Many of us are feeling very mixed emotions this holiday season. The country is gripped by economic woes, yet we want to celebrate the season. We want to hope, but we’re feeling a little scared. We’re grateful for our security and concerned about those who are most vulnerable. (If you’re warm and safe while reading this, you are the former!) That’s why I’m grateful for Social Venture Partners. We work at the intersection of challenge and hope. We’re really giving back….when it’s needed most. Peace and happiness to you this season.
Mark Holloway
national expansion. FIP is utilizing proactive detection, prevention and intervention mechanisms to identify foster youth at risk of running away and becoming homeless. Some of our key objectives include increasing capacity to serve more youth; coordinating services to address resource gaps that create barriers for foster youth; and potentially developing a new foster parent recruitment program.
has been working with New Avenues on its IT advisory group as well as its ongoing strategic planning. 
cott active supporting their sports, schools and other activities.
and improving the quality of family child care and the lower-income families these programs serve. To strengthen the long-term effectiveness and sustainability of CCIP, Social Venture Partners Portland’s investment is supporting its growth into new markets and strengthening its infrastructure. 
Oregon. In her role, she leads the corporate responsibility and nonprofit business development efforts of the Bank. She began her career in banking while obtaining her Master of International Management degree at Portland State University. She has worked in human resource management, with an emphasis in employee training, stakeholder engagement and group facilitation. In addition, Yassi continues her efforts as co-chair of the GROW Conference, a conference she launched in 2007 with the aim of connecting the business and nonprofit community. She also serves on the World Affairs Council Young Professionals board, and the Oregon Community Foundation Leadership Council.
Samantha graduated from Benson High School in 2006 with dreams of following her mother into nursing. “Her life has been filled with security, joy and passion,” Samantha said. “Becoming a nurse was the best thing she has ever done.” But the cost of education was prohibitive for Samantha until counselors at Benson High School encouraged her to apply for a Venture Scholars award.
multimedia technician and machinist, among others. Over the last four years, more than forty students have won a Venture Scholars award. More than 75% of these students have either finished their training or are doing well and on track to finish and find work in their chosen field. 
Venture Scholars began in 2004 by developing partnerships with Benson and Roosevelt high schools to recruit and select award winners. In 2007, three additional partners were added: De La Salle High School, 
I wasn't sure what to expect, but I left humbled, with a new respect for the challenges faced by families adversely affected by poverty. My whole career, I have either served directly in a low-income community or worked for a non-profit dedicated to helping children and families affected by poverty. I sympathized with families' struggles and always did what I could to help. I thought I really understood their challenges. But it wasn't until I "experienced" poverty myself – a simulation of walking in the shoes of a single mom trying to keep her family afloat – that I really empathized with the struggles of the families I've served. 
Investment Fund to support early childhood, after-school and mentoring programs. The Investment Fund annually supports effective programs for 16,000 children with uncharacteristic government efficiency and strong citizen leadership. SVPP encourages you to support Portland's children by voting YES on Measure 26-94 to renew the Children's Investment Fund in the November election. 
Over the last year and a half 
special education teachers a resource for helping at-risk students stay engaged at school by providing new books, school supplies, educational toys and gifts for family members to help motivate students. Most students in The Shadow Project are in grades K-5 and all have barriers to learning including ADHD, dyslexia, autism, emotional and behavioral disorders, and speech/language impairment. Two-thirds of them come from families at or below the poverty level. The Shadow Project has proven results showing that it excites these students about learning before they’re caught in the downward spiral of dropout, drugs and delinquency.
Portland Public Schools by replicating their proven approach. In addition to funding, SVPP Partners have provided critical expertise: 
Christy Scattarella, the founder of The Shadow Project, was recently honored as the Oregon Education Association's OEA Education Citizen of the Year Award for her a significant contribution to public education in Oregon. It is the Association’s highest honor for a non-member. In June, Christy was also named one of “100 Extraordinary Women” by Nabisco for her work with The Shadow Project. Congratulations Christy!
