Joe Sharkey has written “On the Road,” the weekly business-travel column in the New York Times, for 14 years. He is also the author of five books, four non-fiction and a novel. Two of the books are in development, by Paramount Pictures, and by Bold Films, as movies.

Before his association with the Times, Joe was an assistant national editor and a reporter with the Wall Street Journal. Before that, he was a reporter, editor and columnist with newspapers in Philadelphia, and the executive city editor of the Albany (N.Y.) Times-Union. He is now at work on a new novel and a screenplay.

A Vietnam veteran and a native of Philadelphia, he is married to Nancy Sharkey, a former  senior editor for the New York Times who is now a professor at the University of Arizona. They are both avid equestrians, and live on the border of Saguaro National Park in Tucson, where they are volunteer mounted National Park Rangers. They have a horse and two parrots, one of whom never stops talking. (The parrot, that is).

Q: Describe your earliest memory of volunteering to serve your community. About how old would you have been?

A: 9 or 10, Boy Scouts, scrap metal collections.

Q: Why did you join Social Venture Partners?

A: My wife Nancy and I really, really like the people, and thanks to them are enthusiastically motivated. Plus we really, really like Tucson and would like to have some kind of positive effect.

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

A: #1: “Be prepared.”  -Boy Scouts of America. #2: “De gustibus non est disputandum.”

Q: As a frequent traveler, what do you never leave home without?

A: My sense of humor.

Q: Have you ever met a celebrity or public figure? Tell about the experience.

A: Frequently, as a reporter for 40+ years. Some examples: Weirdest: Mel Gibson, hands down. Nicest: Lily Tomlin. Most Beautiful: Rania, queen of Jordan. Most Dumb: Tom Cruise. But the oddest experience was at a Hollywood dinner sitting next to June Lockhart, who had played the mother on “Lassie” in the 1950s, and who was in early stages of dementia at the time of this dinner. We had a grand old conversation, but June kept calling me “Timmy” and talking about the fun we used to have. Darryl Hannah, sitting on the other side, then went along with it. Afterward, June’s daughter thanked us profusely for showing her mother a grand evening.

Q: If I could go to any concert right now, it would be __.

A: The next time EmmyLou Harris sings anywhere, but I’ll also happily settle for Rene Fleming doing great coloratura arias

Q: My ideal night on the town in Tucson would include…

A: Barbeque in our backyard with friends, sitting by a fire pit as the sunset colors the mountains

Q: What did you like most about living in New York?

A: The fact that as a flâneur, you can walk and walk and walk in New York and never run out of city.

Q: Life in the desert is ____________________.

A: Physically energizing and stimulating; visually breathtaking.

Q: What is your ideal way to spend a day off from work?

A: On a horse in the desert with my wife.

 

 

 

 

 

 By Erin Henderson, Programs and Communications Associate/AmeriCorps VISTA

The 2012 Grant Round is officially underway. On Thursday, September 27, SVPGT welcomed over 40 nonprofit representatives to a Meet SVP session at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona. Executive Director Julia Waterfall-Kanter delivered a fantastic presentation to educate grant hopefuls on the realities of working with SVP, the investment process, and how to determine if their organization would not only be qualified, but a good fit.

A good fit:

With the shift in our funding focus from literacy to life skills, we saw new players entering the game. Representatives from the following 42 organizations attended the launch session:

Administration of Resources and Choices

American Red Cross

Amity Circle Tree Ranch

Arizona Blind and Deaf Children’s Foundation

Arizona Youth Partnership

Arts for All

Arts Integration Solutions

Assistance League of Tucson

AVIVA Children’s Services

Ben’s Bells

Beowulf Alley Theater

Boys and Girls Clubs

Children’s Museum Tucson

CODAC Behavioral Health Services

Community Food Bank

Compass Health Care

Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona

Easter Seals Blake Foundation

Education Enrichment Foundation

Emerge!

Habitat for Humanity

Interfaith Community Services

Intermountain Centers for Human Development

Kore Press

La Paloma Family Services

Live the Solution

Model Community Learning Center

National Institute for Peer Support

Old Pueblo Community Services

Our Family Services

Pima Council on Aging

Primavera

Strength Building Partners

Trot

Tucson Botanical Gardens

Tucson Junior ??

Tucson Museum of Art

Tucson Oasis

Tucson Youth Development

Voices for Education

YMCA of Southern Arizona

YWCA

If you know our eligibility requirements, you know that right off the bat, some of these groups are already eliminated. Some just won’t be ready for a Partnership with SVP. Some of their Boards or Staff won’t be on board with the idea of another entity being involved in their processes. Some are too big and complex. Some are just too small. Like Goldilocks, we will be selecting the organization that is “Juuuuust right!”

