Partner Profile: Allen Hudson

Originally from Alabama, Allen's family moved to Dallas in 1972. He graduated from Richardson High School in 1979 and received his BA degree from Baylor University a BA Degree with a major in Finance and his MBA in 1984.

Allen is the President of the Dallas Banking Center for North Dallas Bank & Trust Co. whose mission includes the desire of the institution and employees to "to provide excellent service to our customers and communities." Allen believes that through DSVP, both he and the Bank can find expression of that desire to serve our community.

In his leisure time he enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading and time outdoors. When asked about his hobbies, Allen commented, "I spend time at the gym because I have to, however I hope to have a lot more hobbies when my two kids graduate from college."

Allen met his wife of 26 years Kristi while in graduate school at Baylor. They have two children, one in school at Texas A&M and the other at UT Austin.

My New Favorite Book

The End of Fundraising, Raise More Money by Selling Your Impact

Author: Jason Saul

A review by Stacy Caldwell, President of Dallas Social Venture Partners

I wish this book had a different title. Although catchy for many in our nonprofit sector, I tend to think the title doesn't communicate what this book so simply provides: a guide for nonprofits to jump into the Social Capital Markets (SCM).

This wonderful primer explores what constitutes the SCM and how to best position your nonprofit mission in that new frontier. Jason Saul not only addresses one the most difficult and challenging aspects of the philanthropy/charity equation, but he masterfully shines a light on the growing opportunities to lead with impact and help our missions to find our "Impact Buyers." By guiding us though the shift in thinking from values to value-driven missions, he outlines new innovative capital opportunities and expansive stakeholder thinking.

I found this book to be extremely poignant in today's transitional space between traditional charity/philanthropy approach and the emerging frontier of social capital markets. If you are interested in the next wave of social sector ideas and want to be on the cutting edge of strategies for nonprofits, this is a must read!

Juicy tidbits:

Don't change the donor, just change donors!

Deliver economic value, articulate your value and swim upstream with impact buyers

6 Implications of the growing social capital markets:

1. OK to expect economic return from doing good

2. Donors are acting like consumers

3. Measurement is no longer optional

4. Everyone must be a social entrepreneur

5. New stakeholders have different expectations of impact

6. Higher expectations of value require greater innovation

What it is not:

-It's not about making nonprofits run like businesses. It's about bringing nonprofits into the business world

-It's not about changing foundation and donor behavior, it's about engaging new and different "impact buyers"

-It's not about about "Social Return on Investment", it's about outcomes

-It's not about building "philanthropic capital markets", it's about finding the inherent value in the existing markets

Evaluation and Measurement are not the same.

An Activity is WHAT you do; an outcome is the RESULT of what you do.

Your measures need to be credible, practical and relevant.

Outcomes can be measured by:

Individual - Change of Status (Condition, behavior or status)

Organizational - ROI - increased revenues, improved reputation

Systemic - Systemic Change - changed policies, better incentives and increased investments

Value is based on the utility of the outcomes produced, because impact is being "purchased" by stakeholders who have a direct (not a theoretical) interest in the results. Therefore measurement, is by necessity, much more organic.

The trend is growing toward outcomes-based budgeting in federal and state government, and this will create even more discrete value-creation opportunities for nonprofits.

Meet the new stakeholders:

From: Beneficiaries, Board, Donors, Government, Foundation

To: Corporate Partners, Beneficiaries that can pay, Social Investors, Services Providers, Upstream "Consumers", Corporate Partners

Determine Who are Your Impact Buyers?

Ideation Challenge to nonprofits and SVPs:

Bring together a group of up to 20 diverse community friends and take an hour to explore and ideate on the following challenge. Give yourself a time limit of no more than one hour, perhaps over a brown-bag lunch!

How do we bring our nonprofits into the business markets by identifying new stakeholders in which our missions deliver value?

1. Expansive Stakeholder Exercise: Take 20 minutes to brainstorm who are the new stakeholders in the community and beyond who have a "vested interest" in the success of their mission? Chapter 4 defines these as Service Providers, Upstream Consumers, Corporate Partners, Beneficiaries that Pay, and Social Investors.

2. With each of these stakeholder groups, how does our nonprofit's mission do one of the following (ref. pg. 84-86):

-produce a direct economic impact for them

-act as a necessary predicate to achieve an economic advantage

-produce a desirable social change to which someone attaches financial value

Partner Profile: Carl Dorvil

Carl Dorvil grew up in Garland and graduated in 2005 from SMU with a Triple Major in Public Policy, Economics, and Psychology, with Distinction. He then went on to graduate with his MBA in 2008 from SMU Cox School of Business. Carl began his business while in school and now serves as CEO of Group Excellence, a for-profit company that serves youth through mentoring and tutoring.

When asked what brings him to DSVP, Carl responds, "I have been blessed with many different experiences and opportunities, and if I can pass along something significant to someone else, I should do it. He then adds, Bob Wright and George Ellis were key influences in that decision too!

Carl is an impressive motivational speaker and enjoys performing magic tricks!

Carl is married with two beautiful children - Carl and Kara are celebrating their daughters birthday with a spirit of philanthropy by opening a fund at Charity Water - to help families that do not have access to clean drinking water. An interesting tid-bit about one of our newest members...Carl can speak french and creole fluently, AND, the Dallas Business Journal named him one of the 40 under 40 this year.

Partner Profile: Marti Royer

Marti Royer’s career is anchored in the philanthropic world, as the Executive Director of the Redman Foundation in Dallas, a $7 million organization which funded some 35 non-profits in 2010. After a career in the technology industry as well as the non-profit world, and earning her MSW, she joined Redman in 2007. Like many foundations, Redman does not accept unsolicited grant requests – so a large part of Marti’s work there has her actively searching for non-profits which fit the Foundation’s mission of supporting a variety of charitable activities including early childhood education, job training, food and shelter, and community programs. Serving on DSVP’s Investment Committee has enabled her to leverage her search efforts on behalf of the Foundation, by identifying a number of candidates worthy of funding through the Committee’s extensive vetting process.

Marti joined DSVP in 2010, not long after attending the inaugural bigBANG! event. While she had been aware of DSVP’s work before that time, she was so impressed by what she saw at bigBANG! that it became the catalyst for her becoming a Partner herself. She immediately joined DSVP’s Investment Committee, then added the Community Relations Team, and has been consistently impressed by the level of intellect brought to the table by all of the Partners; the different points of view add up to a wealth of insights that Marti finds fascinating as well as exciting.

Her view is that philanthropy is so much more interesting when people get together to offer knowledge and guidance rather than just financial support alone; the collective brainpower of the Partners is a big help in sorting through all of the potential Investees, but that same expertise -- in terms of business advice and technical advice -- is leveraged further by the DSVP approach of making a multi-year commitment to its Investees. Of her Partnership experience to date, she says "There are many opportunities to serve as a volunteer in the community. What makes DSVP different is the collaboration of volunteers to build effectiveness and efficiencies of nonprofit organizations serving children."

Keith Beers

Keith Beers has been a DSVP partner for three years. Through their family foundation, Keith, wife Helen Laughlin Beers, and their five sons have been supporting area nonprofits for over thirty years. They like active participation with nonprofits, not just writing checks, so DSVP was a natural fit. Keith has contributed greatly to the work of DSVP’s Portfolio Review Committee; Investment Committee; Budget, Audit and Accounting Committee and Board of Directors. He has applied his financial acumen and rigorous attention to detail.

Retired for over 40 years, Keith and Helen have traveled extensively. They owned a 500-year-old stately home in England for over 20 years, and a 100-year-old home in Texas that is on the Register of Historic Places. Keith has written over ten books, mostly on genealogy. He has documented the genealogy of four of his ancestors who were Mayflower passengers, numerous Revolutionary War Patriots, and a Jamestowne settler thought to be the subject of Shakespeare’s Tempest.

“I have enjoyed my experience with DSVP,” says Keith. “I have met many interesting and engaging partners. I continue to be amazed at the depth and variety of partner collaboration with our Investees. Through DSVP, I have been introduced to numerous effective and growing nonprofits that are trying to meet the needs of the many underprivileged in Dallas-Fort Worth.”

Partner Profile: Robin Minick

Robin Minick joined DSVP in 2009 and immediately joined the Investment Committee, the vehicle DSVP uses to determine which nonprofits to add to their portfolio. She became an early champion of Dallas Community Lighthouse (DCL). DCL is an apartment-based after-school tutoring program focused on math, language arts and reading. DCL’s overall method and strategy is to look at the whole child and help the child get engaged in learning – which affects their performance in school. Once DCL was chosen, Robin became a co-Lead Partner and participated in creating a business and marketing plan to enable them to serve more children by adding more sites.

This year, Robin has increased her commitment by serving as Co-Chair, along with Dick Evans, of the Investment Committee, which will soon announce the new Investee slate for 2012. Robin additionally serves as the Director of The Real Estate Council Foundation and chairperson of the board at the Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico.

Partner Profile: Barbara Errickson

Barbara Errickson joined DSVP in 2009 and immediately began working with investees (nonprofit beneficiaries of DSVP’s efforts). Barbara has over 35 years of experience working with TI and EDS, among other companies. She has put that experience to use on major systems projects with, among others, KIPP DFW, Dallas After School Network (DASN), The Samaritan Inn, Youth Village Resources of Dallas and TRM. She also serves as co-lead partner for KIPP DFW, a south Dallas charter school whose mission is to provide underserved children with a free, rigorous, high quality education that offers the knowledge, skills and character traits necessary to thrive in school, college and the competitive world beyond. She is a shining example of how DSVP Partners bring their business skills into nonprofits to help expand their capacity to serve.

When asked about her “ultimate giving goal,” Barbara had this to say:

“I want to utilize 35-years of professional experiences in support of not-for-profit community growth. We may all be created equal in the sense that with equal upbringing and support we have an equal chance to succeed, but the fact is, not all of us have the kind of supportive family that I have. I'd like to help spread some of that "equal" support to the less fortunate but potentially talented among us.”

Partner Profile: Dick and Lisa Evans

Frisco resident Dick Evans and his daughter, Lakewood resident Lisa Evans, have come up with a new way to spend quality father-daughter time: in engaged philanthropy. Dick is CEO of Proliance Resource Group and has been a partner in DSVP since 2007. He has served on the Board of Directors since 2010, and has also served as co-chair of the committee which determines which nonprofits will receive grants. Dick has also worked extensively with two grantees: Vision Regeneration, a South-Dallas based group whose mission is to eradicate gang violence, and KIPP DFW, an Oak Cliff-based charter school whose mission is to provide underserved children with a free, rigorous, high-quality education.

