Three years ago, Lucinda joined SV2 as a Partner, and soon thereafter joined the staff team in a newly created role: Director of Partner Engagement. As a giving community with a variety of engagement opportunities, SV2 had a need for a skillful guide: someone who could help new and current Partners integrate their personal giving journeys with the variety of programming SV2 offers. Lucinda has served as this guide with warmth and skill, engaging personally with a multitude of Partners and prospective Partners, and in turn helping them to engage more deeply with the SV2 community.
During her tenure, Lucinda created and implemented multiple ways for Partners to connect: she designed SV2’s Buddy program, refreshed our New Partner Orientations, reworked our New Partner Guide, and hosted countless Prospective Partner Circles. More recently, she served as the staff leader for SV2’s Visionary Leadership Circle (VLC), through which SV2 Partners invest in SV2’s organizational capacity and sustainable future, and the Environment Partner Interest Circle (EPIC), working with Partner Leaders to deliver impactful and actionable meetings on a variety of topics related to the environment and sustainability. Most Partners at SV2 could point to a warm email, handwritten note, or personal conversation with Lucinda, in which they were either welcomed for the first time, encouraged to engage, or simply felt known as members of this community.
In her own words, Lucinda has expressed, “I am deeply grateful for my time at SV2, both as a Partner and a member of an incredible staff team. From this amazing community of staff, Partners, Board members, Grantees, Impact Investees and social impact leaders, I have learned so much about social impact, effecting change and the power of community and collaborative action to move the needle on issues. I can’t wait to hear what comes out of the strategic planning process and see where our current DEI work takes SV2.
Decisions about my next chapter have been strongly influenced by my time at SV2. As I begin a Masters in Public Policy and Administration in the fall, I have a much deeper understanding of the role of philanthropy in influencing and impacting policy change and what is needed to drive systemic and long-lasting change. Incorporating a career of learning across nonprofit, private and public sectors into my research and future work, combined with my American/Canadian perspective, is of great interest to me and something I approach with humble enthusiasm.
My departure from SV2 is bittersweet and I will miss the conversations, the learning, the commitment to innovation, and the challenging of assumptions that are integral to our work and impact. Mostly, I will miss the people. Everyone has a unique story and perspective to share and I am deeply grateful that I got to hear so many of them over the years. It has been an honor to get to know each and everyone of you and I will carry you all in my heart back to Canada and beyond.”
RSVP here to join our farewell celebration for Lucinda on June 29 and join us in thanking Lucinda for her years of service to SV2, and wishing her the very best in her next adventures.
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