Year: 2019

Home / 2019

SV2 Board Hosted Partner Community Dinners

• News

The SV2 Board will be hosting a series of dinners again this year to connect and engage Partners in small group discussions on a specific topic. We ask Partners to choose one dinner to attend this year due to limited space at each dinner.

Our first dinner will be hosted by SV2 Board Member Jim Basile at his home in San Francisco on September 5 at 7:00pm. Partners are invited to come and discuss the topic of charting your philanthropic journey – focused impact vs. systemic change. This is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect and deepen relationships within our SV2 community.

Space is limited to the first eleven Partners to register. RSVP here.

Our second dinner will be hosted by SV2 Board Member Paru Yusuf in her Los Altos home on November 14 at 6:30pm. At this dinner SV2 Partners will explore the knowledge and information gap of better resourced communities and individuals and how to create more knowledge and awareness about all of the communities in our area. We invite Partners to explore how to deepen understanding of our less resourced local communities and expand giving and engagement.

Space is limited to the first ten Partners to register. RSVP here.

Future dinners are planned again in January on the topic of Impact Investing and March on the topic of Healthy Democracy. Stay tuned for future announcements.

In Memoriam: Barb Jones

• News

It is with heavy hearts that we both mourn the loss and celebrate the life of SV2 Partner Barb Jones, who died on July 13th following a short battle with aggressive lung cancer.

Barb was a longtime SV2 Partner, a beloved member of many communities – including Palo Alto, SV2, the philanthropic community, and so many more. Barb lived her life with grace, generosity, thoughtfulness and wit, leaving everyone and everything better than she found it. She truly lived the values of the SV2 community. We will miss her greatly, celebrate the many ripples of her legacy in the world and extend our sympathies to her family and other loved ones.

Her obituary is available here and includes more about her many passions, contributions in the world, surviving family members and the opportunity to make a contribution in her honor.

 

Welcome to new Grantee – Center for Youth Wellness

• News • , ,

Our Early Life Grant Round was very insightful and inspiring. A warm welcome to Center for Youth Wellness (CYW), our new three-year Grantee! Center for Youth Wellness is revolutionizing pediatric medicine and improving the health of children and adolescents exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Their priorities for the coming years include providing individualized treatment plans to children with ACEs and their caregivers, improving patient outcomes (wellness and health), supporting more pediatric providers in implementing ACEs screening, increasing membership of pediatricians in CYW’s National Pediatric Practice Community on ACEs, and sharing learnings and best practices.

CYW has confirmed SV2 Partners Kelly Pope and Deb Dauber as their Lead Partners.
We’re so excited about this relationship and honored to be on this journey together with an incredibly successful, bold, and determined organization.

A Look Back: SV2 Spring Gathering

• News

More than 100 SV2 Partners, Grantees, and social change partners attended SV2’s annual Spring Gathering, Rethinking Impact: Inspiring Innovation through Empathy, on Thursday, April 11. Innovation leaders took front stage and shared how their immersive experiences and empathetic understanding inspired them to develop out-of-the-box solutions to critical social challenges. Watch and share the full program here, or view segmented videos from our featured speakers below!

Welcome & Opening Remarks: Linda Lazor, SV2 CEO & Bill Brownell, SV2 Board Chair 

Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Social Impact Awardee: Tony Stayner, SV2 Board & Executive Committee Member

Featured  Speakers:

SV2 Year in Review

• News •

The last 12 months continued to be a time of both rising challenges and increased wealth in Silicon Valley. SV2’s mission to unleash the resources and talents of the Silicon Valley community to achieve meaningful social impact has never been more relevant.

SV2 uniquely connects givers to each other and to promising nonprofits and social enterprises, collaboratively working with other funders to create positive change. Our last year reflects increasing momentum in unleashing strategic giving and supporting promising nonprofits and social enterprises. 

Unleashing strategic giving

SV2 experienced healthy growth in Partner households, and increased engagement in our grant-making, impact investing and learning programs. This year, SV2 expanded opportunities for Partners to engage in experiential learning together.  

  • In the area of issue-focused and philanthropic toolkit learning, we engaged in learning sessions around issues like Affordable Housing, Early Childhood Development, and Census 2020. Philanthropic toolkit sessions included learning sessions around Values Aligned Investing and strategic approaches to personal Advocacy engagement.
  • Our How of Giving track formalized Partner learning around effective Philanthropy practices. Workshops included evaluating a Theory of Change, the Art of Assessing Nonprofits, and A Deep Dive Session on De-mystifying Non-profit FInancials.
  • We also piloted a new Why of Giving track. Called “Get Proximate,” this initiative enables Partners to more deeply understand the experiences of those in our community. Our first Get Proximate experience enabled Partners to engage with our community neighbors in LifeMoves Maple Street transitional housing. We partnered with former Grantee SOMOS Mayfair and other organizations in the ¡Si Se Puede! Initiative for our second Get Proximate experience to more deeply understand the lives, hopes, and dreams of our neighbors in East San Jose.
  • We are also seeing rising participation in our SV2 Kids and Teens programs, building multigenerational practices in service and giving. Experiential volunteer opportunities enabled families to serve and give together with local nonprofit organizations. Our SV2 Teens program had high participation this year with a focus on local environmental issues and solutions. Our Teens awarded grants to three organizations this year: SunWork Renewable Energy Projects, Literacy for Environmental Justice, and Cool Block.

