Apply for a Grant
“You’re not just standing back, writing a check and reading about it in the newspaper. You’re getting involved…It’s a small amount of money involved, but the contribution in expertise and capacity building is huge.” –John Smith, Immediate Past Board Chair
Social Venture Partners Greater Tucson inspires and promotes philanthropy using a venture capital approach to affect positive social change. We pool the financial, professional and human resources of our Partners to achieve long-term community impact and to build a culture of philanthropy.
We are committed to investing in building capacity of innovative nonprofits which work to increase the life skills necessary to weave the economic, cultural and social fabric of our community now and in the future. We seek to fund organizations that will benefit from a long-term relationship with SVP. Our Partners have a range of talents and skills to offer nonprofits organizations. For example, we’ve assisted nonprofits with:
- Board and Governance
- Human Resources
- Fund Development
- Strategic Planning
- Financial management
Click here to see how we can assess what your organization needs most.
Think your organization could benefit? Check your eligibility.
Through the annual Investment Process, SVP seeks to award a grant, traditionally $25,000, to a nonprofit/s, which is intended to be renewed for up to three years based on demonstrated progress towards stated goals. In addition, SVP aims to work with organizations to help them realize their visions through a combination of financial and consulting contributions. This mix of time, money and expertise has the potential to revolutionize the relationship between nonprofits and those who support them while providing valuable returns that far exceed the capital investment.
The Basics:
First, a little lingo:
At SVP, our grant recipients are “Investees.” We fully invest our funds, resources and expertise in capacity building projects during the Investment Period for qualified nonprofits. It’s so much more than a grant.
“Partners” are members of SVPGT that not only donate the money that is used to give grants, but also volunteer their time and talents to lend a hand in projects with Investees.
What We Bring to the Table
- Three years of general operating support. We know you’re best positioned to decide where the grant money should be invested, so spend it- $25,000 a year, as you deem best.
- Tools to assess your organizational capacity – aka the strength of all those behind the scenes systems: human resources, financial management, communications, board governance, etc.
- Skilled volunteers who will help build your organization’s capacity in the areas that are keeping you from reaching your full potential.
- A commitment to working in partnership. Along with direct communication with staff, one of our Partners will act as a liaison to make sure your organization gets the most out of the opportunities for capacity building. We will invite your honest feedback and strive to find a path that works for everyone involved.
What We’ll Ask of You
- A willingness to take a hard look at what’s holding your organization back, and to share those weaknesses openly. Once the cards are on the table, we can get to work – together.
- Flexibility and openness to working with volunteers who have busy schedules and varied professional backgrounds.
- A commitment to open, honest communication- When something’s not working for you, we want to know about it and fix it! That may be uncomfortable, but our best results come from honest relationships.
- An annual work plan and progress report that outlines the capacity building areas you are focused on, how they relate to your mission, and what you have achieved at the end of each year.
We’re not going to lie. We ask a lot of our Investees. And we’re not perfect. But we believe that with the right fit, it is worth every ounce of effort.