Social Venture Partners Santa Barbara is the latest philanthropic group to emerge in Santa Barbara County.
Launched through the Santa Barbara Foundation, Social Venture Partners is a Field of Interest Fund within the foundation’s family of funds.
The founders of Social Venture Partners bring experience from other SVPs: Claude and Susan Case of SVP Phoenix, John and Christie Glanville of SVP Los Angeles and Larry Wallach and Jo Viney of SVP Seattle. Other founding members include Laurie Ashton and Lynn Sarko.
Social Venture Partners was established in Seattle by Paul Brainerd, founder of the Aldus software company. He set about organizing others who had achieved professional and financial success at an early age to return their good fortunes by giving time, expertise and money to the community. The SVP idea has blossomed into 25 chapters around the world.
“We are thrilled to bring SVP to Santa Barbara,” Claude Case said. “We recognize the long-standing tradition of support and engagement in Santa Barbara, and will be sharing our know-how, creativity and time, as well as financial resources, for the benefit of local nonprofits. And throughout this process, we are looking forward to becoming and nurturing well-informed, effective and engaged philanthropists.”
Since its formation in 1997, the Social Venture Partners network has contributed more than $26.5 million in grant investments to more than 300 nonprofit organizations. In 2008, SVP partners gave more than 14,000 hours of volunteer time for strategic projects ranging from program evaluation to legal affairs to information technology.
SVP Santa Barbara received its official charter in October 2008. For more information, contact Executive Director Joan Young at jyoung@svpsb.org or 805.689.9931.
— Suzanne Farwell is the communications director for the Santa Barbara Foundation.