At SVP Boulder County, we believe that strong nonprofits make for a strong community. For over two decades, SVP has worked side-by-side with Boulder County nonprofits and our Partner members to help create a community where everyone can thrive.
SVP Boulder County harnesses the collective power of nonprofits and philanthropic changemakers to accelerate community impact.
The SVP model was created in 1997, in Seattle, under the inspiration and vision of Paul Brainerd, Aldus Corporation founder and president. Additional founding members include Scott Oki, Ida Cole, Bill Neukom, and Doug and Maggie Walker.
The vision of the founders was to build a philanthropic community using a model that paralleled venture capital practices. This model is known throughout the industry as venture philanthropy or high-engagement philanthropy. Key tenets to this approach of philanthropy include: Long-term, highly engaged investments of money, resources, and business expertise to develop the capacity and sustainability of local non-profits (or, "investees").
As interest in this new investment approach to philanthropy grew, SVP organizations began developing throughout North America and by 2001, the SVP Network was formed for serve the interests of its member organizations. SVP Boulder County was founded in September of 2000.
The SVP Network is a membership organization that promotes the development of new SVP affiliates, collects, documents, and disseminates best practices, and serves as the informational clearinghouse for resources to help SVP member organizations with every step in their growth, from inception, to Partner retention and engagement to capacity building with investees, and tool and skill-building. The Network Office manages the SVP Salesforce database, the SVP wordpress website, SVP Connect (the Confluence intranet), marketing collateral, houses voluminous resources, and leads network-wide initiatives. The SVP Network Office also leads an annual network conference in the fall and an annual meeting in the spring.
Currently there are 40+ member organization throughout the world.
Social Venture Partners Boulder County believes that strong nonprofit deliver better results. So, we invest capacity building efforts (the development of core skills, management practice, strategies, and systems) in local nonprofit organizations, nonprofit staff and volunteer leaders, and givers/philanthropists. We build relationships and create a network that can solve community problems together.
SVP Boulder County serves organizations and people primarily acting within Boulder County.
"The fund development project with SVP not only expanded the capacity of the YWCA, but also made it possible to move forward in an informed and strategic direction, making it possible for us to significantly grow revenue." - Debbie Pope, CEO, YWCA
"The overall impact of the time spent working with SVP have benefited KGNU tremendously. The effects will be long-term in their impact within the organization and in our ability to better the serve the many communities within the broader community making Boulder County a better place for all." - Timo Russo, Station Manager, KGNU
"LCJP was a major beneficiary of SVP in 2020. When you get investment from SVP, you get funds. But the major benefits are the people, experience and the skills they bring that would normally be unaffordable for a smaller nonprofit like us." -Shalene Onyango, Executive Director, Longmont Community Justice Partnership
"I've gotten to learn more about the nonprofit world, and have found SVP's people interesting, incredibly smart, and dedicated." Vicky Johns, SVP Partner Member
"My favorite part has been the education available, and the chance to be a part of the striving for excellence that saturates SVP." Lester Wall, SVP Partner Member
