SVPP's Newest Investment: Friends of the Children

(From the May 2008 Newsletter)

A local program that provides paid “Friends” for the Portland area’s most vulnerable children and youth has been selected as SVPP's latest community investment. Following several months of outreach, review, site visits and deliberations, SVPP Partners selected Friends of the Children-Portland to receive a cash grant of $25,000, volunteer expertise offered by the Partners and access to networks and tools available through the association.

Established in 1993, Friends of the Children has been heralded for their effective model of supporting kids to earn their high school diploma, avoid early parenting and avoid involvement with the juvenile justice system. Friends of the Children works with each child for 12½ years, identifying them in kindergarten through a detailed set of vulnerability indicators. The organization then provides a full-time, paid, professional mentor to spend a minimum of four hours every week teaching the child valuable life skills, instilling positive behaviors and helping the child grow into responsible adults. Just one indicator of their success: 97% of Friends’ adolescents have avoided early parenting despite 60% having been born to a teen mother.

SVPP invests in the Portland-area’s nonprofit organizations addressing critical needs for children, youth and families at risk. SVPP seeks organizations with effective programs, visionary leadership and clear opportunities for strengthening or growing their organization. In addition to providing an annual cash grant, SVPP Partners provide professional expertise and other volunteer assistance to the Investees. The Friends of the Children investment will focus on providing benchmarking information, a streamlined data collection system and general capacity building to double their size in five years.