Blog
Community Education Workers: A Model That Can Change the World
SVP Portland had the chance to be counted in more deeply when we partnered with CEW in 2014 to evaluate their programs and identify opportunities for capacity building and growth. CEW’s belief that it shouldn’t be acceptable that children have different access to early childhood education based on income level, skin color, or immigration or refugee status, aligned well with SVP Portland’s mission and initiatives.
Partner of the Month: Andrew Becvar
We are thrilled to welcome in September by honoring Andrew Becvar as SVP Portland’s Partner to the Month! Andrew is a Certified Financial Planner™ who joined the SVP Partnership in 2018 and has brought his expertise in financial management directly to our Partnership ever since.
Partner of the Month: Mark Holloway
Known for his energy and tireless efforts to create “Preschool for All” in Multnomah County, Mark has served as Vice-Chair of the Preschool for All Task Force (chaired by Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson) for the past nine months. We are thrilled to honor him as August's Partner of the Month!
Preschool for All: One Step Closer
All children in our community deserve the chance to enter kindergarten with the tools they need to learn, grow, and be successful. When children have access to quality early learning experiences, their positive outcomes in school increase significantly. SVP Portland is proud to celebrate the Preschool for All Task Force's report on the current state of preschool in Multnomah County and recommendations for how we can provide equitable access to high-quality early learning for all children. This report is the first step to making universal preschool a reality.
SVP Portland's Executive Director Update: July 2019
Dear Partners, In my continued commitment to consistent and transparent communication, I want to follow up to my April letter and our Annual Partners Gathering. I begin with a personal reflection, and am also including organizational highlights here for those who want a deep-dive on SVP progress.
Featured Volunteer: Michele Beneville
If you come into the SVP Portland office, Michele Beneville is likely to be the friendly face who greets you. Michele has been a constant source of administrative support and joy since she first began volunteering with us in November of 2016.
Partner of the Month: Nicole Thibodeau
A regular feature in SVP Portland’s communications, Partner of the Month recognizes Investor and Business Partners for their outstanding contribution to our impact. We are thrilled to introduce Nicole Thibodeau as SVP’s newly-appointed Board Treasurer and recognize her as June’s Partner of the Month!
Student Success Act Signed Into Law
On May 20, 2019, Governor Kate Brown signed House Bill 3427 into law, tweeting, “Proud to sign our Student Success Act into law today, ensuring our schools will finally receive funding at the level our children deserve. This is a big day for our kids, and their future." SVP Portland has served as a capacity builder, seed investor, fiscal sponsor, and champion of the Equity Collaborative over the past several years, and we are incredibly proud of the advocacy efforts that resulted in this significant outcome.
Preschool for All: SVP Partners' Perspectives
Our network has been deeply engaged since the Preschool for All Task Force and Work Groups kicked off last year. And, like all our investments, Investor Partners have a bilateral relationship with the Community Partner, learning as much as they give. Read on to learn about our Partners’ experiences with this engagement!
Please Welcome Our New Director of Community Impact
As venture philanthropists, capacity building is the core of what we do. With Lauren Johnson, our former Senior Vice President for Community Impact, stepping into the role of Executive Director, we needed a strong leader to guide the strategic direction and oversight of the capacity building we do with our Community Partners as we continue work on our “Preschool for All” goal. After a thorough search process, which included SVP staff, the Board, Investor Partners, and Community Partners, we are thrilled to announce that Rose Rezai is our new Director of Community Impact!
Building Community Capacity: SVP Influences Early Childhood Systems Change
Last week the Early Childhood Coalition (ECC) and Children’s Institute convened Early Childhood Lobby Day at our capitol in Salem, and SVP showed up in support of the cross-sector effort. Dressed in blue, Partners joined 142 early childhood advocates from across Oregon and met with 63 legislators to ask them to make significant, high impact investments in early childhood.
Scaling for Impact: Juntos Aprendemos affiliate pilot project
Six years after our original investment, Latino Network has built its capacity to scale Juntos and is launching an affiliate pilot with two schools in Central Oregon. Director of Children, Family & Community Service Division, Sadie Feibel Holmes, shares her gratitude to SVP, with a note to the team of twelve SVP Partners and staff who worked closely with the Juntos team over the past several years.
SVP Portland Year of Impact 2018
At SVP Portland, we are committed to continuous learning and improvement in order to successfully build community capacity for solving problems together. We mobilize human, social, and financial capital for investment in nonprofits, collaborations, and initiatives to ensure that all children—regardless of ethnicity, wealth, religion, gender, or zip code—have access to quality, culturally-relevant early learning experiences*. To this end, we collect qualitative and quantitative data to understand the impact of our investments, and ensure we continuously improve.
Long-time Partner Kerry McClenahan Resumes as Board Chair
We are excited to announce that at the last Board meeting, Kerry was reelected to the Board, and as Chair, by a unanimous vote. Kerry is dedicated to helping SVP pursue not the easiest path, but the one with greatest potential, as we navigate inevitable challenges and evaluate opportunities for leveraging our resources towards securing “Preschool for All” and ensuring the long-term wellbeing of SVP Portland.
Please Welcome Our New Director of Investor Partnerships
In order to secure the resources to drive progress toward our early childhood goal, we know we must provide excellent stewardship of our Investor Partners, as well as strengthen recruitment of new Partners. After a thorough search process, and a unanimous decision, the hiring team was thrilled to name their choice of Matt Little!
End of Year Gratitude
As 2018 comes to an end and we celebrate the accomplishments of the year, we want to thank you for your deep commitment and service to Social Venture Partners Portland. Because of you, SVP Portland has expanded both the breadth and depth of our impact by investing more deeply in our current Community Partners as well as growing our portfolio to 14 investments—the largest ever!
Encore Fellows Spotlight: Molly Olson
Molly Olson recently retired from Intel with over 35 years leading strategic programs and managing technical design and operations teams in the semiconductor and electrical equipment industries. She is a certified New Ventures leadership coach and focuses her consulting and coaching on strategic planning, implementation planning, program management and leadership development.
Pull Up a Chair...Early Childhood Updates
As capacity builders, SVP is known for being a leader behind the public leader. This is why we have been invited to seats at early childhood decision-making tables, where we play a role in driving a cohesive strategy and alignment in. Together, across sectors, we are building the capacity of our community to ensure that all children have access to high quality, culturally relevant early learning experiences. Please read on for a snapshot of important conversations in which SVP is participating at the State and local levels.
Bolder and Brighter: New Faces With a New Vision for Portland
On Friday, June 15, our Partnership convened with Portland Public Schools Superintendent, Guadalupe Guerrero; and Oregon’s Early Learning Council Chair, Sue Miller, for an armchair discussion surrounding Portland’s progressive vision for education in Portland, and how that will take place in the years to come. John Branam, SVP Investor Partner and Board Member moderated. Here’s what we took away:
