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.”