Collective Impact

Network Friends and Partners,

2020. Whew, hard to believe we’re already in the last quarter of this year of so much change.

In Seattle and across the West Coast of the US, we have lately been living with the devastating impacts of climate change right outside our windows – something I know many of our community in India, China, Japan, and  Australia are all too familiar with. This in combination with the continued pandemic, a global reckoning on racial justice, and threats to democratic practices – to name a few systemic issues – make for a challenging time for all of us whether we are board members, donors, social change leaders, or nonprofit and social enterprise staff.

As I think about SVP’s work around the globe, I keep coming back to my guiding question for leading in this time of change – what is possible now that was not possible before?

We have a twenty year legacy of pushing philanthropy forward, but 2020 has shown us that SVP can and must do more to change systems. Grist Magazine asked me to share some of what’s emerging and how SVP is stepping up as a catalyst for moving resources to the major challenges of our time.

All of you have dedicated countless hours and resources in service to the idea that we make change not as individuals, but as a collective. In a time when the world can feel so fractured, our model of collective impact is more relevant than ever.

Wherever we look, SVPs are advancing important work for donors and the social sector:

• Mission Capital’s work in Austin to explore how evaluation can support a more equitable society
• SVP Connecticut’s participatory grantmaking fund for racial justice
• SVP Los Angeles’ support of ten system change oriented leaders with funding, peer coaching, and network building
• SVP India’s work on the national scale for jobs and livelihoods
• SVP Philadelphia’s efforts to fill philanthropic gaps and address racial equity right from the start

I am inspired to see Affiliates and Partners standing up for bold change and our shared values, and SVP International is right there alongside all of you in this work. There has never been a more important time for us to come together as a network to reimagine giving. 

This Fall and Winter, we’ll be announcing programs and collaborations geared towards deepening engagement for our existing network of Partners, and creating avenues for new donors to join us. Stay tuned. And in the meantime, stay safe and be well.

Thank you for all you do to make SVP a strong community.

Onward,

Sudha Nandagopal
CEO
SVP International