Stiff competition. Slim chances. Only one organization out of 42 will be chosen.  But we don’t think it was a waste of the other’s time to show up and Meet SVP.

Why this meeting was valuable

A key element of SVPGT’s mission is to “build a culture of philanthropy.” At the meeting we took a moment to go around the room and have each representative introduce herself/himself. By familiarizing everyone with who was in the room, we took another step towards building that community. A community of philanthropy must be reflected in the relationships between nonprofits in order to best serve the community and inspire collaboration among individuals. These representatives weren’t only meeting SVP, but other members of the nonprofit community.

Kassy Rodheaver of the Pima County Public Library’s Grants and Nonprofits Info Center also brought along a few resources to plug all of these representatives into other grant opportunities. If SVP isn’t the right opportunity, there are more resources out there and the crowd seemed to really appreciate the additional info.

And just because an organization might not be a good fit this year, there’s always next year. And the next…and the next…

42 organizations now have a strong understanding of who SVPGT is, what we do, and why we do what we do. That spreading of knowledge is invaluable for the advancement of SVPGT and for the advancement of nonprofits that we invest in.

With the support of Partners Will Butler, Rhonda Fleming, Frank Grundstrom, and Mark Rubin, this meeting was a huge success. We can’t wait to start reading the Letters Of Inquiry!

DIVE INTO SVP: Join the Investment Committee and be a part of these exciting times. Who doesn’t want to have a hand in giving away money?!

“Q: What is Social Venture Partners?”

A: We are a group of engaged venture philanthropists collectively impacting the Greater Tucson community by Investing in capacity building for investees which advance life skills.”

 

Say what? That’s SVP in a nutshell. But outsiders trying to crack that shell may get frustrated and opt for the jar of Planters.

The words we use to talk about who we are, what we do and why we do it are important. And have been carefully selected. They are powerful, encompassing terms. Our Grantees are more than recipients of money; they are “Investees.” We’re not just giving away money; we are investing. And we focus our efforts where few venture to go: unrestricted funds for CAPACITY BUILDING (a rarity, to say the least).

I first started my year of service with AmeriCorps VISTA as the Programs and Communications Associate about 9 months ago. And like a baby forming in the womb, so has my savvy with the SVP vocab.

Yes, I googled all of these terms before applying for the position. But still, until I really got my hands dirty, the terms didn’t completely sink in. These terms are important to the SVP Brand. Now, I am comfortable with the weight of these words on my tongue.

So if you’ve ever thrown out the words “venture philanthropy” and gotten a polite head nod and an “Oh, that’s…interesting…” followed by a blank stare, this list can help you get a better hold on explaining these vital concepts to folks who may be new to the ideas.

Get out your pencils and take notes: this is SVP Lingo 101:

Who we are:

Community Foundation: SVPGT is a program of the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona which is a tax-exempt, nonprofit, autonomous, publicly supported, philanthropic institution composed primarily of permanent funds established by many separate donors for the broad-based charitable benefit of the residents of a defined geographic area. Community foundations provide an array of services to donors who wish to establish endowed funds without incurring the administrative and legal costs of starting independent foundations.

Investee: Nonprofit organization that receives support from an SVP in the form of time, money and expertise. View our Current Investees

Partners: Individuals who join an SVP by contributing time, money and expertise to carry out capacity-building work with Investees. View a list of our Partners here.

Partner Unit: A Partner Unit is an individual or pair (with some relationship to one another such as a spouse or significant other, sibling, parent/child, etc.). The Unit pays one annual Partner contribution.

Philanthropy: The effort to increase the well-being of humankind by donations or volunteerism.

Social Venture Partners International: With over 2,000 members, it is the largest network of philanthropists in the world. It brings together worlds that typically do not overlap: grant making, volunteerism, nonprofit capacity building, and philanthropic education. Every SVP is a network of engaged philanthropists who believe that they can have a positive impact on their communities and who use innovative strategies to address complex social issues. There are affiliates in the U.S., Canada, Japan and India. Visit SVPI’s website

Venture Philanthropy: A long term relationship between a grantee and a funder who provides expertise as well as capital. The focus is on capacity and operational infrastructure, with agreed upon measurable outcomes.

What we do:

Capacity Building: The development of core skills, management practices, strategies and systems to enhance on organization’s effectiveness, sustainability and ability to fulfill its mission.

General/Operating Support: A grant made to further the general purpose of work of an organization, rather than for a specific purpose or project; also called an unrestricted grant or basic support.

Grant: An award of funds to an organization or individual to undertake charitable activities. Our grants also include a commitment from our Partners to volunteer their time and talent to projects identified as needs of the Investee in particular infrastructural areas, such as human resources and governance.

