Social Venture Partners Greater Tucson

NEW! This new blog will feature different partners. Learn new fun tidbits about our partners! Let’s kick it off with someone you may know, but probably didn’t know these fun facts about…

Q: What was the best piece of advice you ever received? From whom?

A: On the day I drove off with my mother to Scripps College my Freshman year, my father said to me, “Above all: to thine own self be true.”  I’ll never forget that great piece of advice.

Q: Who is your favorite children’s book character and why?

A: I love Horton of Horton Hears a Who.  I think I identify with Horton because he is an idealist, a believer and always fighting for those little people in Whoville!

Q: Describe your idea of the perfect way to spend a Saturday.

A: The perfect Saturday for me would be to have my family with me , Brian my husband and my two daughters Samantha (8) and Katherine (10). The weather would be perfect so we could be outside in the pool or in the garden! I would end the day with dinner with friends – again sitting outside on the patio with food from the grill and maybe some cool margaritas!

Q: What was the best vacation you ever took? Who was with you? What did you do?

A: When I worked for Up With People (where I met my husband), Brian and I would take mini-vacations when we were in interesting spots around the globe.  My favorite excursion was to Basel, Switzerland where Brian attended services with a Jewish family he had met when he had stayed in Basel years before.  Later, we ate dinner in a simple Italian restaurant (the best Tortellini ala Panna I ever ate!) with white paper table cloths and long “community” tables.  In the evening we roamed the streets and bars – I am pretty sure we saw the sunrise!

By Erin Henderson

Communications/Programs Associate SVPGT

AmeriCorps VISTA

Many of America’s prominent figures have paved remarkable paths for philanthropy. But none can compare to the potential powerful impact of a philanthropic president.

Eisenhower promoted cross-cultural communication with the People to People Program. Truman set precedents for international aid with the Marshall Plan which eventually led to USAID. Bush encourages others to serve through Points of Light.  Jimmy Carter is an advocate and volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and developed the Carter Center for human rights. Clinton’s Foundation and Global Initiative supports victims of natural disasters, HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, accessible clean water, obesity, and a number of other global needs.

Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, Thomas Woodrow Wilson, and Theodore Roosevelt were each awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Being president has its perks, but more importantly its powers.

Not only are you a household name, constantly covered by the media, and of some financial pull, you’re also, well…the President! And I’d say it’s a pretty good opportunity to use your powers for good (Super Philanthropist to the Rescue!).

The PPPPPPPP ( count ‘em, that’s 8 ), also known as Presidential Philanthropists Procuring Public Policy for the Poor People of the Planet, could be the next big thing in the non-profit world. That’s a lot of bang for your buck. Or maybe Past Presidents United (PPU). Ok, so I made both of those NPOs up. But we’ve seen Clinton and Bush, Sr. unite for the National Institute of Civil Discourse in our own backyard (through the University of Arizona located in downtown Tucson at the Providence Building).

Why not push for more former heads of state putting their heads together to solve global human rights issues leveraging their presidential super-powers? Imagine the pulling power of more of these power couples: Brangelina. Bennifer. Clush?

By Mark Rubin, Founding Partner and Guest Contributor

Mark is a lawyer, fiduciary, teacher and recognized expert in the area of professional ethics. In addition to active non-profit community engagement, one may also find Mark busy in his garden or kitchen or relaxing with a glass of red wine and traces of dark chocolate on his fingertips. He is the author of A Life at 50-ish.

At the National Institute for Civil Discourse/SVPGT event on January 19, Brint Milward—NICD’s Executive Director—made the following statement:

“One thing we know about social networks is that proximity usually breeds networking…You accept that even those who have different opinions are still reasonable people.”

 

This statement accounts in part for the success of Social Venture Partners and other giving models that involve more than simply writing checks to worthy causes. These models create philanthropic communities of reasonable people working closely together for the betterment of the community at large.

We are blessed with a group of partners whose pictures could appear in the dictionary next to “reasonable,” but the back and forth discourse we share with one another enriches all of us, keeps us engaged and gives us the energy we need to go forth and make our community better. Bottom line: We don’t face the same problems our elected representatives confront in Washington, but by working together we makes our lives and those of everyone around us better.

When I share the SVP story with others, many of whom are people with a propensity for sharing their treasure, I hear from time to time the queries: “Don’t you waste lots of money?” or “It’s more efficient to give directly to X, Y or Z.” In one sense they are right, for if we assume a zero sum game, a dollar spent on marketing SVPGT is a dollar not spent teaching a child to read. On the other hand, if the real purpose involves building a better community where people can share their experiences, their knowledge, and their enthusiasm for making sure we have a literate community in the not distant future, the dollar that helps create the environment for sharing and building enthusiasm multiplies itself many times over.