has had a major impact on our marketing and communications efforts. During these three years, he has been a member of our Marketing Committee and has contributed countless hours of personal time as well as time from employees of his Internet services and consulting firm, 
Kirt, a native of New Hampshire, is a Senior Vice President at Operations for Insight Schools, a Portland company that operates a national network of online high schools. Lisa, an Arizona native, is Senior Vice President of Card Operations for Genesis Financial Solutions, a diversified consumer financial services company. In their free time, they enjoy every moment with their two young daughters, Olivia (5) and McKenna (2), often traipsing around town – sometimes with their yellow lab Fiona Smuttynose in tow.
almost four years later, we are proud of what has been accomplished in terms of measurable change and impact in the two schools selected for PEP, Kelly and Clark Elementary Schools in southeast Portland. At Kelly, major improvements were made in volunteer recruitment, parent attendance to school conferences and events, Latino parents’ involvement and room parents for every grade. In addition, we tracked the progress of 25 children belonging to these engaged parents and there was dramatic progress in their reading scores. At Clark, parental involvement was significantly increased through a major event per trimester including Reading Night with well-known author Eric Kimmel, and Science Night with the OMSI travelling lab.
Bill Porter and his wife Kieren have been SVPP Partners for three years. They have two lovely children: Evan, easy-going at age six, attends Tucker Maxon School and is a bundle of curiosity with interests in everything – he currently aspires to be a Buddhist monk or maybe join the Air Force; and Rosemarie, 18 months, is strong-willed and loves to swim, play in the Tupperware drawer, and go bike riding and camping with her family. Bill and Kieren met in Colorado, where they both worked for the Governor's Office (Bill as education policy aide, lobbyist and policy director and Kieren as a political aide and director of scheduling). They married in 1995 and moved to the Northwest in 1996. They love Portland and plan to stay. Kieren is the director of strategic communications for The Regence Group, the non-profit health insurer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in the Northwest (Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington).
Formerly from the Midwest, Scott is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University, where he studied American Literature. Scott has a background in education and fundraising for nonprofit organizations, including former SVPP investee, Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland. He is currently the Grants Administrator and Corporate Relations Specialist for Human Solutions. Scott found his experience working with SVPP very rewarding and looks forward to expanding his involvement. Reading, the rain and cooking are a few of his favorite things. He shares his life with his partner Alan and two chubby cats.
Joan is a rare native Portlander. For 23 years she has run a small residential Interior Design company, Hoffman/Hubbard Interior Consultants. One of her interiors is the Pittock Mansion. At this time she is semi-retired or “in transition” as she says. She holds her B.F.A. in Printmaking from the University of Oregon. Her son, Hawley Hubbard is 29. He and his wife, Leanna, have a one-year-old son, John. Joan loves to learn and tracks many issues including arts and culture, world politics, local community issues, mental health, homelessness, architecture and garden design. She is very active, enjoying skiing, walking, tennis, cooking, traveling and creates fused glass artwork. Her current plan is to “see the country” and may go by Sprinter van to do some open-ended exploration. She is also looking for a rescue Jack Russell Terrier to bring into her life.
Middle-Eastern mother of five young daughters, she had been very responsible in filing her previous two tax returns. In both cases she expected refunds but unfortunately never saw a dime returned. With an income of $16,000/year through her job at a Portland nonprofit organization and tuition costs as she pursued a college degree in her “free time,” Dilshad needed those dimes and any other money she could scrape together. So the CASH tax volunteer filed her return electronically and shared the joyful news that she would be receiving $3,600 in refunds and credits. But the return was rejected—seven times. The CASH volunteer learned that the names and social security numbers did not match because the children were registered federally in their father’s last name. When it was finally corrected and settled, CASH also amended the 2005 and 2006 returns and Dilshad walked away with more than $10,000 to help raise her young daughters and pursue her education.
Established in 1993, Friends of the Children has been heralded for their effective model of supporting kids to earn their high school diploma, avoid early parenting and avoid involvement with the juvenile justice system. Friends of the Children works with each child for 12½ years, identifying them in kindergarten through a detailed set of vulnerability indicators. The organization then provides a full-time, paid, professional mentor to spend a minimum of four hours every week teaching the child valuable life skills, instilling positive behaviors and helping the child grow into responsible adults. Just one indicator of their success: 97% of Friends’ adolescents have avoided early parenting despite 60% having been born to a teen mother.
