5
INDIVIDUAL IMPACT / One Partner's Story
The Most Impactful Experience
Lauren considers SVP the most impactful experience she’s had in Denver outside of her job. Every day she’s inspired to learn something new along side likeminded professionals with an incredible appetite to give back. Experiencing the change in the non-profits that she helps is, in her words, “incredible”. Lauren Benjamin grew up in New Orleans in a family that taught the value and necessity for philanthropy from early on. It seemed only natural that once she graduated from college her hopes would be to work for a non-profit. Then, in 2005, her hometown was hit by a lifechanging event, Hurricane Katrina. Lauren’s basic family values kept her on a path that supported not only giving back but supporting community. It was a natural succession that she would move back to New Orleans and volunteer her time with Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans. Her requirements for
6 SVP DENVER / IMPACT REPORT
personal growth were met. It was high on the level of commitment but it was also exactly what she was looking for to fulfill her need for challenge. In 2012 Lauren moved to Denver and, by no surprise, she found Social Venture Partners. SVP provides a mix of support for Lauren that includes connecting with other like-minded philanthropists, personal growth potential and making friends, and making a strategic impact on her community. Snapshot from Lauren’s experience: • Lauren was brought up in a philanthropic family but was seeking out her own individual style of giving back. • Lauren was searching for a way to immerse herself in her new hometown, Denver. • Lauren Benjamin joined SVP in August of 2013.
It's incredible. Every day I learn something different. It's a partnership where people can truly work together and watch organizations change right before us because of us.” Lauren Benjamin SVP Partner Board Vice Chair
Organizational IMPACT / One Investee's Story
ReVision: Growing a Nonprofit During a service trip to Nicaragua in 2006, Eric Kornacki and Joseph Teipel were inspired to tackle poverty and make the world a better place. Driven by a passion to rethink solutions with a new philosophy and approach, they founded ReVision International the following year. Now, fast forward 8 years later and see how Eric and Joseph have super-charged the organization after not one, but two growth-changing experiences with SVP. ReVision works with people in marginalized neighborhoods to develop leaders, cultivate community food systems, and grow a resilient local economy. “We believe that true change comes from the bottom. Community-based models are tailored to a given place, leveraging assets and addressing deficiencies. We realized that there are food deserts in our own backyard, communities with no access to fresh food. Our food system plays such a big role in the type of economy and society we live in, so we wanted to tackle that from the community level,” said Eric. In that spirit, Eric and Joseph set out to give residents of the Westwood neighborhood the knowledge and resources they needed to grow their own food, asking for only commitment in return. As their programs began to grow, adding staff became a necessity. In 2009, ReVision applied to SVP for help with developing hiring policies, creating job descriptions, learning where to find qualified candidates, and putting practices in place for new personnel. Eric explained, “This narrow scope of work supported the growth we were about to undertake. As a young organization, it was great to have a sounding board, somebody to help us walk through the process.” Over the next 3 years, ReVision went from having 40 backyard gardens to having over 200 – so much growth that its programs had outgrown its internal capacity. So again they turned to SVP. “We didn’t have the right structures and systems in place to support that growth. In early 2012, we were on the ropes, out of cash, and things weren’t looking good. Most funders were nervous, but SVP was in our corner. After strategic conversations with SVP, we decided to call a time out, stopping program growth for all of 2013. We needed to slow down construction and start focusing on our foundation,” stated Eric. SVP Partners Jeff Ambs (Third Principle Marketing) and Dan Gross (BHGR Law) began a project to help ReVision invest time in their marketing, branding, fundraising strategies, and tightening up their strategic vision. With their assistance, Eric noted, “We tackled tough questions and came out the other end with a really strong brand identity and a fund development plan that focused on diversifying our funding and leveraging our strengths to be more attractive to funders. As a result, we’re sitting on the cusp of groundbreaking initiatives and major funding. We received a $1 million grant from the Colorado Health Foundation. There’s no way they would have given us that money in 2012 - we weren’t a stable enough organization. Now we have similar-sized, if not larger, opportunities on the horizon.” Eric summarized his SVP experience by saying, “We love the idea of nontraditional philanthropy, not just top down giving but rolling up your sleeves, investing time and aligning expertise. The fact that Investees put in their own time ensures that they have skin in the game. It’s just a brilliant model; I’d like to see more philanthropy go that direction. SVP is a true partnership – they invest themselves in their Investees. I can’t name another organization that does that.”
SVPDENVER.ORG 7
2013-2014 BUSINESS PARTNERS DaVita HealthCare Partners Kaiser Permanente Little Pub Company
2013-2014 INDIVIDUAL PARTNERS
2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mike Margolf, Chair Michael Soares, Chair Emeritus Prabtej Chawla, Finance Chair Stephen Edmonds, Development Chair Susan Hyatt, Member at Large David Richardson, Member at Large Traci Lacheta, Member at Large Jeff Ambs, Member at Large Sarah Harrison, Denver Foundation Liaison
STAFF Pat Landrum, Executive Director Kara Cassidy, Operations & Communications Coordinator
CONTACT 303.996.7324 55 Madison Street, 8th Floor Denver, CO 80206 www.svpdenver.org
SPECIAL THANKS Nancy Barlow, Barlow Advertising & Design, Inc.
Jeff Ambs
Tom Maddox
Ginny Bayless
Mike and Claire Margolf
Joshua and Lauren Benjamin
Andrew and Dawn Marshall
Joanne Bennett
Micki McNie
Sharon Blender
Amy Messenger
Chris and Sarah Bock
Maneesh Modi
Betsy Brick
Ken Mokray
Michelle Brown
Stacy Riffe
Mike Burrell
Jared and Elaine Schoch
Kate Carr
Mark and Tia Schumacher
Prabtej Chawla
Jessica Simmons
Dawn Cross
Brian and Elizabeth Sipes
Jeremy Duhon
Michael Soares
Stephen Edmonds
Elena Squarrell
Justin and Ashley Folkestad
Amy St. Denis
Dan Gross
Mike Stewart
Nick and Monica Hemmert
Jamie and Maia Stone
Clarisa Hernandez
Julie Stone
Mark and Jennifer Hopkins
Amy Swieringa
Sue Hyatt
Robert Tipton
Mark Jennings
Liz Toohey
Niki Koubourlis
Megan Toohey
Aaron and Traci Lacheta
Charles Westrin
Ryan Lally
is a fund of
55 Madison St, 8th Floor Denver, CO 80206 TEL 303.996.7324 [email protected] SVPDenver.org
