(From the December 2006 Newsletter)
‘Tis the Season -- Transition Time at SVPP
December is a time to celebrate the holidays and spend time with friends and family. It is also a transition time for Social Venture Partners Portland. An all too familiar challenge for many non-profits is managing turnover of the Executive Director position. According to a number of recent national studies, the average nonprofit ED tenure is approximately three years. SVPP is not immune to this average as last month Jean Hart, our Executive Director, resigned after two-and-a-half years in the role.
Jean graciously stepped into the SVPP Executive Director role in 2004 after an extensive local search failed to find the right candidate. Jean has done a remarkable job of representing SVPP in the local community and in expanding our organization's profile. She has performed tirelessly in her recruiting of new partners to join us in our noble efforts. We are very grateful to Jean for her commitment to SVPP and will miss her incredible drive and her engaging wit! Although we are losing Jean as our Executive Director, she will remain an active partner. Jean has accepted a position with MercyCorps and we wish her good luck in her new role.
We are in the process of advertising for our open ED position. We would like to enlist your help in finding Jean's replacement. If you know of anyone that you believe would be interested in this position, please forward the link above. We are advertising this position in a number of places looking for qualified candidates. We will be accepting resumes until the end of December.
In the interim, we are very fortunate to have Deborah Lockwood, a former partner, helping us out until we find a new Executive Director. Thank you Deborah!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all the partners and friends of Social Venture Partners Portland!
Welcome Deborah Lockwood
(From the December 2006 Newsletter)
Deborah Lockwood, a former partner and one of the administrators of the Venture Scholars Program, has accepted a temporary position to fill in for Jean Hart, while we conduct the search for a new Executive Director. Deborah will be working half time and will ensure that all our office-related activities continue to be managed as before. In addition, she will be providing information on upcoming events and is available for accepting information on new SVPP prospects.
Deborah Lockwood, a former partner and one of the administrators of the Venture Scholars Program, has accepted a temporary position to fill in for Jean Hart, while we conduct the search for a new Executive Director. Deborah will be working half time and will ensure that all our office-related activities continue to be managed as before. In addition, she will be providing information on upcoming events and is available for accepting information on new SVPP prospects.
SVPI Holds Fifth Consecutive International Conference in Denver
(From the December 2006 Newsletter)
Six SVPP partners attended Social Venture Partners International's annual conference on October 20 and 21 held this year in Denver, Colorado. Feedback from our partners which included Dave Smith, Jean Hart, Rance Gregory, Drew Smith, Megan Leftwich and Ed Mueller, indicated that this was the best conference to date.
Bill Drayton, named by U.S. News and World Report as one of the 25 Best Leaders in America, was the keynote speaker for the conference. Mr. Drayton coined the term "social entrepreneur" which is often used to describe people who combine results-oriented methods of business with the goals of social reformers. This, in a word, is the mission of SVPP. Mr. Drayton, also the founder of the global nonprofit Ashoka, described the "Fellows" program whereby selected individuals are funded to focus full-time on implementing their vision and new ideas. Examples include providing cheap electricity to Brazilian farmers, helping kick-start the fair-trade coffee practice, and giving micro-loans to Bangladeshis.
Conference attendees also participated in two days of educational sessions ranging from tax policy, politics and philanthropy to participation in a poverty simulation where partners learned first-hand the dynamics of living in poverty. Partners also had opportunities for informal and unstructured get-togethers with peers, always the most beneficial part of any conference gathering.
Participants also welcomed three new affiliates to the network: Central Iowa, Tucson, Arizona, and Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese affiliate was represented by four of their nearly thirty new partners! The total number of world-wide affiliates is now 24 and a global partnership of more than 1,200.
Six SVPP partners attended Social Venture Partners International's annual conference on October 20 and 21 held this year in Denver, Colorado. Feedback from our partners which included Dave Smith, Jean Hart, Rance Gregory, Drew Smith, Megan Leftwich and Ed Mueller, indicated that this was the best conference to date.
Bill Drayton, named by U.S. News and World Report as one of the 25 Best Leaders in America, was the keynote speaker for the conference. Mr. Drayton coined the term "social entrepreneur" which is often used to describe people who combine results-oriented methods of business with the goals of social reformers. This, in a word, is the mission of SVPP. Mr. Drayton, also the founder of the global nonprofit Ashoka, described the "Fellows" program whereby selected individuals are funded to focus full-time on implementing their vision and new ideas. Examples include providing cheap electricity to Brazilian farmers, helping kick-start the fair-trade coffee practice, and giving micro-loans to Bangladeshis.
