At Social Venture Partners Arizona (SVPAZ), we have a dual mission to strengthen philanthropists while strengthening nonprofits and social ventures. The power of our model is that we connect individuals with strong business acumen, community connections, and experience with developing organizations hungry for time, talent, and expertise.
One of the most exciting and innovative ways to connect the two is through our annual Think-Tank-a-Thon, where great minds and actions collide to tackle real-world problems. This event sees SVPAZ Partners and invited guests come together to provide on-the-spot solutions, feedback, and referrals for issues facing our current Investees.
This week, our diverse set of innovators pitched barriers opportunities to create the most impact including:
- ONe TRUe LOVe (OTL) – looking for advice and connections on how to secure a commercial kitchen to serve as the OTL headquarters.
- Bloom 365 – seeking guidance on how to develop a monthly giving campaign which includes messaging, marketing, and potential contributors.
- Tigermountain Foundation (TMF) – help developing a social services landscape that outlines local nonprofits and social organizations that can engage with TMF clients.
- Spot 127 – starting an advisory board of SVPAZ partners and community leaders to guide strategic goals of Spot 127.
- Linda Abril Education Academy – searching for innovative and creative ways to increase attendance and decrease absenteeism.
SVPAZ Partners, Staff, and Friends at the 2016 Think-Tank-a-Thon
With more than 30 in attendance, each venture was given constructive advice and presented with creative solutions from Partners and community leaders. Over the course of the next week, SVPAZ will compile notes from the evening and make connections to ensure that the opportunities pitched and solutions presented are implemented.
Written by Sentari Minor, Director of SVPAZ Partner Engagement and Education
In my role, I have the distinct pleasure of engaging local philanthropists (Partners) and nonprofit ventures (Investees) by overseeing our philanthropic education and capacity building initiatives, which is why I am so enamored with our Think-Tank-a-Thon. It truly speaks to our unique model of engaged philanthropy. If you want to learn more about how to engage with our Investees, please contact me at sminor@svpaz.org