(from the May 2009 Newsletter)
You are in for a treat. A treat I get to experience every day: the fruits of our Partners' labor. CASH Oregon has achieved even greater success in this tax season than the great success of last year: more than $17.9 million returned to Portland-area families. And 11 Partners spent the last three months reviewing, visiting and deciding on applicants for our next investment. (Spoiler alert: It’s Listen to Kids and with your help, Portland Reading Foundation). So enjoy some good news today.
Mark Holloway
Executive Director
Getting CASH in the Hands of Oregonians
(from the May 2009 Newsletter)
CASH Oregon*, an SVPP Investee since 2005, serves a veritable array of people in the Tri-County area. In the 2009 tax season, CASH’s numbers continue to grow and impress: 
CASH Oregon*, an SVPP Investee since 2005, serves a veritable array of people in the Tri-County area. In the 2009 tax season, CASH’s numbers continue to grow and impress:
- $15.7 million in federal refunds (an increase of 38%)
- 14,641 tax clients served (increase of 13%)
- More than 18,500 hours volunteered by nearly 300 people
- In Portland, 69% of clients were minorities and average incomes were $21,855
- $2.2 million in earned income credits returned in Portland alone (23% increase)
But the stories of individuals and families CASH helps are the most telling measure of their success. Enjoy these three as a sampling of the many people served this year:
Nate: 27, Cyclist, Financial Planner, Newlywed
My wife and I recently moved to Oregon. I was O.K. with doing taxes by myself, back home in Illinois, but I was not familiar with Oregon’s tax law. Since I haven’t been able to find work yet, the two of us have been living paycheck-to-paycheck. This year was not a year we could afford paying a commercial service to have our taxes done, so we went to CASH Oregon.
I spent 10 minutes with a volunteer tax preparer. She told me I would be receiving $715 dollars in tax refunds! I could not wait to go home and tell my wife. We’ll be using our refunds to pay off student loans, and to help pay for our wedding this summer. If I did not find out about CASH Oregon and AARP Tax-Aide’s free services, we would not have gotten our taxes done, and our refund would still be in the hands of the government.
Silvia: 60, Student, Craftswomen, Entrepeneur
I heard about CASH Oregon through Senior Mobility Services, an organization that helps seniors like me learn job skills. With the refund I received by getting my taxes done with CASH Oregon and AARP Tax-Aide, I hope to create a nest egg for opening my own business. The Earned Income Tax Credit I received brings me closer to achieving my dream of opening up a craft shop, where I will create and sell gifts, bracelets and other trinkets out of textiles and recycled goods.
Stephen: Husband, Father, Construction Worker
I worked in construction for 20 years. Recently, I was laid off. With my family’s income cut in half, CASH Oregon’s free services were just what we needed to keep up with our finances this year.
I used to do my taxes by myself, but I never had in-depth knowledge of the most beneficial way to file. Then I went to CASH Oregon. They told me how much more money I could be saving by filing my taxes the right way. By claiming costs for childcare, union dues, educator expenses and tools I needed for work, the money I owed the IRS turned into a refund that my family needs now more than ever. It took only 20 minutes for a tax preparer to file my return. If I did not talk to a volunteer at CASH Oregon, I would have owed nearly $1,000 dollars in taxes, a cost that my family simply cannot afford at this time.
*CASH Oregon is a community-based nonprofit organization committed to improving the financial health of working individuals and families. They provide free tax preparation for Clackamas, Washington and Multnomah counties in partnership with AARP Tax-Aide; and, offer one-on-one personal finance development as a part of our Financial Advocacy Initiative.
New National Report Shows Strengths of SVP model
(from the May 2009 Newsletter)
Reprinted from Forum of Regional Association of Grantmakers
Reprinted from Forum of Regional Association of Grantmakers
Throughout history, passionate individuals have joined together to make life better in their communities. Today, thousands of donors pool their money, energy and ideas to create giving circles.
Giving circles have emerged the last decade as a growing and significant philanthropic trend among donors of all wealth levels and backgrounds. Past studies have shown that the number of giving circles has exploded across the country and that they are an established philanthropic force. A new report finds that donors say they give more, give more strategically and are more knowledgeable about nonprofit organizations and problems in their communities when they participate in giving circles.
Learn more about this 2009 research on giving circles: The Impact of Giving Together: A Snapshot of a Study on Giving Circles’ Influence on Philanthropic and Civic Behaviors, Knowledge, and Attitudes.
Annual Meeting Photos
(from the May 2009 Newsletter)
Partners, Investees and guests enjoyed the Annual Partner's Meeting on May 14, 2009 at the Olympic Mills Commerce Center in Southeast Portland. Check out the photos below and click here to view more photos of the event.
- Jay Bloom, Bloom Anew; Terri Sorensen, Friends of the Children; Partner Bruce Murray; and, Lori Flexer, Friends of the Children Board of Directors.
- Partners Laurie Weiss, Rance Gregory and Joel Kaplan receive their Board Honoree awards.
- Partner Larry Fox.
- SVPP Board President Megan Leftwich.
- Guest speaker, Trevor Neilson, President, Global Philanthropy Group.