As a result, SV2 Partners are continuing to grow their giving and community engagement. In our recent Partner survey:

– 91% of SV2 Partners said they increased their level of knowledge about local community needs, 

– 81% said involvement with SV2 had strengthened their ability to serve as a nonprofit Board member, leader or volunteer, and

– 92% of SV2 Partners felt an increase in their ability to conduct due diligence on social impact organizations.

Supporting promising social ventures

SV2’s grant-making and impact investing provide unrestricted general operating funding and capacity building support. This year, SV2 Partners engaged in monthly Impact Investing sessions and four Grant Rounds, further accelerating Partner learning and accelerating the impact of promising social ventures. The SV2 community invested over $500,000 in direct funding and more than $1M in self-reported follow-on funding from Partners.

We celebrate and support the innovation of this year’s Impact Investees and Grantees. Thank you to our funder allies for your support and collaboration. 

Recent additions to our Impact Investment Portfolio include: 

  • Suyo, a social impact organization who provides an affordable service to protect the property of low-income families in Latin America. 
  • Haven Connect, a social enterprise providing an online service to more easily find and obtain affordable housing. 
  • SV2 also invested in two Impact Funds this year: 1) CIM lends to underserved populations and small businesses in North America, and 2) Aqua-Spark invests in the supply chain of small to medium sized enterprises to develop a sustainable aquaculture ecosystem.   

SV2 Non-profit Grantees this year are:

  • Sirum, an organization that connects surplus medications to patients in need, both in Silicon Valley and other U.S. locations. Thank you to funder ally Fast Forward for collaboration on this year’s Tech Nonprofits Grant Round.
  • Fresh Meat Productions, which provides professional performing opportunities for trans and gender non-conforming artists. Thank you to the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for sponsoring our Building Opportunity and Inclusivity through the Performing Arts Grant Round. 
  • Center for Youth Wellness, our Pathways to Early Life Development Grantee, improves the health of children and adolescents exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
  • ICA Fund Good Jobs, our Entrepreneurship Grantee, which invests in high potential businesses to create economic opportunities in East and South Bay communities. Thank you to funder allies Walter & Elise Haas Fund and Sobrato Family Foundation for their collaboration.

Thank you to our SV2 Partners, friends and colleagues for partnering with us to activate Silicon Valley giving this year. Although we face large challenges, we also see potential in the resources and innovation capital of Silicon Valley to address them. We look forward to continued collaboration as we work together to create a more equitable and sustainable Silicon Valley and world.

Call for SV2 Partner Buddies

• News

Thinking back to your time as a new Partner at SV2, did you ever wish you had someone within the Partner community that you could reach out to? Someone to answer questions about an upcoming event or Grant Round meeting? A familiar face you could look for at a community gathering? Someone to answer a quick email about a detail that came up at Impact Investing that you’d like clarified? Someone who’d been through this all before and knew the ropes?

SV2 is excited to launch a Buddy Program for all interested new Partners. The program will assist new Partners in learning the ropes of SV2, provide a go-to point of contact for questions, and the opportunity to get to know another member of our community. New Partners will be matched with an existing Partner for a period of three months. During that time the Buddy pair will meet, perhaps attend an SV2 event (or two!), and get together to connect as needed to answer questions or engage in conversation about the opportunities and possibilities of being an SV2 Partner. Following a pilot run of the Program this past spring, here’s what one Partner had to say:

“I believe in the power of mentorship so I was delighted to participate in the pilot. In addition to helping my “buddy” get up to speed, seeing the organization from a new partner’s perspective helped me to remember why I joined SV2. It was a learning experience for both of us and I highly recommend the program!” – Alan Feinberg, Partner since 2016.

We are currently looking for existing Partners interested in becoming a Buddy to a new Partner. Matches will be made by SV2 staff, based on a list of criteria prioritized by the new Partner (geography, area of interest, time of day event preference). Partner Buddies will be supported in their volunteer role by SV2 staff.

If you’re interested in being a Buddy to a new Partner, please contact SV2’s Director of Partner Engagement Lucinda Brommersma.

2019 Partner Survey Results

• News

The 2019 Partner Survey Results are in! This survey is one way of understanding SV2’s impact on Partners and getting insights and ideas for how we can continue to achieve our mission, and deepen our learning, impact and community. 

