Dear SVP Community,
It’s hard to believe that I’ve been with SVP for a whole year already! What a whirlwind it has been. Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting with Christine Margiotta and the rest of the rockstar SVP Los Angeles Staff and Partners and getting a little sneak peek into their work with community leaders. This visit to LA, like all of my visits and conversations with Staff and Partners reaffirmed for me that our work locally brings us so much strength – and it’s time to fully harness the power of our global network to lead in the field of philanthropy and make our communities stronger.
What we know is that philanthropy does not yet have sufficient models for supporting communities to prevent unjust systems and outcomes. And while philanthropy is beginning to adopt new practices and examine our own relationship to power and inequities, communities need change—and resources for innovation—faster.
As the hub in a social change ecosystem, SVP International seeks to catalyze more resources towards solutions that promote wider systems change, and inspire philanthropists to provide communities what they need most. Together, we are uniquely positioned to facilitate connections across geographies, sectors, and issues; create a greater flow of resources between communities; promote the sharing of power and wealth; and ultimately lead to a more equitable and engaged culture of giving that strengthens communities locally, regionally, and globally.
It’s with all this in mind, that I’m excited to announce new work and changes at SVP International:
- Piloting a new signature program – the SVP Philanthropy Innovation Fund – to resource affiliates via mini-grants to increase collaboration, document learnings, and accelerate promising practices, especially as they relate to systems change and more just philanthropy
- Welcoming in SVP Philadelphia, with 40 founding Partners, as a Launching Member of our global network, joining us in tackling the major challenges of our time including wealth inequality
- Extending Megan Stull Riel’s half-time role with SVPI and SVP affiliates as our Manager of Network Data and Information through the end of 2020
- Promoting Emily Reitman into an expanded role that is part of the SVP International strategic leadership team as our new Director of Global Innovation and Expansion
- Partnering on regionally based events with affiliates to produce more opportunities for gathering together instead of a single global summit this year
The launch of this fund marks an inflection point in our new direction for the SVP network to have more connections to each other and impact in our sector.
You’ll get dates, and more details about events in the next couple weeks. Keep an eye out for our emails.
I am so grateful for all that you do to make SVP vibrant and innovative, and I look forward to partnering together in 2020.
Onward,
Sudha
Sudha Nandagopal
CEO |