By Jennie Arbogash, SVP Executive Director
After 15 years of serving Boulder County we have completed the equivalent of $4.4M* worth of consulting projects alongside 26 nonprofits, engaged and educated almost 200 of Boulder County’s donors, trained several hundred nonprofit staff and community board volunteers, supported and coached nonprofit directors…the list goes on. (Can I get a ‘Holla!’? $4.4M! That’s a lot people…)
This is an exciting, vibrant time in SVP’s history. As we near the end of the year, I am thankful for each and every member of our SVP team: whether you are a Partner, Investee, program client, or nonprofit board member, you show care and dedication to our community and you live out your values each day. (Okay, I know this could sound like a platitude, but I mean it.)
After eight years serving as SVP’s Executive Director, I feel as invigorated as ever. The people of SVP have already accomplished so much, and yet there are so many other ways for us to have new and deeper impact in Boulder County, that it feels like we haven’t even scratched the surface. (Yup, I’m saying we’re pretty cool; but we’re only gonna get cooler from here!) Some examples:
- SVP’s 2016 Request for Proposals was released this fall and more than 60 people have RSVPed to attend our informational sessions. Now that focus areas have been replaced with more crucial investment criteria, we are building relationships with a new array of organizations and anticipating a competitive collection of applicants.
- To expand the continuum of capacity building services provided for nonprofits, SVP looks to open an Encore Fellows program here in Boulder County. Encore Fellowships bring new sources of talent to organizations solving critical social problems. In paid, time-limited roles, fellows deliver a high impact project, learn about social purpose work and develop contacts and resources for the future. Watch for our Encore Fellows position announcement in January.
- Building on the value nonprofits find in SVP’s organizational capacity assessments, in 2016 we will begin providing capacity self-assessment facilitation to any interested nonprofits in Boulder County. When nonprofits understand their development needs in core skills, management practices, strategies, systems, and infrastructure, they have a roadmap for working towards greater strength.
- After several seasons of meaningful BOARDS WITH BRAINS workshops under our belt, we have the most exciting plan yet for 2016. BOARDS WITH BRAINS is designed for nonprofit board leaders and focuses on providing you with the high-level best practices and know-how needed to run your organization well. Get training invitations delivered directly to your inbox by signing up using the widget found along the bottom left-hand side of pages on our website.
- The pilot year of Execs Evolve, executive coaching for nonprofit leaders by SVP Partners, will wrap this winter. The goal of the test-run was to strengthen the leadership and management capacity of Boulder County’s nonprofit directors, thereby improving organizational impact for clients and the community. We have learned a lot in the first iteration and look forward to unveiling Execs Evolve 2.0 next Spring.
Can’t wait for 2016! Do you have ideas about how we can make Boulder County even stronger? Get in touch…in the meantime, wishing you a happy holiday season from SVP.