But Dick has gone beyond his own efforts—he recruited his daughter, Lisa Evans, to be a co-partner with him. An account manager for Behringer-Harvard, Lisa spearheaded the development of a marketing campaign for VMLC (formerly known as Vickery Meadow Learning Center), including launching a new name and logo. She also participated in a door-to-door recruiting campaign for KIPP DFW, accompanying several DSVP partners as they knocked on doors to spread the word about the possibilities KIPP offers. Said Lisa of the experience, “everyone we spoke to was very interested in learning more about KIPP. They really liked the sound of a free, college preparatory school that would help their children receive a higher level of education and help them with character traits that would set them up for success in life.”

Dick comments that “Engaged Philanthropy is not reserved just for those in the later stages of life or those with years of “life experience”. Younger people not only bring energy but also a fresh perspective in how they look at opportunities and challenges. DSVP is a great way to introduce them to the various ways they can share this with their communities.”

VMLC

If you missed last week's DSVP Luncheon, featuring VMLC, take a moment to learn more about their mission through this short video.

VMLC VIDEO LINK

Partner Profile: Elaine Bernstein

Addison resident Elaine Bernstein moved to North Texas in 2009 when she semi-retired from her labor and employment law practice in Dayton, Ohio. Drawn by the desire to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren, Elaine also quickly established new personal, professional and philanthropic networks. She joined DSVP and immediately went to work putting her professional skills to use helping several Investees (nonprofit beneficiaries of DSVP’s efforts) develop human resources policies and manuals.

Elaine has also become Co-Lead Partner of VMLC, whose mission is to improve English literacy levels among non-English speaking adults and their children by providing programs in communications and life skills. Elaine is helping advance their vision that the ability to understand, read, write and speak English contributes to the independence, productivity and overall well-being of the learners, their families and the greater community.

Partner Profile: Scott Chase

Dallas attorney Scott Chase has been a partner with DSVP since 2007. Already a veteran of years of nonprofit involvement in the Dallas community, Scott viewed DSVP as the perfect avenue to blend his expertise and dollars with like-minded philanthropists to create an even greater impact on the community.

During his participation on the Investment Committee (the vehicle that DSVP partners use to select their nonprofit investees), Scott had the opportunity to make an even-deeper connection with Youth Village Resources, for whom he had previously provided pro bono legal advice. YVR provides job training programs, including dog training and culinary training, for residents of Dallas County Youth Village, a county detention facility for nonviolent young offenders. Scott has served as co-lead partner for YVR for three years. With DSVP’s help, YVR has undergone truly transformative organizational change, including building a robust board and strategic plan. Armed with a recent University of Texas at Dallas study (spearheaded by DSVP) which demonstrates the powerful results YVR’s training programs have on recidivism and employment prospects for program graduates, YVR is putting the finishing touches on an aggressive fundraising strategy.

Metrics are, of course, wonderful, but for Scott, the real payoff comes in hearing the stories of the impact on individual young men. A young man was recently asked what he learned from the dog training program. He thought about for a minute and said, “I learned you don’t have to abuse your kids.”

Partner Profile: Susie Morrissey

Susie Morrissey joined DSVP in 2006 and has been tireless in offering her assistance to our Investees (e.g. nonprofit beneficiaries of DSVP’s efforts) – especially by her ongoing participation in the Investment Committee, the vehicle DSVP uses to determine which nonprofits to take into their portfolio. A successful entrepreneur, Susie has a wide range of skills sets that she brings to organizations. She has been a Lead Partner several times, and most recently serves as the Co-Lead Partner, along with Murray Covens, at PediPlace – whose mission is to provide quality healthcare to children with limited access to care. She takes great pride in helping organizations create systems that improve their efficiency and help them make a more powerful impact in the communities they serve.

Partner Profile: Phyllis and Richard Bernstien

Prestonwood residents Phyllis and Richard Bernstein are avid travelers. They've gone on many journeys together, including to such exotic locations as Antarctica and the Arctic. And now that Richard has sold his successful business valuation firm and retired, he's joined Phyllis in another important journey—becoming an engaged philanthropist.

Phyllis, who stopped working as an audiologist to raise her children, has long played a prominent leadership role in Dallas nonprofit circles, including with The Volunteer Center of North Texas and the Center for Nonprofit Management. In 2011, Phyllis was honored for "Excellence in Mentoring" by the 46th Annual Women's Symposium at SMU. Phyllis carried the Olympic Torch after Troy Aikman passed it to her. The Dallas Morning News has recognized Phyllis as Volunteer of the Year.

Phyllis and Richard joined Dallas Social Venture Partners, a group which invests both time and expertise in helping nonprofits build capacity, in 2007, and quickly became one of DSVP's "power couples." Richard has lent his financial expertise to several of DSVP's grantees, including Youth Village Resource Center, and has also served on DSVP's Finance and Audit Committee and the committee that regularly reviews DSVP's portfolio of grants. Phyllis recently became the "co-lead partner" for VMLC, one of DSVP's newest grantees. (Lead partners act as liaison between the nonprofit grantee and the team of DSVP partners who are providing professional services to address specific needs of the nonprofit).

As you can see from this photograph, Phyllis and Richard are still enjoying their journey together!