Conference attendees also participated in two days of educational sessions ranging from tax policy, politics and philanthropy to participation in a poverty simulation where partners learned first-hand the dynamics of living in poverty. Partners also had opportunities for informal and unstructured get-togethers with peers, always the most beneficial part of any conference gathering.
Participants also welcomed three new affiliates to the network: Central Iowa, Tucson, Arizona, and Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese affiliate was represented by four of their nearly thirty new partners! The total number of world-wide affiliates is now 24 and a global partnership of more than 1,200.
Partners Learn About Mississippi Street Revitalization Efforts
(From the December 2006 Newsletter)
SVPP partners had an opportunity to attend a stimulating partner conversation evening held at the Albina Community Bank on November 29. Albina Bank is an SVPP partner and the Bank's President and CEO, Bob McKean, made a presentation titled Economic Development: A Study of Portland's Newly Hip & Revitalized Mississippi Street. Bob provided the attendees an excellent perspective of the history and driving forces that shaped the economic development efforts of this Portland community which is enjoying considerable vibrancy and excitement. Many thanks to Bob and his staff at the Albina Community Bank for hosting this informative and enjoyable event.
SVPP partners had an opportunity to attend a stimulating partner conversation evening held at the Albina Community Bank on November 29. Albina Bank is an SVPP partner and the Bank's President and CEO, Bob McKean, made a presentation titled Economic Development: A Study of Portland's Newly Hip & Revitalized Mississippi Street. Bob provided the attendees an excellent perspective of the history and driving forces that shaped the economic development efforts of this Portland community which is enjoying considerable vibrancy and excitement. Many thanks to Bob and his staff at the Albina Community Bank for hosting this informative and enjoyable event.
From Our Investees
(From the December 2006 Newsletter)
Earlier this year, we announced our two new investments: the Child Care Improvement Project (CCIP) and the Forest Grove School District Latino Community Network (FGLCN). Both of these programs have children as their main focus and they will expand SVPP's involvement in the Portland metropolitan area providing many volunteering opportunities for our partners. We will provide a comprehensive update on these projects in our next newsletter.
PEP (Parental Engagement Program)
Kelly Elementary:
• Portland Impact, the organization administering the SUN before/after school program at Kelly Elementary, received just over $150,000 in a matching grant from AmeriCorps to fund twelve full time "community resource member" positions at Portland Impact's eleven SUN sites. The "community resource member" position is based in large part on the PEP Coordinator model developed by Kelly Elementary, Portland Impact and SVPP.
• Trisha Balicanta is the new PEP Coordinator at Kelly Elementary as of September 6, 2006. She continues to increase parental engagement at the school by organizing events for parents,facilitating the Family Stories program as well as the Latino Parents Group.
Clark Elementary:
• SVPP Partners Alan and Marissa Crouch are donating $500 toward the purchase of books for the classroom libraries, and a matching grant has been applied for to increase this $500 donation to $1,000.
• Clark Elementary has been chosen to participate in the SUN before/after school program, with Portland Impact serving as the administering organization. This program includes a parental engagement component which will likely incorporate the Parents and Partners for Reading Excellence workshop program.
• The Tech Committee continues work on a new website for Clark Elementary.
• The Parents as Partners for Reading Excellence evening workshops for the 2006-07 school year have begun, with the first evening workshop taking place on October 10, 2006. SVPP volunteers continue to provide literacy events for the children of the parents attending these workshops. Future workshops are scheduled for November 14, 2006, January 9, 2007, February 13, 2007, March 13, 2007, April 10, 2007 and May 8, 2007.
CASH (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope)
For last year's tax season, CASH Oregon opened a Tax-Aide site at the Lloyd Center Mall in Portland, and distributed through its coalition members more than 30,000 brochures, flyers and posters. Despite being open on weekends open, the super site processed 724 returns, the second highest number of returns processed at any site in Oregon. EITC claims at the site totaled $278,732 or an average in excess of $2,000 per family. For 2006, objectives include:
• Tax Preparation - expand Lloyd Center operations to six days per week and open two new super sites in Washington and Clackamas counties. In addition, support community partner tax preparation programs (e.g., the Rockwood Weed and Seed initiative in east Multnomah County)
• Community Outreach – expand efforts to target families eligible for EITC through community partners and employer programs
• Financial Literacy – implement a financial education program
• Volunteer Recruitment and Training – operation of three super sites will require up to: 100 volunteer tax payers, 6 site coordinators, 9 screening and intake individuals, 12 specialist tax advisors, IT support and tax training
• New Initiatives - Evaluate ONE Economy's program to teach low income taxpayers to prepare their own returns on tax software provided by them
Kids Café
• Kids Café at Wattles and Blazers served meals to an average of 361 kids per day during Q2 and Q3 2006, in addition to afternoon snacks averaging 308 kids per day.
