This week, Dallas Social Venture Partners, has the honor of hosting international social entrepreneur, John Wood, of Room to Read. A friend to the social venture partner movement, Mr. Wood will be presenting to a number of DSVP Partners alongside other philanthropist and social entrepreneurs in our community on Wednesday. The program was made possible with collaborative support from the Entrepreneurs Foundation of North Texas, The Dallas Foundation, The Communities Foundation of Texas, and Dallas Women's Foundation; and underwriting from Marie Keese Lelash Foundation.
Below are a few entertaining resources to prepare our minds for the discussion. Much of Room to Read's work has taken place in Southeast Asia. So, as a starting point, we begin with some reflections from DSVP Partner Ellen Wood (no relation to John) from a recent trip to Southeast Asia. Then you can see a couple youtube videos about Room to Read's work. And finally, you can look at a couple of recent articles featuring the mission.
"Change Your Life: Devote Yourself to a Cause", Men's Journal- January 12, 2009
"Room to Read's John Wood: Bringing the Power of Education to Children Around the World", Knowledge @ Wharton- December 23, 2008
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Policy and Leverage for Social Venture Partners
A number of policy recommendations have been made to help evolve the nonprofit sector to its 2.0 version. What is most intriguing about these ideas is the vision to think differently about how we solve some of the biggest challenges facing our society by strengthening, leveraging and holding the sector accountable. To see a more comprehensive list of recommendations that will further such a transformation; see post on Social Entrepreneurs Engage.
However, there are two important recommendations that are extremely relative and exciting to help advance the work of the Social Venture Partner model. Imagine each Social Venture Partnership positioning their Social Investment Portfolio in a way that they could draw down a blend of matching dollars through federal grants and funding networks of public/private dollars that would ensure increased social impact.
Specifically:
A Nonprofit Capacity Building Initiative - A federal resourcing strategy to build the capacity, engage cross-sector leadership, and move local solutions to scale.
Acting as a grant making program of the Commission on Cross-Sector Solutions, the initiative would fund efforts to increase the skills, leadership and infrastructure to move good ideas to scale; and, build from the on-the-ground efforts by providing matching grants to the efforts of private and community foundations, businesses and local/state governments. This policy concept is being advanced by the National Council for Nonprofits.
A Community Solutions Fund Network - A network of funds targeted to bring together public and private dollars to help seed and nurture along (build capacity) proven on the ground solutions.
Each community is facing their own unique issues and targeted solutions. By creating a network of local and state funds that can attract a blend of corporate, governmental, and foundation grants, communities can develop a portfolio of solutions that make sense to address their unique needs. This concept is being advanced by America Forward.
The 25 Social Venture Partnerships are uniquely poised to take advantaged of these ideas. Each of us are funding a portfolio of community based organizations who we feel can have the greatest social impact when resourced with a blend of our financial, human and intellectual capital. As we think about the policy work that is relative to our individual portfolios, the question becomes, what bigger ideas can we promote that are powerful for us as a network.
However, there are two important recommendations that are extremely relative and exciting to help advance the work of the Social Venture Partner model. Imagine each Social Venture Partnership positioning their Social Investment Portfolio in a way that they could draw down a blend of matching dollars through federal grants and funding networks of public/private dollars that would ensure increased social impact.
Specifically:
A Nonprofit Capacity Building Initiative - A federal resourcing strategy to build the capacity, engage cross-sector leadership, and move local solutions to scale.
Acting as a grant making program of the Commission on Cross-Sector Solutions, the initiative would fund efforts to increase the skills, leadership and infrastructure to move good ideas to scale; and, build from the on-the-ground efforts by providing matching grants to the efforts of private and community foundations, businesses and local/state governments. This policy concept is being advanced by the National Council for Nonprofits.
A Community Solutions Fund Network - A network of funds targeted to bring together public and private dollars to help seed and nurture along (build capacity) proven on the ground solutions.
Each community is facing their own unique issues and targeted solutions. By creating a network of local and state funds that can attract a blend of corporate, governmental, and foundation grants, communities can develop a portfolio of solutions that make sense to address their unique needs. This concept is being advanced by America Forward.
The 25 Social Venture Partnerships are uniquely poised to take advantaged of these ideas. Each of us are funding a portfolio of community based organizations who we feel can have the greatest social impact when resourced with a blend of our financial, human and intellectual capital. As we think about the policy work that is relative to our individual portfolios, the question becomes, what bigger ideas can we promote that are powerful for us as a network.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
DSVP and Youth Village Foundation featured in Dallas Morning News
If any of you have ever had the pleasure of working with business columnist Robert Miller for the Dallas Morning News, you know he's a legend among the nonprofit community. I can't think of any other writer who has dedicated his golden prose to amplifying the missions and elevating leaders of Dallas' social sector. A nonprofit leader recently stating that you "know your organization has arrived" when Robert Miller has written about your work.
Today's article, "Many Help Young Offenders Refocus", features DSVP's most recent investment, Youth Village Foundation, and highlights the relationship we are embarking on over the coming years. DSVP has indeed begun to create our strategy working with Jerry Silhan, Executive Director and their Board to map out how we can best be relative to their efforts. We have identified our Lead Partners, Lynne Thorby and Scott Chase, who will serve as the partner liasons between Youth Village Foundation and DSVP. DSVP Engagement Manager, Sari Raskin, is busy crafting an engagement strategy to maximize the use of DSVP's human capital, intellectual capital, social capital, along side the grant dollars.
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Today's article, "Many Help Young Offenders Refocus", features DSVP's most recent investment, Youth Village Foundation, and highlights the relationship we are embarking on over the coming years. DSVP has indeed begun to create our strategy working with Jerry Silhan, Executive Director and their Board to map out how we can best be relative to their efforts. We have identified our Lead Partners, Lynne Thorby and Scott Chase, who will serve as the partner liasons between Youth Village Foundation and DSVP. DSVP Engagement Manager, Sari Raskin, is busy crafting an engagement strategy to maximize the use of DSVP's human capital, intellectual capital, social capital, along side the grant dollars.
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