A Call to Action from our Leadership
Social Venture Partners began with a simple but radical idea: that philanthropy could be more powerful — and more personal — when people move beyond writing checks to working shoulder to shoulder with communities. It all started with the belief that lasting change requires shared learning, deep relationships, and a willingness to roll up our sleeves together.
That spark has since grown into a global network — more than 30 SVP branches strong and 2,100+ donors and volunteers worldwide — each bringing their own vision, experience, and commitment to building a more just and equitable world.
Today, we find ourselves in a defining moment for philanthropy. Nonprofits, NGOs and social impact organizations everywhere are facing rising demand with fewer resources — organizations that were already operating with shoestring budgets are now balancing the realities of addressing increased community needs with cuts to their budget and fewer donations. Traditional, transactional philanthropy can’t meet the complexity or urgency of this moment.
Source: Taproot’s 2025 Nonprofit Pulse Survey
At SVPI, we’re charting a different course. Across our network, we’re proving that equity-driven, community-led philanthropy delivers lasting impact. We not only mobilize money, but also people — linking resources, relationships, and trust where they matter most.
During this critical period, it is imperative that the SVP community does not waver. This is a time to lean into the principles that make us stronger. We must be bold. We must be decisive in our actions. And, we must be organized to achieve our ambitious goals.
That’s why the SVPI staff and board have developed strategic initiatives that will advance our transformational work, supported by a framework that will guide us throughout the journey. We invite you to learn about our vision for the future and the path forward we will embark upon — together. Each and every one of you has an important role to play in this movement. Will you join us?
With gratitude and anticipation,
Ciara Garcia
CEO, Social Venture Partners International
Paul Shoemaker
Board Chair, Social Venture Partners International
Vision for the Future: Alignment + Growth = Impact
At SVPI, our strategic framework relies on a simple but powerful equation: Alignment + Growth = Impact.
It’s how we become a force for connection — where philanthropy is reimagined as a shared act of courage, generosity, and belonging. By aligning around shared principles and growing in engagement and scale, we will transform how the world gives — and how communities thrive.
Alignment
Many partners. One global movement.
Collectively aligning around our shared principles enables us to be most effective in creating lasting impact. The following principles define how we show up in community and what we believe philanthropy can and should be:
- Give Transformationally with Investment and Engagement
We pair financial and human capital, providing multi-year, unrestricted funding that strengthens nonprofit resilience while creating meaningful pathways for partners to engage directly in service, learning, and civic action. - Reenvision Philanthropy through Education, Reflection, and Practice
Our partners are more than funders — they are constantly evolving as learners and advocates. By cultivating donors through an equity-centered lens, our partners model trust-based philanthropy and influence change within their communities and worldwide. - Advance Equity by Addressing Root Causes and Centering Justice
We focus on unearthing the systemic root causes of inequity — not just symptoms. This strategy ensures that our collective actions are both culturally relevant and transformative. - Share Power and Center Community Voice
We ensure that those most impacted by decisions have meaningful influence over them. By co-creating solutions with community leaders, incorporating nonprofit voices into governance and grantmaking, and practicing transparency and humility, we demonstrate a model of philanthropy where power is shared and leadership is collective.
Growth
Alignment grounds us. Growth amplifies us.
Our growth is defined by connection, belonging, and courage — building trust between donors and communities, creating spaces where people find shared purpose, and showing up when nonprofits are stretched thin and need us most. In practice, this looks like deepening our reach in existing communities and expanding into new regions where equity-centered philanthropy can flourish. By growing with intention, we are:
- Bringing equity-centered philanthropy to more places — expanding our presence while strengthening impact where we already have deep relationships.
- Providing sustainable support to more nonprofits, NGOs and social impact organizations — ensuring organizations receive multi-year, unrestricted funding and trust-based partnership.
- Activating more values-driven donors — connecting partners through shared purpose and collective action.
- Creating lasting, systemic change — building a global movement grounded in shared values.
Impact
What we build together: Sustained impact.
Only when alignment and growth are treated with the same level of importance does their combined effort result in impact. Our impact is fundamentally reshaping philanthropy — centering community leadership, building authentic donor partnerships, and creating genuine opportunities for collective transformation where everyone has a real stake in the outcome.
Alignment + Growth = Impact is the framework we will employ. Discover the strategic initiatives SVPI will engage to actualize this vision for the future.
Strategic Priorities: Our Path Forward
SVPI commits to five interconnected initiatives that will make our framework tangible and actionable. Together, these priorities reflect a fundamental belief: that when we align around shared values and scale what works, real change becomes possible.
Build Affiliate Capacity
Our affiliates are the heart of SVP — they connect donors with community-rooted nonprofits and drive change locally. We’re strengthening the core of our network by investing in leadership development, sharing best practices, and providing tools and resources that help all affiliates thrive. The goal is to ensure that every affiliate becomes a financially resilient, equity-driven hub that delivers lasting impact in the community it serves.
Align Network Around Affiliate Principles
As we grow, we’re deepening the commitment to our affiliates and the communities they serve by leaning in to our affiliate principles:
- Provide opportunities for community engagement and volunteerism
- Develop direct relationships between donors and community leaders
- Provide multi-year, unrestricted grants and/or financial investments
- Transform philanthropic practices, dynamics, and models
- Embed culturally relevant social justice practices
- Provide mission-driven donor education and/or organizing
- Integrate systems-thinking and root-cause analysis into funding and programming strategies
This alignment guides the next evolution of SVP — unified around the same vision of equity and shared power.
Mobilize Donors
We’re transforming how people give — moving beyond the transactional toward sustained, trust-based support rooted in community leadership. Through education, peer learning, and immersive experiences, we’re cultivating a generation of philanthropists who understand systems change and align their values with giving. The result is more dollars flowing to grassroots organizations, and donors becoming true partners in community transformation.
Grow the Network
Demand for the SVP model is growing worldwide. We’re broadening our reach in new regions while deepening our engagement where we are already established. Through strategic storytelling, targeted communications and local activation, we’re making SVP more visible, accessible, and compelling to a broader movement of changemakers.
Strengthen Our Foundation
To deliver on our bold vision, we must secure stable funding, expand our team, and create systems that allow us to support our affiliates substantially and with consistency. By locking in multiyear commitments and growing our reserves, SVPI can become the backbone our network depends on — today and for years to come.
Together, these initiatives will work in concert to achieve our ultimate goal: a just, thriving world. SVP should be the leading voice in a landscape where equity is paramount; communities are valued; and philanthropy supports movement building on a global scale.
We invite you to join this extraordinary journey with us and help shape the future of our network. Onward.