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.”

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.”