Behind the Scenes of Becoming a Community Partner
SVP Portland supports and collaborates with organizations—our Community Partners—seeking to grow their early-learning programs, and/or early childhood policy and advocacy. We work alongside these organizations to help them scale their impact, providing support with strategic planning, business modeling, marketing strategies, operations, board governance, financial sustainability, and leadership development. We exist to help these organizations grow to serve even more children, while also helping them thrive as sustainable businesses. But how does an organization become an SVP Community Partner?
Right now, we are in the exploratory phase with nine potential new Community Partners. These are organizations that range from an established preschool to an organization that supports indigenous families.
During our partnership exploration phase, a potential Community Partner works with an SVP Partner (in the role of Investment Opportunity Lead) to develop a proposal that reflects the potential goals, outcomes, and impacts of a prospective partnership. Investment Opportunity Lead Brayam Sanchez says, "To learn more about the organizations, I am asking questions about where they are and where they would like to go. This helps me understand if we are best suited to help them reach their mission and goals."
Recently, SVP Partner Erin Stevanus helped us reconsider the exploratory pre-investment process so it is more inclusive of those organizations that are in early stages of their development. She reflects that, “even though all SVP partnerships are unique, when dealing with a solopreneur or an early-stage collaborative, there is an opportunity to more closely examine how we engage, even in the earliest of discovery conversations.”
“Given the power dynamics that philanthropy creates, it is important that as venture philanthropists we use the exploratory phase to provide immediate value. For example, whether or not we move forward with a formal partnership, we can choose to be generous with our social resources during the exploratory process—making connections to opportunities, providing an empathic ear to current challenges, and (perhaps most importantly) correctly assessing if the resources that SVP brings to the table are indeed a fit for where the organization is at and where it wishes to go. All of these are ways to add value, even in early conversations. And we should connect, empathize, and evaluate with a clarity that leaves both the prospective Community Partner and SVP stronger after the exploration.”
Once a proposal is finalized, the Investment Opportunity Lead presents it to the Portfolio Management Team. When considering whether an investment should be made, the Portfolio Management Team considers alignment with SVP’s community early childhood goals and commitment to advancing racial equity.
Overall, our process is designed to help the organizations, but we also learn from the organization about community needs. As Erin puts it, “Informed by my background in design thinking and human-centered design, I find that the most compelling part of this exploratory process has been the invitation to deeply listen. And when you do that, it’s hard to not be energized and inspired by the amazing work being done by dedicated and committed individuals who are bringing their skills and passion to early learning for children in the Portland area.”