Investment: Used interchangeably with “grant.” SVP investments are philanthropic, with no financial return to SVP or its Partners. “Investment” instead of “grant” implies strategic and active giving (including volunteering) with an expectation of social return. Learn more about the upcoming grant round

Philanthropy Development: The creation of knowledge and engaged donors within the SVP network in order to create communities of lifelong, informed and inspired philanthropists.

Site visit: visiting a grantee or prospective grantee at its office location or area of operation and/or meeting with its staff or directors or with recipients of its services.

Unrestricted Funds: Contributed funds that are not specifically designated to particular uses by the donor, or for which restrictions have expired or been removed.

 

 

Born and raised in Cache Valley, Utah, a farmer’s daughter, Rhonda comes from a town of 52 people. Since she moved to Tucson in her early twenties, she has lived most of those 39 years downtown. She’s “had one marriage, two children, two careers, nine Tae Kwon Do rank tests and innumerable pets.” This science teacher with hands that may need a permit, jokes, “I’ve broken bones, bricks, and evidently, my thyroid.”  Deliriously happy to be retired, Rhonda is finding her niche within SVPGT, hosting in her home, serving on a committee and teaching us all a thing or two!

Q: I heard your reading goal for this year is 100 books! How far along are you and do you have a favorite so far?

A: Part of that goal is to read at least half non-fiction. I’ve read twelve of those and twenty-six that are mysteries or novels. (Goodreads informs me I’m 20 books behind; I blame it on Words with Friends and Scramble).  A friend loaned me The Wild Trees by Richard Preston (author of Hot Zone & The Demon in the Freezer) and it is terrific. I love his style of science writing.

Q: As a retired science teacher, what do you miss most about being in a classroom?

A: Teaching was hard work, but I enjoyed the teenagers and had a close relationship with my fellow teachers. After the official school day ended, we would share classroom stories while prepping for the next day and end up laughing, often to the point of tears. How many can say that about their work day?

Q: Have your Tae Kwon Do skills ever come in handy? How has this form of martial arts impacted your life?

A: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles initiated this family endeavor: All four of us became black belts of varying degrees. And it certainly helped when dealing with teaching adolescents – most of whom were bigger than me. Students were delighted, if somewhat taken aback, to find out their nerdy science teacher could break bricks, but the skills go well beyond the physical. I credit martial arts with improving focus and concentration and increasing patience, persistence and humility (no new skill comes easily and it is helpful to be reminded of the vulnerability of the novice). It also keeps me serene.

Q: What is your favorite hiking or bird watching spot inTucson?

A: Oh, so many to choose from! I can at least narrow it down to two this year: Catalina State Park and Madera Canyon.

 

REGISTER HERE

 

Well, for starters, it’s in that hip little place called Portland.

We’re getting AUDACIOUS in a spacious, capacious venue hosted by the gracious staff of SVP Portland and SVPI with vivacious speakers that are just the right amount of loquacious and tenacious Partners from across the network. If your appetite for learning is voracious, you won’t want to miss it. I’m not being fallacious! Is this rhyming thing vexatious?

Also, Conference registration is waived for one staff member when 5 or more partners register at the full partner rate!

Which is definitely a good thing. Cha-Ching!

Julia and Erin are going! (If we didn’t sell you with that one, this next one surely will!)

Stay an extra day and experience Oregon Wine Country. 300 vineyards. 72 varieties. Need I say more?

Well, I won’t. But check out what these Conference Vets (Partners who attended previous conferences) have to say about how their experiences impacted their personal philanthropic journeys!

David Griffis: Long  Beach 2010

“I attended Long Beach 2010 with two other partners and our Executive Director. We enjoyed great general session speakers and presentations, informative break-out sessions, and a disciplined, well-operated conference worth the time and money.

But what REALLY hit me were the people and the conversations between sessions and at the evening dine arounds. I met someone from nearly every chapter including our affiliates in Japan and Canada. The attendees were diverse yet shared a common vision, a common language, and a special energy for what SVP means now and could mean for the future. We also shared common problems. In fact, I believe from some of those conversations came much more national and local support for the challenges of lead partners. Several chapters had eight to ten partners at the meeting. Rather than stay together, they divided and soaked up as much information and conversation as possible to take home. I thought, someday, that could be SVPGT. Maybe this year in Portland?”

Jane Wilson: Long Beach 2010

“A nice complement to all of the phenomenal proceedings was the chance to experience a new city. Mark and I had never been to Cleveland, and the reception at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the dine-around in Shaker Heights let us see some of the sights and chat with people in a more casual setting. We plan on going to Portland which I hear is also a great place to visit.”

