Fearless Philanthropy and You: Takeaways from our Wine Soiree

Here at SVP, we define fearless philanthropy as the marriage of heart and mind that allows us to take calculated risks. We invest in targeted organizations that are capable of lifting up our community, and our return on investment is a stronger, healthier social strata. Our model mimics venture capital investing by enhancing (social) impact. We do this by partnering with individuals who are looking to invest in our community, and turning their investment and partnership into meaningful financial and social resources for our community. Our collaborative environment has allowed us to fearlessly take on one of the most challenging issues in our community: Readiness for Kindergarten. Major social and economic problems in the United States can be directly traced to what people learn or don’t learn by the time they turn three. Families living in poverty or who come from underserved populations are less likely to have the social and economic resources to provide the early developmental stimulation that the children in our community need. As of 2013 in Multnomah County, that’s more than 22,000 children under six who encounter barriers to succeed in the school system. At SVP, we chose to pursue a singular goal, targeted at preparing our youngest community members for kindergarten and beyond. This goal is essential to our community, our country, and the world at large because our youngest citizens control the future. If their education is sublime and enriched with high-quality learning opportunities, the future will be bright.

It was inspiring to learn from one another at the Wine Soiree about why our ready for kindergarten goal matters, and how we do philanthropy in a unique way to maximize our resources to make this goal a reality. We also want to share our gratitude to our wonderful host and Partner, Valerie Ilsley (and her kitty, Olive), who welcomed us into her home to share her love and passion for SVP’s mission.