Partner Profile: John Palter

Park Cities resident John Palter wears many hats — trial attorney, devoted dad and committed cyclist. This June, he wore yet another hat: social innovation promoter. John, who is the past board chair of DSVP, co-chaired bigBANG! 2011 at Union Station in Dallas. In its second year, bigBANG! convened a community of foundations, investors, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders to solve social problems through the collaborative application of innovative business practices.

When asked why social innovation is important, John said: "bigBANG! aligns the community around a compelling societal goal to achieve leveraged and measurable impact. Through collective innovation by the private sector, urgent social problems may be addressed effectively on national scale.”

2011 Fall First Friday Series

Dallas Social Venture Partners is proud to announce that the 2011 Fall First Friday Series will take place at Tower Club Dallas! Lunch series tickets are available now. An early bird discount is available to those who purchase the series before September 8th, 2011.

DSVP will feature a series dedicated to the core mission of work.
Check out the list of exciting topics that DSVP will cover this Fall. Register Today to reserve your spot!

September 9, 2011 - DSVP Portfolio Review:Focus and Impact
Portfolio Review Committee-Update

October 7, 2011 - TRM:Tutor, Read, Mentor
New Investee Update

November 4, 2011 - VMLC
New Investee Update

December 2, 2011 - DSVP Annual Luncheon

Register Here!
All events will be held at Tower Club Dallas - 1601 Elm Street, Dallas, TX. 75201
Early Bird Lunch Series Tickets (4 Luncheons): $80-Partners&Investees, $100-Community
Individual Ticket Costs: $25-Partners&Investees, $30-Community

BigBANG a BIG success!

On June 17, 2011 hundreds of people joined together at Union Station to help DSVP celebrate our second annual BigBANG event. We learned that Travelocity offers more Green hotel options than anyone else, that Mary Kay focuses on ending domestic violence, that one college with a football field can grow up to 2500 pounds of food like Paul Quinn College, and that if you empower a woman you empower her family. Thanks to our partners, sponsors, and innovators alike, we were able to make BigBANG a BIG success. Too read more about what BIG things took place at BigBANG, check us out in the Dallas Morning News here: http://bit.ly/jixdmT, the Dallas Observer here: http://bit.ly/jRgabo, or see what some of our innovators like President J. Sorrell from Paul Quinn College had to say here: http://bit.ly/j0N39d. And don't forget to get out and Spark Some Good!

BREAKING NEWS : bigBANG! Rescheduled to FRIDAY, June 17!

Due to the unforeseen Mavericks Celebration Parade, we at DSVP have determined best to reschedule bigBANG! 2011 by one day, to Friday, June 17. We’ll maintain the exact same schedule as planned. Doors at 8am, with registration starting at 8:15. All the details here: www.bigbangtx.org
After running through multiple scenarios and weighing safety, cost and viability, it is determined that trying to keep the event intact on June 16 when 250,000 Mavericks fans are estimated to arrive on the very block Union Station is located, is foolhardy at best.

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2011/06/everything_you_need_to_know_ab_1.php

We explored keeping the same day with the Mayor’s office, the traffic officers and our key advisors. We also explored a truncated day, alternative locations, and moving the date to another month. After much deliberation, and many phone calls, Friday keeps our momentum, our menu of custom grown food, most of our speakers, volunteers, staff and hopefully YOU, our audience.

Inspired by the spirit of the Dallas Mavericks and their ability to pull out all the stops in the final moments of their game; we too feel motivated to give bigBANG! 2011 our best effort.

So we hope to see you there. We will be there ready to give you the best socially innovative event ever held. Should you have any problems, please come and see us at the “YES” table. It will be right next to registration. This will be helpful should you send someone in your place. No matter what, should you not be able to attend, we will have live streaming all day on Friday: http://bigbangtx.org/this-space-reserved-for-live-web-streaming-on-june-16/

It’s on! FRIDAY!

Your friends at DSVP

Double Your Investment! Double Your Impact!

For every dollar that you donate between now and June 30, 2011, KIPP:DFW will receive TWO dollars up to a total of $125,000!

DONATE!

KIPP:DFW is grateful to the generous donors who made this matching grant possible.

In honor of the tremendous difference our teachers make, KIPP:DFW has extended Teacher Appreciation Week into Teacher Appreciation Month! Please donate today in honor of a teacher who inspired you and to support our inspiring teachers at KIPP:DFW.

Your Contribution Promotes KIPP:DFW "extras" such as extended school hours (30 percent more than neighborhood schools), educational field lessons and college visits, and the ongoing support that helps urban students gain acceptance to high-performing high schools and colleges.


KIPP:DFW is part of the nationally renowned Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), a frequent newsmaker whose groundbreaking work is championed in The New York Times Bestsellers, Work Hard. Be Nice. and Outliers: The Story of Success, and the recent documentary, Waiting for “Superman."

Where only 65 percent of neighborhood students graduate high school and 50 percent go on to college, 95 percent of KIPPsters nationally graduate and 85 percent go on to college.

KIPP:DFW’s mission is to provide underserved children with a free, rigorous, high-quality education that offers the knowledge, skills and character traits necessary to thrive in school, college and the competitive world beyond.

More at www.facebook.com/KIPPdfw
or http://www.kipptruth.com/

SVP: Beyond a start up...

See impassioned SVPI Board Member Lance Fors discuss what's next for the social venture philanthropy movement in this video.



For more information about Social Venture Partners International visit their website.
http://svpi.org/

SVP - Global Brand Strategy

Just back from a brand workshop at Social Venture Partners International. Our work day of 50 or so different partners and staffers from around the network representing at least 18 out of 26 affiliates focused mainly on word play. Our facilitator Will Novy-Hildesley of Quicksilver Foundry began the day notifying the group that, in the end, our brand promise would NOT be developed by consensus.

This is an interesting concept for a "passionate" group of SVP'ers who each have their own perspective and opinions on how our international collection of Social Venture Partnerships should be represented to the world. The good news: there was clear consensus on the need for a global brand to which we all can pledge our allegiance. In a fascinating journey of many many words on even more index cards, there were a few themes that are an exciting departure from our familiar ways of communicating in our SVP world. Here are a few.

- How can we "sprint from acceptable to brilliant?"
- How do we shed our "Curse of Knowledge" and learn to share RICH (not complex) stories?
- How will our brand inspire excitement? Because nothing happens until someone gets excited.
- How do we go beyond spreading a model of philanthropy and ignite a "movement" in philanthropy?
- Kill the Labels - What does it mean for the world of SVP's to do away with the outward jargon of Partners, Investees, and Staff? How would that present a different perception in the community? Are they taking away more than they are providing?

The final product is now in the hands of our capable facilitator to go back to the "foundry" to be forged. Consensus is futile. We will push through to a common brand with a variety of local "signals" (or manifestations) of that brand. So tune in and stay tuned!

Mayoral Candidate Forum

DSVP Partner, Suzanne Smith, shares why you should join her, Dallas Social Venture Partners, The Dallas 40 and Center for Nonprofit Management for the upcoming Mayoral Candidate Forum on April 19:

I have always joked with people that I speak three languages – English, Spanish, and Government. As a daughter of a former County Commissioner, a former campaign worker (ask me for some crazy stories at an upcoming First Friday), and an avid politico, I have learned that it isn’t enough to speak the language of government and politics, but you have to speak up when it matters. Right now, with government cuts looming and the social sector in flux, Dallas Social Venture Partners need to use their voice and speak up for our priorities. In my humble opinion, our priorities should be: 1) Greater cross-sector coordination on social sector issues (including with Dallas County and local school districts); 2) Infusion of innovative and proven practices to ensure that our kids and other vulnerable populations are getting our best efforts; and 3) Ensuring that we attract young people to bring their talent and energy to the social sector. To accomplish this, I’d like for us to challenge our Dallas elected officials to create an Office of Strategic Partnerships. Both Denver and Los Angeles have these offices and they have accomplished a lot in the past 2 years to encourage cross-sector collaboration, volunteerism, and social entrepreneurship.

We have a great opportunity with the upcoming Dallas Mayor’s Forum to affect change in our community. We need the concept of social innovation to become embedded in our elected officials' thinking so that it is always part of their platform. We can do the same thing here locally.

So, let’s speak up about the issues we care about and join other DSVP partners at:

Mayoral Candidate Forum
Hosts: The Dallas 40, Dallas Social Venture Partners, and Center for Nonprofit Management
When: April 19, 7:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Location: Communities Foundation of Texas
Cost: FREE, but space is limited so register before it's sold out
Parking: Complimentary Parking available immediately behind the building
Registration: http://maycanfor11.eventbrite.com/
Due to high demand registration has opened up more spots. Space is limited however so please register to reserve your spot.

This post is from a guest blogger and does not necessarily represent the opinion or position of Dallas Social Venture Partners.

Robert Egger Announces bigBANG! NOURISH Track

Announcing the NOURISH track innovators! Thanks Robert Egger for the video! These select INNOVATORS will present their dot coms AND dot orgs on the bigBANG! Fast Pitch stage JUNE 16th in DALLAS TEXAS. Get those early bird tickets NOW!

Cafe Momentum – a restaurant with a mission

The Movement – fitness club creating farm demand Dallas Farmers Market Trust – a movement to privatize the Dallas Farmer’s Market!

Paul Quinn College – Food for Good Farm – A football field turned into a farm!

Sustainable Food Center - A statewide effort focused on seed-to-table education and awareness around food and farmers.

Other track Innovators in EMPOWER, SERVE and TEACH to be announced in the coming weeks.

Endorsed by SLOW MONEY North Texas and brought to you by Dallas Social Venture Partners. Website: http://www.bigbangtx.org/ Twitter: @bBANGtx

bigBANG! 2011 Spices Things Up with The Selection of NOURISH Innovators

DALLAS – April 5, 2011 – Five innovative organizations that focus on different aspects of local food issues have been selected to appear on the NOURISH 2011 Fast Pitch Stage during the June 16th bigBang! forum. The one-day event brings together innovative nonprofit groups, investors, socially conscious businesses, philanthropists, foundations and social entrepreneurs for maximum social impact.

These NOURISH innovators are at various stages of organizational development. An appearance on the bigBang! Fast Pitch stage will help the NOURISH innovators share their ideas with impact investors and donors from North Texas who are keen on funding new and different ways of doing good.

The newly selected NOURISH Innovators are:

Cafe Momentum – A seed stage idea that would create a restaurant connected to local farmers, producers and chefs. Cafe Momentum will employ those who seek a second chance in life. By learning all aspects of the food industry and apprenticing under local chefs and restaurateurs, Cafe Momentum will help drive economic development, provide pathways out of poverty and create market demand for fresh local foods.

The Movement – A for-profit business model, The Movement approaches health in a holistic way that drives a triple bottom line business. The entry level offering of The Movement is a fitness club, but clients find a much different experience that involves a more community focused approach to health that educates them about the importance of nutrition and quality fresh food. By creating a demand through co-op services and ready-made meals, The Movement is creating a regional market demand for farm fresh foods.

Dallas Farmers Market Trust – A group that is attempting to privatize the Dallas Farmers Market to preserve value and heritage of this cultural asset while ensuring that that a thriving Farmers Market continues to operate near downtown Dallas. Through a proposed private/public partnership that involves city, for-profit development and nonprofit programming, these leaders see an opportunity to revitalize a space around food, community and farmers.

Paul Quinn College – Food for Good Farm – The food needs of the college’s surrounding food community, officially classified as an “Urban Food Dessert,” led to the decision for Paul Quinn College to plow up the football field and turn it into a farm. This move transformed an existing underutilized resource and into something with new value of the community. Through its curriculum of sustainable agriculture and social entrepreneurship, this innovator is creating systemic change with a new generation of college students!

Sustainable Food Center – This Austin, Texas Innovator features a statewide vision for “Food Security”. Focused on seed-to-table education to help Texans grow their own food, access farmers and create healthy kitchens, they envision a way to connect quality fresh food to our families who have the least access. By replicating their programming throughout the state, they have a potential to grow a base of constituents that can help influence policy and ensure a bigger Texas vision for our food system.

The NOURISH Cause Track is chaired by Bob Wright, the founder of Dallas Social Venture Partners. DSVP is a charter member of Social Venture Partners International, a network of twenty-six social venture partnerships around the globe. Mr. Wright is also founding board member of SVPI and served as its president for three years, and continues as past president. He also serves on the board of the OneStar Foundation, co-authored a book, “The Little Green Book of Venture Philanthropy” and is an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he teaches Entrepreneurship in the Social Sector. Bob is also an attorney in the software space.

The official Endorser of the NOURISH Cause Track is Slow Money Texas, an alliance that promotes investment in environmentally, socially and culturally sustainable food systems throughout the State of Texas.

Along with NOURISH, the bigBang! 2011 Pitch Stage will feature yet-to-be-selected Innovators from three additional Cause Tracks. EMPOWER (issues affecting women and girls), TEACH (initiatives impacting our citizens and their opportunity to learn), NOURISH (a mix of nonprofit and for profit ventures with an emphasis on local food) and SERVE (featuring North Texas’ most impactful Corporate Social Responsibility programs).

All of the innovators will receive expert coaching and will employ tactics from the world of venture capital fundraising to make sure their “ask” is on target and well-delivered so that it hits home with an audience that is ready to help them put their plans into motion.

Details:

bigBang! 2011

When: Thursday, June 16, 2011 9am – 5pm

Where: Union Station, 400 S. Houston St., Dallas, TX 75202

Who: Innovative nonprofit groups and socially conscious businesses, investors, philanthropists, foundations and social entrepreneurs

Why: 4 Causes + 20 Social Innovators x 1 Pitch Stage = Maximum Social Impact. bigBang! 2011 will offer a marketplace for individuals, foundations and businesses to window-shop and bump into the most innovative nonprofits and social entrepreneurs in our region creating an optimum environment for doing good in North Texas.

How to Attend: Visit http://www.bigbangtx.org/ to register and get more information.

About bigBANG!
bigBANG! is a forum hosted by Dallas Social Venture Partners that brings together innovative nonprofit groups, investors, socially conscious businesses, philanthropists, foundations and social entrepreneurs. bigBang! strives to create positive impact in the Dallas-area and beyond through networking and the sharing of ideas and experiences.

About DSVP
DSVP is a partnership of professionals, social entrepreneurs and foundations who are committed to strengthening our community through the thoughtful application of collective dollars and business expertise. DSVP is comprised of 123 partners and works with a current portfolio of nine nonprofit investments to create positive social impact. For additional information, please call (214) 855-5520 or visit http://www.dsvp.org/.

KIPP Neighborhood Canvassing Event

DSVP Partner, Lisa Evans, reflects on recent KIPP recruiting event:

This weekend I volunteered to help with a neighborhood outreach recruitment event for KIPP Truth Academy. A mix of DSVP partners, friends of DSVP partners, parents of current KIPP students, and KIPP staff convened at the Dallas KIPP Campus on Saturday morning. We met for a brief training session before we were paired up and set loose in surrounding neighborhoods to help recruit new students for the upcoming 2011-2012 school year that starts on June 9th.

During our 20-30 minute orientation we learned about the many benefits KIPP provides to students and parents of students that choose to enroll in KIPP’s rigorous college preparatory curriculum. Since KIPP Truth Academy goes from 5th through 8th Grade, we targeted households that had a 4th Grader in them. Most of KIPP's openings for new students are in 5th Grade, since most students stay until they go to high school. We learned that KIPP graduates usually get accepted into a high school far superior to DISD high schools. They read us an impressive list of the private schools, boarding schools, magnet schools and college preparatory schools that many of the current KIPP 8th grade class had just got accepted to.

Preparing the students with the tools they need to get accepted into an exemplary high school is just one of the benefits KIPP offers. They visit 9 or 10 colleges and universities during their time at KIPP, going on annual educational trips to places like Washington DC, San Antonio and Colorado. Students also receive guidance applying to universities and for financial aid their Junior year in high school.

