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.