Social Venture Partners Greater Tucson

By Mark Rubin                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

-Founding Partner, Chief Engager and Guest Contributor

When we recruit new Partners, cost comes up, for sure. And in our community, because our philanthropic scale is set pretty low, $5000 per year is a lot of money. (Not so much everywhere else. Recently, a New York City client of mine was being honored by a charity. I got the ask, sent some money and noted that tables for the dinner were between $10,000 and $25,000. Glad I live here!!!)

As we share our story, we must focus on value. If cost comes up, it comes up, and if it’s a big issue for a prospective Partner at the outset, we may not be a good fit. If we focus on value, though, and “show and tell” the value well, for the right person the $5000 can be almost inconsequential. We won’t be right every time, but if we stick with value, we’ll be right often enough.

And what is our value? I think we are the small group of thoughtful, committed people referenced in the famous quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”** Many people in our community contribute their time, talent and treasure to help change our world, but I know no other enterprise that has as its mission bringing to situations—in a totally focused way—the time, talent and treasure of a thoughtful, committed (and highly talented) group of people.

So as you go forth, day by day, spread the word about SVPGT, but focus on the value, not the cost. And please share any thoughts you have about the value you receive from your involvement with Social Venture Partners. (And, if you are in Tucson for the summer, stay tuned for and try to attend our summer events.)

**P.S. Research tells me Margaret Mead may not really be responsible for this gem. WikiQuote is fascinating for its comments about quotations and the people to whom they are attributed. Lots of undeserved credit floating around out there!

Ava is an organizational development consultant, specializing in partnering with business leaders to achieve transformational change. She and her husband, Richard, have lived in the Tucson area since 2003 and moved from Oro Valley to Barrio Viejo (just south of the Convention Center) in 2010. Ava is on the Board of SVP, and chairs the Portfolio Review Committee and the Focus Task Force.

Q: Where did your journey in philanthropy begin?

A: My first volunteer experience was as a Candy Striper reading to children in our local hospital during high school, which was both meaningful and great fun dispite the silly outfit. I’ve stayed active in the causes I believe in, either through donations or volunteering my time, ever since. I was very active as a Business Volunteer for the Arts (BVA) both in Seattle and San Diego, and those experiences laid the foundation for my involvement with SVP.

Q: What is the best ski trip you ever took and what makes it so memorable?

A: I’m an avid skier, and Richard and I go skiing every year. We lived in Italy for a year in 1994 and had the joy of skiing the Italian Alps all winter. We also love Whistler BC and go there almost every year. But the most memorable trip has to be a ski holiday in France where we were stuck in our room during a tremendous blizzard that lasted the entire length of our stay, and our only entertainment was watching the beginning week of the OJ Simpson trial with French sub-titles.

Q: What was your favorite SVPGT event so far? What made it such a success in your eyes?

 A: I like our Education events because I believe that SVP is a learning organization, and our partners are the types of people who like to learn new perspectives and ideas. The diversity of our topics reflects the diversity of our group and helps strengthen our collective capabilities. The event on March 15 with Brint Milward was awesome. I enjoyed learning about his topic, the Power of Networks. I learned new information I can use in my work and personal life, and think the topic was also very relevant to SVPGT and our networks.