Each year, the SVPP President’s Award is presented to the individual Partner whose efforts, commitment and impact on SVPP, its Investees and the community is deserving of special recognition. This year’s recipient is Bruce Murray. Bruce has been a Partner for more than four years and made an extraordinary difference in the growth and success of CASH Oregon (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope). Bruce has acted as Lead Partner for CASH for the last three years and is currently serving as chair of its Board of Directors. Bruce has been instrumental in growing the concept of CASH with a coalition of concerned citizens and non-profits into a fully independent and thriving 501(c)(3). Additionally, he serves as editor of the CASH newsletter and has been a key figure in fundraising. Special thanks go out to Bruce for making such a significant impact on SVPP and our community!
Two years ago, SVPP invested in a coalition of organizations in Forest Grove engaging Latino students and parents to improve academic connectedness and success. Since that time, these organizations have conducted outreach and created services to engage students and their parents, resulting in significant improvement in student achievement for minority and low-income students. (See 
the Forest Grove School District, has made great strides in supporting Latino achievement. Forest Grove High School has received the Oregon Department of Education’s Celebrating School Success award for three years. The district also launched a Parent Advisory Council that has attracted many Latino families. Several area agencies have joined to conduct home visits through a Promotoras program to make health referrals and provide necessary school supplies and necessities. Still others have started programs for mentoring of young migrant and Latino girls.
the keynote speakers at SVPP’s Annual Partners’ Meeting on May 15, 2008. As the creator of Aldus PageMaker in 1985, Paul Brainerd coined the term 255-acre environmental learning center will serve as “desktop publishing.” He has since helped found the Social Venture Partners movement and a variety of environmental advocacy and nonprofit efforts. Paul and his wife Debbi created 
opportunity to network and learn from other Partners, our nonprofit Investees and community leaders like Paul and Debbi Brainerd. The event will be held May 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the new University of Oregon White Stag Block. Please contact 
Than, a native of southeastern Virginia, is husband to Sydney and father to three children: Jack (age 8), Steele Elizabeth (4), and Gus Henry (2). He was trained in a family business and went to college in the D.C. area, graduating from George Mason University. He worked as a lobbyist, speechwriter and marketing/communications strategist for a variety of CEO's, senior executives, D.C. mayors, foreign governments and charlatans of one kind or another before moving to Oregon in 1998 at the request of his native Oregonian wife. Than now serves as an outsource Chief Marketing Officer for companies in Nova Scotia, Texas, Louisiana, Virginia, Oregon and other places around the world. He owns an environmental printing company: 
Melissa J. Light has a background in fundraising for nonprofit organizations and is currently Director of Development and Communications at Chess for Success. Melissa holds a Master's Degree in writing, literature, and publishing from Emerson College in Boston. Adam Light manages software product development as Director of Planning and Program Management for TransUnion. He studied geography at Dartmouth College and the University of Colorado before earning his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon. Melissa is an avid tennis player; Adam loves running. Together the couple enjoys food, cooking and outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing and bicycling. Adam and Melissa have been married for two years and are expecting their first child in October.
Libbi is a graduate of the University of Oregon, but originally a native of the Midwest. She is a Senior Associate at 3, the creative communications co. where she helps manage and publicize events, develop design and content for Web sites and marketing materials, and write newsletters and other creative content (including helping with the SVP Portland newsletter). Libbi has been involved with SVP Portland and CASH Oregon since mid-2005. “I’ve really enjoyed watching CASH Oregon evolve as an organization and increase the positive impact they make in our community – a feat made all the more possible by SVP Portland.” Libbi is recently married (a newlywed for just under two months). Her husband, Erik Winter, is an architect at a Portland architectural firm. She loves to cook – especially anything that has bacon in it. Libbi works with and shares a SVPP Partnership with Than Clevenger.
On March 6th, SVPP and Neighborhood House—host organization to SVPP Investee, the Child Care Improvement Project (CCIP)—hosted a very informative Partner event focused on early childhood development issues. The event took place at the Portland Children’s Museum and was well attended by SVPP Partners and their families, Neighborhood House representatives and friends.
outspoken advocate for children’s issues, served as the keynote speaker. His comments were followed by remarks from a panel consisting of representatives from SVPP, the Children’s Institute and CCIP. The session was effective in highlighting the impact that investments in early childhood education have on childhood development and the community welfare at large.