Everyone can read more highlights. SV2 Partners can also read the full report.

Thanks to all Partners who completed this survey!

Highlights from Partners who completed the survey:

  • Involvement with SV2 had a significant impact on Partner giving effectiveness and engagement
  • Partners self-reported $1.1M in follow-on funding, twice what SV2 granted and invested last year
  • Positive Partner experience: Net Promoter Score of 57.2 (over 0 is positive, over 50 is excellent)
  • Partners continue to value SV2’s special community and opportunity for continuous learning
  • Interest in a wide variety of learning sessions: Issues-based, Why of Giving (Get Proximate), How of Giving, Impact Investing, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Interest in more How of Giving “Deep Dive” sessions next year (e.g. Board service and Impact Measurement)

 

 

SV2 Board Update

• News •

It is with deep appreciation that we celebrate the impact of two outgoing SV2 Board members: Bill Brownell and Marcia Pade.  Both have served for six years on the SV2 Board, at a time of organizational growth and innovation.

Bill Brownell has served as the SV2 Board Chair for the past four years, leading the Executive Committee of the Board and participating on the Grantmaking and Impact Investing Review Committee (also known as the “GIIRC”).  During this time, Bill led SV2 through two Strategic Plan development cycles and strengthened SV2’s business model. He also helped launch the SV2 Impact Investing Working Group and has served as Lead Partner to several SV2 Grantees and Impact Investees. 

Marcia Pade has also been a key contributor to SV2’s success, serving as a member of the Finance Committee, leveraging her corporate and nonprofit leadership experience.  Most recently, Marcia has been part of the team launching SV2’s Get Proximate initiative, which has deepened SV2 Partner understanding of local community challenges and opportunities.

Both Bill and Marcia will continue as engaged Partners in SV2.  Join us in thanking both of them for their Board service and leadership.

We’re also excited to welcome three incoming board members this summer: Christy Chin, Lisa Guerra, and Kwok Lau.  

Christy Chin is a leader in advancing high-impact philanthropy and social entrepreneurship.  She currently serves on several boards including Benetech, National Venture Capital Association, Education Opens Doors, Food Forward, New Story, World Affairs and Vote.org, while also serving as an advisor to AshokaU and CALMatters. Christy previously served as a Managing Partner at the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation.  Before DRK, she worked at the Skoll Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Philanthropy Workshop. Christy also has venture capital experience with Bedrock Capital Partners and Norwest Venture Capital. She received her MBA from Harvard Business School and holds a B.A. in History from Colgate University.

Lisa Guerra has been an SV2 Partner since 2014.  She has co-led Grant Rounds focused on affordable housing and the environment, and has also been active in SV2 family philanthropy.  Lisa is interested in education and using technology to scale social impact. She previously co-founded and served in technical executive roles at several software startups in speech recognition and fraud detection solutions and has eleven U.S. patents. She holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. 

Kwok Lau has been an SV2 Partner since 2012 and has engaged in multiple Grant Rounds.  She has been a Lead Partner to Grantee Somos Mayfair and currently serves on their Board, serving on their Executive Committee, Evaluation Committee and Facilities Operations Committee.   Kwok holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from General Motors Institute. Kwok worked at Apple for 28 years and held Vice President positions in Manufacturing Operations and Software Engineering. Currently retired, she is actively engaged in philanthropy in areas that include education, social justice, environment, community engagement, and health.

Welcome SV2 Teens 2019 Grantees

• News • , ,

This year, SV2 Teens decided to learn more about local environmental issues and solutions. They went on site-visits, learned more about and allocated a $20,000 grant across three organizations: SunWork Renewable Energy Projects (installs solar electricity systems on small-energy-footprint homes and nonprofits with the help of trained volunteers), Literacy for Environmental Justice (urban greening, eco-literacy, community stewardship and workforce development opportunities that directly engage and support local residents), and Cool Block (local community engagement to develop day to day environmentally friendly practices). We were so energized to experience how all three organizations are making environmental sustainability more engaging and accessible, energizing youth as changemakers, and taking holistic community-led approaches. 27 Teens signed up for the program this year. A bunch of Teens expressed interest in volunteering as a result of the program. Thanks to: all Teens for your participation, teamwork, and leadership, all the families for all your support, all three organizations, and our great co-facilitator, Stephanie Denzer and Allow Good for making this such a positive experience!

Volunteer with SV2 July/August 2019

• News •

We have a number of volunteer projects for students interested in working with SV2 over the summer. Project examples include updating our databases, organizing social media content, researching app development, editing content, and organizing our office space. The time commitment will be roughly 20 hours a week through the months of July and August. Ideal candidates are high school or college students interesting in working in a dynamic, collaborative, social impact environment. Interested? Submit your resume to volunteer@sv2.org by Friday, June 14th. This position is unpaid.