• Between both programs, 62,816 dinners and 53,849 snacks have been served to hungry youth since January. As of the end of Q2, the project showed a net loss, but this was primarily due to the Clubs being closed for a total of four weeks at the beginning and end of summer for maintenance so no reimbursements were received while the Club continued to pay the two full time chefs.
• Nutritional education classes continue to be held at Wattles three times per week. An average of 71 members participate each month in the nutrition programs. The Wattles Club will work with Growing Gardens during the next school year to teach youth how to grow and tend for fruits and vegetables and how to incorporate these into their daily diets. The Blazers Club Kids Café Coordinator installed raised garden beds on the south side of the Club so that Club kids can begin to learn how to grow their own food.
• B&GC management have now acquired the warehouse adjacent to the Hillsboro facility which will house a new gym, Kids Café and eating area. Plans are now complete and construction is expected to commence in mid-November. To date, grants totaling $1.77 million have been secured for the project. On October 5th, the Club held a ground braking ceremony led by General Colin Powell. The General addressed the kids for nearly a half hour, taking questions and sharing from his own life experiences.
Earlier this year, we announced our two new investments: the Child Care Improvement Project (CCIP) and the Forest Grove School District Latino Community Network (FGLCN). Both of these programs have children as their main focus and they will expand SVPP's involvement in the Portland metropolitan area providing many volunteering opportunities for our partners. We will provide a comprehensive update on these projects in our next newsletter.
PEP (Parental Engagement Program)
Kelly Elementary:
• Portland Impact, the organization administering the SUN before/after school program at Kelly Elementary, received just over $150,000 in a matching grant from AmeriCorps to fund twelve full time "community resource member" positions at Portland Impact's eleven SUN sites. The "community resource member" position is based in large part on the PEP Coordinator model developed by Kelly Elementary, Portland Impact and SVPP.
• Trisha Balicanta is the new PEP Coordinator at Kelly Elementary as of September 6, 2006. She continues to increase parental engagement at the school by organizing events for parents,facilitating the Family Stories program as well as the Latino Parents Group.
Clark Elementary:
• SVPP Partners Alan and Marissa Crouch are donating $500 toward the purchase of books for the classroom libraries, and a matching grant has been applied for to increase this $500 donation to $1,000.
• Clark Elementary has been chosen to participate in the SUN before/after school program, with Portland Impact serving as the administering organization. This program includes a parental engagement component which will likely incorporate the Parents and Partners for Reading Excellence workshop program.
• The Tech Committee continues work on a new website for Clark Elementary.
• The Parents as Partners for Reading Excellence evening workshops for the 2006-07 school year have begun, with the first evening workshop taking place on October 10, 2006. SVPP volunteers continue to provide literacy events for the children of the parents attending these workshops. Future workshops are scheduled for November 14, 2006, January 9, 2007, February 13, 2007, March 13, 2007, April 10, 2007 and May 8, 2007.
CASH (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope)
For last year's tax season, CASH Oregon opened a Tax-Aide site at the Lloyd Center Mall in Portland, and distributed through its coalition members more than 30,000 brochures, flyers and posters. Despite being open on weekends open, the super site processed 724 returns, the second highest number of returns processed at any site in Oregon. EITC claims at the site totaled $278,732 or an average in excess of $2,000 per family. For 2006, objectives include:
• Tax Preparation - expand Lloyd Center operations to six days per week and open two new super sites in Washington and Clackamas counties. In addition, support community partner tax preparation programs (e.g., the Rockwood Weed and Seed initiative in east Multnomah County)
• Community Outreach – expand efforts to target families eligible for EITC through community partners and employer programs
• Financial Literacy – implement a financial education program
• Volunteer Recruitment and Training – operation of three super sites will require up to: 100 volunteer tax payers, 6 site coordinators, 9 screening and intake individuals, 12 specialist tax advisors, IT support and tax training
• New Initiatives - Evaluate ONE Economy's program to teach low income taxpayers to prepare their own returns on tax software provided by them
Kids Café
• Kids Café at Wattles and Blazers served meals to an average of 361 kids per day during Q2 and Q3 2006, in addition to afternoon snacks averaging 308 kids per day.
• Between both programs, 62,816 dinners and 53,849 snacks have been served to hungry youth since January. As of the end of Q2, the project showed a net loss, but this was primarily due to the Clubs being closed for a total of four weeks at the beginning and end of summer for maintenance so no reimbursements were received while the Club continued to pay the two full time chefs.
