Blog
Fearless Philanthropy and You: Takeaways from our Wine Soiree
What is fearless philanthropy, and how do we do it? Last week, this topic brought together Partners, staff, and community members as we shared how fearless philanthropy lives at the intersection of your best decision, what makes your heart break, and knowing you are accomplishing good.
Building Bridges in the SVP Network
It’s always special to be connected across geography with people who share your sense of possibility for change, action orientation and commitment to venture philanthropy. We were invited to speak at their Summer Social Series focused on Collective Impact along with the incredible Janet Austin, CEO of the local YWCA.
Community Impact Spotlight: Metropolitan Family Service
Metropolitan Family Service (MFS) mission is to help people move beyond the limitations of poverty and inequity by delivering proven programs to help people succeed at home, at school, and in the community.
Lead Partner Perspective: Cory Mathews of Community Education Workers
Cory Mathews serves as Lead Partner for our investment in the Community Education Workers (CEW) program. We invested in CEW in 2014 to support early parent-child learning in a community-driven, culturally specific way.
Make Philanthropy a Family Value with SVP Youth
The goal with SVPY remains the same today as when we launched the program four years ago: helping our youth learn more about philanthropy through volunteering, fundraising, and involvement.
Our First Estate Gift
Jerry Jones was a longtime Partner, sharp businessman, and dedicated philanthropist. For those that knew him, Jerry set an inspiring standard for honesty, forthrightness, and integrity. He and his family are a true gift to the SVP legacy.
Partner of the Month: James Zuiches
We are humbled and in deep gratitude for Jim’s commitment to SVP, and proud to acknowledge him as Partner of the Month. He shows up as a learner and comes to every SVP experience with a critical mind and open heart. Jim is proof that with SVP, you get what you put into your experience.
Community Impact Spotlight: Juntos Aprendemos’ Relentless Focus Delivers Big Results
Latino Network's early childhood program, Juntos Aprendemos, is a shining beacon for Latino families that represents hope, security, and empowerment. Learn how our investment with Latino Network has supported their operating budget growth from $1.3 million to $8.3 million in just three years.
Celebrating SVP’s Collective Impact with the Early Childhood Funders Learning Circle
Earlier this year, SVP and a collection of Oregon funders invested $1.3 million to push for progress in early childhood learning, particularly in the way education providers are trained. This multi-funder collaborative project has made great progress, with a few SVP Partners on the ground guiding the effort.
Partner of the Month: Kerry McClenahan
As Kerry finishes a successful tour of duty on our Board, we must take the opportunity to honor her as Partner of the Month. We have half a mind to make her Partner of the Decade.
Children's Book Bank: The Impact of Representation
It's important to see how our Investees touch lives. Dani Swope, Executive Director of the Children’s Book Bank (CBB), shared a story of how books can bring communities and cultures to life for children, and give them the representation they need to make reading relatable.
NAYA Nurtures Native Youth: Early College Academy
We’d like to congratulate NAYA on their visionary program that offers a blended high school and postsecondary curriculum, small class sizes and individualized educational options for each student. The academic programming integrates Native culture, family and community outreach, and partnerships with postsecondary institutions.
Thanking Deb Mrazek for her Fellowship
Deb Mrazek has been working with SVP for two years as an Encore Fellow, and we are immensely grateful for her work. She has been deeply involved in integrating design and systems-thinking approaches into SVP. Deb has been invaluable in helping to map out the complexity of the Ready For Kindergarten “ecosystem,” and the build-out of SVP’s emerging strategic initiative focused on significantly increasing access to quality Pre-K.
Investee Spotlight: The Black Parent Initiative
With over 10 years experience serving the Black community, BPI intimately understands that the burden of racism is highly problematic for the betterment of the families in our community. In order to best improve the lives of Portland’s Black and multi-ethnic children, BPI provides services including parent coaching, parent training, and education.
Latino Network: Support the Early Childhood Equity Fund
Please join us this April 18th in Salem, Oregon to support SVP Investee Latino Network and the new legislation they are proposing, HB 3069, The Early Child Equity Fund. The Fund is an important step towards closing the kindergarten readiness gap for children of color in our community.
In Memoriam: Jerry Jones
Jerry Gale Jones, esteemed Portland businessman, philanthropist, spiritual seeker and meditation teacher, peacefully passed away on December 29, 2016, at his home in Ojai, California. He will be remembered as a quiet, deep, hardworking, kind and generous man, a loving friend and father, and he will be greatly missed.
Notes from India: Think 10-Fold
A small group of SVP partners and staff crossed time zones to India to take part in the first national convening of affiliates around a single goal: one million livelihoods by 2020. The traveling cohort joined SVP India Partners and staff from chapters in Pune, Mumbai, Dehli, Bangalore and Hyderabad and nonprofit, government and corporate sector leaders for a think-tank summit, The Million Jobs Conclave.
