Blog
Workforce Development: A Critical Piece of the Puzzle
With funding on the horizon from both the Student Success Act at the State level the Preschool for All initiative with Multnomah County, now is the time to build the Threads of Justice Collective’s capacity to meet the growing workforce development needs. ToJC’s programs are vital to building a robust, skilled early learning workforce.
A Partner's Reflection on the Power of SVP
A Partner since 2014, Oscar Mayer is passionate about SVP Portland’s venture philanthropy model and our current focus on expanding access to early learning experiences. In this feature, Oscar discusses the role SVP’s Portfolio Management Team plays in overseeing our partnerships with Community Partners to ensure they are well-positioned to grow their early childhood programs.
SVP Portland Board Update
The SVP Portland Board of Directors held our annual planning retreat in August to identify intermediate success metrics indicating we are making strong progress toward our goal, as well as priority roles for the next year that position us to maximize our impact. Read on to hear from Board Chair, Kerry McClenahan.
SVP Portland Honored at Noche Bella
On September 20th, over 600 people came out to support Latino Network at their annual Noche Bella event. One of the stories featured was the Juntos Aprendemos program, which prepares children and their families for success in kindergarten.SVP Portland's Lead Partner, Holly Levow, has played a crucial role in creating a successful partnership with Latino Network and was honored at the event.
Partner of the Month: Megan Loeb
It’s October and we are proud to welcome in the last quarter of the year by recognizing Megan Loeb as our Partner of the Month! At the end of 2018, Megan stepped into the role of Lead Partner for IRCO. Since then, she has been collaborating with the SVP Partner team and IRCO leadership to meet the preschool needs of their community.
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.
A Five-Year Investment in SVP Portland: Shannon Jones
If you would like to hear from one of SVP Portland's committed Partners, let us introduce you to Shannon Jones, SVP Portland's first Five-Year Partner! To learn more about her reasoning behind this five-year pledge to SVP Portland, please read on.
Commitment to Advancing Racial Equity Update
As we grow in our journey to advance racial equity, we are constantly reviewing our original commitments and looking for ways to deepen our work around equity. In this process, we have refined our goals toward advancing racial equity and are excited to share with you what we are already doing, and what is to come!
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.
Five Years Later: Project Impact Then and Now
The fact that MFS and Adelante have continued to build upon their learnings from the Project Impact cohort and expanded the evaluation strategies to multiple programs demonstrates how a small SVP Portland investment can result in significant, sustained return.
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.
Meet SVP Portland’s Newest Business Partner: CENTRL Office
After two and a half years in the George Lawrence building at SW 1st and Oak, SVP Portland is relocating to the Pearl District! Starting July 1st, we’ll be at CENTRL Office on NW Everett and 14th. And this isn’t just a move. In true SVP fashion, we are thrilled to announce that this is also a business partnership with CENTRL!
Partner of the Month: Liz Fouther-Branch
July’s Partner of the Month, Liz Fouther-Branch, is no stranger to the SVP world. While Liz brings more than 30 years of experience in the areas of art, education, mentoring, volunteer recruitment, and sales, her true passion is working with progressive groups that seek to change institutional systems that are inefficient and unproductive toward solving social and economic problems in under-resourced communities across the state.
SVP Global Summit 2019
In early May of this year, six SVP Portland Partners and three staff ventured up the I-5 corridor for the annual SVP Global Summit. Hosted in collaboration with SVP Vancouver, the 2019 Global Summit brought together Social Venture Partners board leaders, affiliate staff, philanthropists, and nonprofit partners from around the world.
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.
Restructuring of the Encore Fellows Program
As part of our three-year strategic vision, with a focus on the long-term wellbeing of SVP Portland, the Community Impact Strategy Committee approved a staff recommendation in April 2019 to focus the Encore Fellows Program for maximum impact.
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.