John Smith: Seattle 2008, Long Beach 2010, Minneapolis 2011

“The SVPI conferences always reinforce the feeling that we in SVPGT are part of a very large, powerful network of people who are continually striving to make the SVP model more and more effective in bringing about positive social transformation. I come away each time with renewed commitment, new ideas, and a few new friends.”

Pat Andrade and Hank Walker: Minneapolis 2011

“The 2011 SVPI conference in Minneapolis was our first. Even though we’d been moderately involved in SVPGT over our (then) four years of partnership, it really jump started our knowledge of the innovation taking place around SVP affiliates and it connected us to the energy of engaged philanthropists around the country. After conversations with other SVP partners, it’s easier to envision what’s possible for us to accomplish in Tucson.

It was a great experience being there and being with Partners from around the country who have also made this commitment. It was energizing spending time and having meaningful discussions with people who have had very different and very interesting experiences and successes. The speakers were excellent and represent the cutting edge of thought leadership in the area of venture philanthropy; they challenged long-held assumptions about what nonprofits are and what they’re capable of doing.

You can learn what other SVPs are doing, and pick the areas that you want to learn more about, then have time for conversations in those areas. People are very willing to share their experiences, their successes, failures and learnings, in a very supportive and positive atmosphere.

No matter how much experience with SVP you already have, you learn a lot because Partners from other affiliates are doing new things, trying new experiments — it’s learning in real time. You feel personally rejuvenated as well as bringing back “professional” ideas and knowledge. The discussion groups around different topics facilitate great conversation and learning.

If you attend an SVP conference, you’re sure to get something valuable out of it, even if it’s not what you expect going in. It’s a must do for any Partner that wants to increase their energy and commitment to SVP. You’ll get to know and understand SVP at a whole new level. You’ll certainly gain an appreciation for what SVPI is, and the value that we (SVP Greater Tucson) get from the important work that SVPI does.”

Mark Rubin: Cleveland 2009

Read Mark’s conference blog post here.

 

Thanks to all of our Partners for your contribution and the added effort of keeping up with your hours!

Check out the impact you are having! It’s so exciting to be able to report this to the world and shout it from the rooftops!

“SVPGT is advancing nonprofits in substantial ways!”

 

 

Will Butler came to Tucson more than 10 years ago because it was warm and far away. Will is a Senior Network Consultant at Nextrio specializing in systems management and virtualization. Along with Cristie Street, managing partner, Will is linking Nextrio’s IT expertise with our Investee’s needs. (Find out more about Nextrio here).  He has fallen in love with the city and surrounding mountains and hopes to call Tucson home for a long time. Will enjoys hiking and backpacking in Southern Arizona’s wilderness.

 

Q: Where is your favorite spot in Tucson?

A: The Rillito River. I’ve met some of my favorite Tucsonans walking in the river bed in the evenings.

 

Q: On the weekend, you are likely to spot me __________.

A: With my dogs in the Rincons.

 

Q: Tell about a significant volunteer experience that you have had in Tucson.

A: I’ve worked with the Watershed Management Group since 2008 and as a result I’ve learned a great deal about water conservation and permaculture in the Southwest. Through my involvement with WMG I’ve developed a greater appreciation for the value of water as well as its scarcity and significance to our desert community. Plus, the people are fabulous and at the end of the day it is always fun to play in the dirt.

 

Q: If I could choose one new talent to instantly acquire, it would be______.

A: Fluency in another language.

 

Q: What’s the most adventurous thing you have ever done?

A: I went to Tanzania for a month by myself, with no plans, and traveled the country in chicken buses. It had a tremendous impact on me and made me realize just how fortunate I am and how much I’d taken for granted at home.

 

BACK TO SCHOOL 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stuff a Backpack for Homeless Youth

Homeless youth ages 13-21 need school supplies too!
Please help “Stuff a Backpack” for one of the 4,000+ homeless youth in our high schools. Fill a teen-size backpack with various school supplies: loose leaf paper, folders, pens, binders, pencils, glue, tape, calculator, Kleenex, hand sanitizer and more – or make a donation.

Drop off at one of the following collection sites by AUGUST 20.

The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona is now a drop off location!

2250 East Broadway Blvd (map)

Questions? Email Erin@svpgt.org

 

 

 

 

 

Are you a risk taker? What’s the riskiest thing you’ve done lately? Lance Fors of SV2, a venture capitalist with both for-profit and non-profit organizations, shares his seasoned perspective on risky investments in ”Pledging Longer, Fewer and Deeper Bets.”  As social entrepreneurs, are we willing to take greater risks in order to create change in our community?

“With venture capital, the fear of loss can override the desire for gain…I believe you have to balance the fear of loss against the desire for gain.”

 

    Lance Fors Alliance Magazine June 2012