So now that we were all well-informed about the benefits of KIPP and knew that our goal was to educate parents on these benefits, encourage them to attend an open house next week to learn more, or to have them fill out an enrollment form right then and there, we set off to our assigned houses. To my surprise, everyone we spoke to had already heard of KIPP and were very interested in learning more. They really liked the sound of a free, college preparatory school that would help their children receive a higher level of education and help them with character traits that would set them up for success in life. We had many parents tell us they would definitely be attending the open house on March 22nd and even walked away with 2 enrollment forms for a 4th and 5th grader.

I walked away wishing we could have reached more people that morning, but felt great about the parents we were able to speak to in hopes that their children would join KIPP, and greatly improve their chances of receiving a college education and experiencing success far beyond that as well. This event allowed me to gain knowledge and a much greater appreciation for what KIPP does for children and families of the underprivileged who, based on statistics, would most likely never receive a college degree and I’m very grateful I was able to be a part of it!

DSVP Tours New Investees

DSVP Partner, C. Albert Tatum, III, reflects on recent tour:

Thank you for guiding us through Trinity River Mission and Vickery Meadows Learning Center. Reading about our Investees and having them come to First Fridays imparts some feeling as to what they are all about, but nothing can come close to seeing them in action.

Almost all of us became DSVP Partners because of our interest in engaged philanthropy. But then, with limited time, it's difficult to truly engage with very many Investees. DSVP tours bridge that gap by delivering maximum exposure in a very efficient time frame. I love 'em.

Dallas Social Venture Partners Hosts Robert Egger, Founder DC Central Kitchen, V3

Nationally Recognized Nonprofit Leader Established Nation’s First Community Kitchen and Organization to Ensure Elected Officials Stand Up for Nonprofits

DALLAS – March, 18, 2011 – On Friday, April 1, Robert Egger, Founder and President of the nationally acclaimed DC Central Kitchen and founder of the V3 Campaign will be the featured speaker at the Dallas Social Venture Partners (DSVP) First Friday Luncheon at the Tower Club in Dallas.

Mr. Egger has been named one of the “50 Most Powerful and Influential” nonprofit leaders by the Nonprofit Times and is authored one book on nonprofit management. He speaks across the country and internationally on hunger, sustainability,

DC Central Kitchen is the nation’s first “community kitchen,” where food donated by hospitality businesses and farms is used for a culinary arts training program where unemployed men and women learn marketable skills while converting the donated food into balanced meals.

The Kitchen has produced over 23 million meals and helped 800 men and women gain employment since it opened in 1989. The Kitchen operates its own revenue generating business, Fresh Start Catering as well as the Campus Kitchens Project, which coordinates similar recycling, meal programs in college and high school-based kitchens.

The V3 Campaign – for Voice, Vote, Value – is an organization that strives to make the voice of social enterprise and non-profit movement heard during elections while remaining within IRS code for 501c3 as written. This movement ensures that elected officials will understand and stand up for nonprofit organizations.


The theme of the luncheon is “Getting it Right, a Statewide Vision for Impact,” a look at the state of nonprofits in Texas and discussion of how this sector is relevant to our quality of life and economic development.

The First Friday monthly luncheon series informs DSVP Partners and community members about socially innovative ideas that are advancing the nonprofit sector and the Dallas community.

Event: DSVP First Friday Luncheon Series featuring Robert Egger, DC Central Kitchen Founder and President

When: Friday, April 1, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Where: Tower Club Dallas
Thanksgiving Tower
1601 Elm Street, 48th Floor
Dallas, TX 75201

Cost: $25 for DSVP Partners, $30 for non-partners

Registration: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1058964391

Questions: Contact Meghan Hale mhale@dsvp.org or call (214) 855-5520

SVPI coordinating with SVP Tokyo affiliate to collect and channel community donations for Japan earthquake relief

On the heels of Friday's mammoth 8.9 magnitude earthquake off Japan's northeastern coast, SVP will channel donations through our Tokyo SVP Partners to ensure they are distributed to organizations taking a lead role in helping Japan's people and towns rebuild.

Weekend reports say the death toll from Japan's massive earthquake and the resulting tsunami could top 1,800 and entire cities have been destroyed. There is also growing concern about potential danger from a damaged nuclear plant.

The Social Venture Partners team on the ground in Tokyo reports that the public railway system is rapidly recovering, though the full impact in the area closest to the quake is still unclear.

People are helping each other, though there is concern over the impact of repeated exposure to video of the devastation, especially on children. Efforts to calm the situation, involving many non-government/non-profit organizations, are underway.

Social Venture Partners unique leveraged model of giving time and expertise alongside money means donations sent through SVPI to Tokyo have the potential to be worth many times the dollar amount contributed. By partnering with our affiliate in Tokyo, we hope to alleviate one of the concerns people have when donating overseas: assurance their donation is used effectively. Our Partners in Tokyo know the community, and will make sure monies are used where they're most needed. Gifts of any size are encouraged to help the victims.

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Update: The Early Childhood Development Forum of SVPI

By: Bob Wood

The Early Childhood Development Forum of SVPI had its second teleconference on January 12, 2011. Leading the discussion was Dr. Gina Lebedeva, from Seattle who presented on the infant brain development research taking place at I-LABS (Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences) at the University of Washington. Young children are geniuses at learning multiple languages, while adults struggle. Studies at I-Labs are beginning to help us to understand whether similar “windows of opportunity” exist for other content areas, such as social-emotional and cognitive development. Is there a critical time to learn compassion, impulse control, self-esteem or mindfulness of self and others? We focused on and were exposed to the very latest findings on windows of opportunity for language development.