SVPP Invests in Child Abuse Prevention
(from the May 2009 Newsletter)
Listen to Kids has been selected by a team of Partners as our newest investment in the Portland community. Established in 1983, Listen to Kids pioneered a
classroom model for age-appropriate instruction to prevent physical, sexual and emotional abuse or to get help if abuse occurs. It also teaches the adults in the kids’ lives to prevent, detect and deal with abuse. This Kids Can™ program currently serves approximately 5,000 kids. In 2006, Listen to Kids also began serving non-abusive parents fleeing domestic violence to support their children in recovering from the stress and trauma of domestic abuse. This Parent Child Involvement Project has been supported by the Portland Children's Investment Fund and is one of 15 sites chosen nationally to participate in a SafeStart research project conducted by RAND. Long term, Listen to Kids expects to support programs around the state and nation to replicate the model in their communities.
Through SVPP’s Capacity Building Fund investment, Listen to Kids is poised for further growth and development. In addition to a $5,000 grant, Listen to Kids will engage in a capacity assessment and outcomes measurement at the outset and work on their marketing, fund diversification and leadership and Board development.
Join SVPP in supporting Listen to Kids. Click here to donate now.
SVPP Seeking to Make Additional Investment in Reading
(from the May 2009 Newsletter)
In addition to SVPP's Capacity Building Fund investment in Listen to Kids, the Partners recommended our 
investment in Portland Reading Foundation. This important program identifies children most at risk of failing to read and intervenes with evidence-based, multi-sensory reading instruction to ensure that each child has the opportunity to enjoy what you are doing right now. In this work, they have piloted a new program model of training and compensating parent tutors to perform the literacy training in schools. SVPP could play a critical role in developing this innovative, cost-efficient, “win-win” model into a sustainable, replicable solution for any economically disadvantaged child in the Portland area who could benefit from proven literacy instruction.
As our initial budget for the Capacity Building Fund made provision for only one investment, we are seeking additional funding from our Partners and friends. Help us make in this important investment. We have achieved half of our $15,000 goal already so help us close the gap. Click here to donate now.
Partner Profile: Les Soltesz
(from the May 2009 Newsletter)
Les Soltesz and his wife Martha have been with SVPP since December 2003. As he prepared to retire from senior management at Intel after 21 years, Les knew he wanted to donate to the community, learn about philanthropy, participate in hands-on projects and use his skills from his years at Intel in the non-profit setting. SVPP offered what he was looking for and he has been very active ever since.
He first served on the investment committee in 2004 that chose CASH Oregon and PEP (Parental Engagement Project), and he loved the process. His next highlight was at Kelly Elementary school, where Les helped lead the PEP charge, working with the school to create an Advisory Board with representation by parents, staff, businesses and community members. He was also involved in hiring Kelly’s parental engagement coordinator and remodeling their Parents Resource Center.
Les continues to serve on the Kelly Advisory board. He describes his work at Kelly as very gratifying – where “disparate people come together to make an impact for the school, parents and children.” He also really enjoyed being on the Marketing Committee where he worked on the SVPP Web site overhaul, our newsletter, messaging and branding.
His other SVPP roles include current Board member and Chair of the Recruitment Committee. On the Recruitment Committee he says the goal is to “create a high level of excitement about SVPP so the word gets out.” He looks at each Partner as an “ambassador for SVPP”, where everyone should assume the role as a recruiter for SVPP. When asked about his long term hopes for SVPP, Les says “I’d like to see a vibrant organization made up of people who really care about philanthropy, want to be involved in the Portland area community, who really enjoy themselves as part of a cohesive group.”
Les is originally from Hungary and moved to Venezuela when he was a baby. He attended college at the University of Southern California earning his Bachelor’s and Master’s in electrical engineering with a specialty in computers. He started with Intel in 1977 in Santa Clara before moving to Oregon in 1978. According to Les, “this is the best move I ever made.”
Les met and married Martha in 1969. Their son, Daniel, 29, works as Contracts and Compliance Manager at SEI here in Portland and married Jessica last August. Daughter Monica, 35, lives in Seattle working for Nordstrom as Credit Marketing Project Manager. Travel is huge for Les and Martha – they regularly seek the sunshine of central Oregon and Mexico with family and friends; past destinations include Ireland, Israel, Prague, Italy, Scotland and Hungary.
Partner Ventures
(from the May 2009 Newsletter)
- We have several college graduations to celebrate in the Partnership including Diane Selden's daughter, Zoë, from Oberlin College, Len and Janine Schulwitz's daughter, Ashleigh, from Baylor University, and Taylor, daughter of Joel and Pat Kaplan, from Occidental College.
- Aresh Irajpanah recently completed the Los Angeles Marathon in a very proud 5 hours.
- Yassi Irajpanah was recently featured in the Oregon Community Foundation Annual Report.
- The book art works of Laurie Weiss are on display at Pacific University Library in Forest Grove from June 3 - June 28.
- Libbi Loseke Winter has joined ao Non-Profit Strategies & Affairs as Project Manager.
Annual Partners Meeting, May 14, 2009
On May 14, 2009, SVPP Partners were joined by Investees, guests and Trevor Neilson, President of the Global Philanthropy Group for our Annual Partners Meeting. Post comments on the event or points covered in the keynote: Turning Passion Into Promise: What Bono, Gates, Angelina and Everyone Can Do to Change the World.
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