Tuesday, March 22, 2011

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!

Monday, March 21, 2011

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.

Friday, March 18, 2011

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

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

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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