Dr. Lebedeva is charged with “translating” the scientific findings of I-LABS into language understandable by policy makers such as legislators, business community and philanthropists. We witnessed first-hand her skill and knowledge as she masterfully led the discussion.

Three “takeaways” fascinated me:
1. The window for optimal language learning is extremely small (and early). The ability of Japanese and American infants to distinguish “la” from “ra” diverged rapidly between ages 8-10 months.
2. Learning uses both the computational and social aspects of the brain. Infants were exposed to the exact same language sessions, some live and some presented by video screen. Only live exposure infants learned!
3. There is no dichotomy between learning and play before age three and , because of 2 above, YOU are the best toy in the room!

It is never too late to learn. If an optimum window is missed, it is simply more difficult and less efficient.

As with all the information contributed to the Forum, slides and audio from the presentation are archived on the SVPI intranet and available to all SVP partners and investees on the site created for the ECD Forum at https://intranet.svpi.org/crossnetwork/earlychildhood/default.aspx. If you need help accessing the site, please email Rona Pryor on rona@svpi.org.

You can also click here to read more about I-LABS work.


There were about 28 people on the January call representing at least nine different cities. If you are interested in issues involving early childhood development, mark your calendar for noon on April 20 for the next SVPI ECD Forum teleconference. Details will come out well in advance of the call. There is a great chance that Dallas will be leading the discussion on a vocational Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health.

Interested in Recruiting the Next Class at KIPP TRUTH Academy?

On Saturday, March 19th, DSVP partners are invited to participate in an “experience” that will bring you closer to the communities they serve and increase your awareness and understanding of the challenging process of taking their message to the community.

KIPP invites DSVP partners to join them for a 2 hour recruiting event. Partners are asked to be at the KIPP no later than 8:45 am on March 19th. There will be a brief 15 minutes overview and partners will be paired with KIPP staff. From 9:00 am to 11:00 am participants will canvass the local neighborhoods sharing the KIPP opportunity with the parents and potential KIPP’sters in those households. There is a particular need for partners and participants who are Spanish-speaking or bilingual.

Barbara Errickson and Dick Evans, DSVP lead partners for KIPP, ask for the help of our partners to get an “up close and personal” view of this experience and to see, first hand, why there is such a great need for the value KIPP brings to these communities.

WHAT: DSVP KIPP Neighborhood Student Recruiting Event

WHEN: Saturday, March 19th from 8:45 am to 11:00 am

WHERE: KIPP: Truth Academy
3200 South Lancaster Road, Suite 230-A, Dallas, 75216
(on the NE corner of Kiest & Lancaster, across the parking lot from Fiesta Grocery)
PHONE: 214-375-8326

HOW: Contact Barbara Errickson (Barbara.errickson@gmail.com) or
Dick Evans (revans@proliancerg.com) to register.

Don’t miss this opportunity to show your support, as a DSVP partner and friend, to one of our valued investees!!

Two New Investees Awarded

Congratulations to DSVP’s newest Investees: Vickery Meadow Learning Center (VMLC) and Trinity River Mission (TRM) for being the 2011 recipients of Crystal Charity!

After a rigorous vetting process which included participation and support by our DSVP Partners, VMLC and TRM have been awarded grants by the highly esteemed Crystal Charity.

Since 1952, the sole purpose of The Crystal Charity Ball has been to aid, support and make contributions to children's charities in Dallas County.

To read the full story click here.

To learn more about Crystal Charity visit their website here.

Update: Room to Read school and library built with DSVP Partner support

At the January Afterhours event, DSVP Partners Ginny Jackson and Steve Raab, Anne and Bob Wood, and Justin Nezda spoke about their experiences traveling to Nepal to see the Room to Read school and library built with DSVP Partner support. Guests at the Afterhours event were lucky to hear stories and see pictures of how the entire community welcomed the group and demonstrated their deep gratitude to our DSVP representatives. A big thank you to Ellen Wood for introducing DSVP to Room to Read!

Below are some reflections by Bob Wood:

What Brings You Here?
By: Bob Wood

Child of Nepal
Beautiful, round-faced child of Nepal
What brings you here today?
Was it the horn? The drum?
The excitement in the air?
The dancing? The songs?
A chance to see traditions as old as this valley?

Was it your Mother, who watches patiently
Under a tree at the back of the square
Tired, but proud
Showing her love for the school and for you
By wearing her school-blue sari
And her omnipresent smile.

What brings you here with marigolds?
What drove you to stand, shoulder to shoulder with the other children
Bedecked in blue, lining both sides of the street,
With flowers in your hands?

Was it your Father, who stayed behind
Because the harvest won’t wait?
Your Father, who carries an extra weight so his children can go,
But smiles as he contemplates proudly his children?

What brings you here to stand in the dust and the sun?
Was it your brother, who gently gathers your hand
When the movement of the crowd threatens to envelope you?
Or the teachers or the elders or the guests
Who bathe this gathering with words of encouragement and praise?

No, I think you came seeking a room to read.
A safe, quiet place where books could open a world unknown to you.
You came looking for a book, to open it and bravely step within.
And glimpse a world beyond this village.
Beautiful, round-faced, brave child of Nepal.