• Nutritional education classes continue to be held at Wattles three times per week. An average of 71 members participate each month in the nutrition programs. The Wattles Club will work with Growing Gardens during the next school year to teach youth how to grow and tend for fruits and vegetables and how to incorporate these into their daily diets. The Blazers Club Kids Café Coordinator installed raised garden beds on the south side of the Club so that Club kids can begin to learn how to grow their own food.
• B&GC management have now acquired the warehouse adjacent to the Hillsboro facility which will house a new gym, Kids Café and eating area. Plans are now complete and construction is expected to commence in mid-November. To date, grants totaling $1.77 million have been secured for the project. On October 5th, the Club held a ground braking ceremony led by General Colin Powell. The General addressed the kids for nearly a half hour, taking questions and sharing from his own life experiences.
Welcome New Partner
(From the December 2006 Newsletter)
Adam Youngbar - Adam has worked for CH2M Hill for over eight years and is currently Manager of Business Planning for their Electronics and Advanced Technology business unit. He previously worked in industrial development for the Oregon Economic Development Department. After growing up in Portland, Adam spent a couple of years drying out at Occidental College in Los Angeles and completed his study of international political economy at the University of Washington. His interests include travel, exploring the outdoors, skiing and fly fishing.
Venture Scholars Starts Its Third Year
(From the December 2006 Newsletter)
The Venture Scholars scholarship program is designed to honor talented high school students who plan to complete a career-focused program in a community college or training institute. The scholarship provides qualified students up to $4,000 to spend on tuition, books, and related educational expenses.
The third year of the Venture Scholars program is under way. The first year was devoted to establishing a scholarship program in the Portland area on the model of Grove Scholars, with the first group of award winners named in the spring of 2005. The second year was devoted to developing the systems needed to track and communicate with the students, along with recruiting a second group of winners. This year we will continue working with staff at Benson and Roosevelt high schools to recruit a strong 2007 class of Venture Scholars, and we will continue to work on improving the program.
In 2005, 11 students were selected for scholarships (seven from Benson, four from Roosevelt). One of the students has already completed his training and is preparing for the real estate license exam. Several other students are on track to finish their training in 2007 or, in the case of the nursing students, in 2008. A few of other students are either on leave for personal reasons or struggling academically. We are working with these students to help them reach their goals.
In 2006, 13 students were selected (nine from Benson, four from Roosevelt). Several of the students have impressed us with their diligence and follow-through. We have high hopes that this class will do well. Ten students have begun their studies this fall; the remaining three will begin in the winter term.
Venture Scholars is an unusual and valuable scholarship program, targeting students who are deserving but mostly overlooked for scholarship awards. Establishing the program has been both challenging and enjoyable. This year we plan to continue developing our methods of recruiting the students most likely to succeed with their plans, and also our understanding of what kinds of help they need to succeed.
Venture Scholars is a program funded by private individuals and administered by SVPP. If you are interested in learning more about this program please visit the Venture Scholars site, or contact Joe Barthmaier or Deborah Lockwood.
The Venture Scholars scholarship program is designed to honor talented high school students who plan to complete a career-focused program in a community college or training institute. The scholarship provides qualified students up to $4,000 to spend on tuition, books, and related educational expenses.
The third year of the Venture Scholars program is under way. The first year was devoted to establishing a scholarship program in the Portland area on the model of Grove Scholars, with the first group of award winners named in the spring of 2005. The second year was devoted to developing the systems needed to track and communicate with the students, along with recruiting a second group of winners. This year we will continue working with staff at Benson and Roosevelt high schools to recruit a strong 2007 class of Venture Scholars, and we will continue to work on improving the program.
In 2005, 11 students were selected for scholarships (seven from Benson, four from Roosevelt). One of the students has already completed his training and is preparing for the real estate license exam. Several other students are on track to finish their training in 2007 or, in the case of the nursing students, in 2008. A few of other students are either on leave for personal reasons or struggling academically. We are working with these students to help them reach their goals.
In 2006, 13 students were selected (nine from Benson, four from Roosevelt). Several of the students have impressed us with their diligence and follow-through. We have high hopes that this class will do well. Ten students have begun their studies this fall; the remaining three will begin in the winter term.
Venture Scholars is an unusual and valuable scholarship program, targeting students who are deserving but mostly overlooked for scholarship awards. Establishing the program has been both challenging and enjoyable. This year we plan to continue developing our methods of recruiting the students most likely to succeed with their plans, and also our understanding of what kinds of help they need to succeed.
Venture Scholars is a program funded by private individuals and administered by SVPP. If you are interested in learning more about this program please visit the Venture Scholars site, or contact Joe Barthmaier or Deborah Lockwood.
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