Network of Partners

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Tony Miles_by Gary VothWith more than 2600 members from Boston to Bangalore, SVP is the world's largest network of engaged donors.


In Seattle alone we have 500+ members (our Partners).  They range from film-makers to financial managers, from nonprofit leaders to corporate veterans, and from foundation executives Family Service Group_Lisa and John Merrillto people just beginning to explore their giving potential.

If you want to make a difference – and a bigger difference then you could alone – you’ll want to meet these folks.

Tricia McKay helped launch a credit union to increase financial stability for low-income Washingtonians.  Rogers Weed aligned Bob Dent_by Gary Vothbusiness leaders behind green energy solutions.  Kevin Phaup volunteers his time and expertise to find technology solutions for resource-strapped nonprofits.  Carol Ryan, Lisa Merrill, and Susan Sullivan prepare the next generation of change-makers through family service projects and youth philanthropy.

And the list goes on.

Every story is different, but each is fueled by a series of connections.  That’s the beauty of the SVP network.  You never know who will take your impact to the next level.


Here are Some of Their Stories...

The Change-Maker: 2013 Superheroes for Washington Families

The Change-Maker: 2013 Superheroes for Washington Families

What makes a person a Superhero for Washington Families? ParentMap Magazine recently awarded ten individuals this distinguished honor for their work in education, and three of these honorees are SVP Partners! In the final Part III of this series, Bill Henningsgaard takes the award of Change-Maker.

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Behind the Camera at the Denise Louie Education Center

Behind the Camera at the Denise Louie Education Center

"If you see a gun, don't touch it, even to throw it in the garbage. Run and tell an adult in your house. It's their job to keep you safe." Looking through my camera at the circle of rapt 4-year-olds at Denise Louie Education Center (DLEC) on Beacon Hill, I realized yet again how much we ask of our preschools.

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Why We Need More Women in the Boardroom

Why We Need More Women in the Boardroom

SVP Partner Susan Bloch is an international business coach who has worked with business leaders in a variety of industries for over 25 years. The most noticeable parallel between all of them? The lack of women who sit on the boards of these companies. This is her argument for remedying this "blind spot."

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Philanthropy & Disaster Relief: The Untold Story

Philanthropy & Disaster Relief: The Untold Story

You may have caught last December’s film “The Impossible.” But do you know which SVP Partner explored the untold story? What happens to local communities after disaster strikes, after the cameras and donors have come and gone? His short film got a shout out in Vanity Fair and from director Juan Antonio Bayona.

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SVP Ladies Who Rock Part 2: TEDxRainier

SVP Ladies Who Rock Part 2: TEDxRainier

Last November's TEDxRainier event featured not one, but FOUR members of our SVP community: Eleuthera Lisch, Lisa Chin, Jessie Woolley-Wilson and CJ Liu. From ending the disease of violence to closing the opportunity gap, these women stayed true to the TED Talks mantra. They shared ideas worth spreading.

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SVP Ladies Who Rock: Part 1

SVP Ladies Who Rock: Part 1

Our SVP family is full of people who are out there doing great things for our community, and today we wanted to give a shout out to four women in particular. From early literacy to education innovation – SVP'ers Jessie Woolley-Wilson, Julie Pham, CiKeithia Pugh, and Maggie Walker have recently been recognized in publications like Forbes and the Puget Sound Business Journal.

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Notes from Bangalore

Notes from Bangalore

As soon as I stepped out of the airport, I could smell the curries. The warm and humid air thickening their intensity. My second trip to India was about to begin. Instead of simply being a tourist, I was joining my husband Will to help start Social Venture Partners in Bangalore.

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Seattle Times Says Dawn Trudeau Has Never Stopped Learning

Seattle Times Says Dawn Trudeau Has Never Stopped Learning

Thirty-six years ago, Storm owner Dawn Trudeau left Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with two suitcases and $200 to pursue an education she never received. She had a solid plan, except for one problem. She excelled at work. Read Dawn’s story in the Seattle Times and MORE Magazine.

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From Bakeries and Bankruptcy to Educating Entrepreneurs

From Bakeries and Bankruptcy to Educating Entrepreneurs

How did the daughter of an Irish baker who witnessed two family bankruptcies end up as a champion of entrepreneurship? At Eastside Prep’s TEDx event, SVP Partner Emer Dooley shares a little of her own story, and what it takes to be an entrepreneur.

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Powerful Schools Presents Powerful People: Jennifer Selby

Powerful Schools Presents Powerful People: Jennifer Selby

Meet SVP Partner and Powerful Schools volunteer - Jennifer Selby, a mother of two who has been a reading tutor for the organization since fall 2011. “Being a Powerful Schools’ tutor was a dream volunteer assignment,” said Jennifer. “The program is so well organized and in two and a half hours I can really make a difference and see the progress in the young students I tutor.”

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Creating Collective Impact in Eastside Neighborhoods

Creating Collective Impact in Eastside Neighborhoods

In 2010, Bill Henningsgaard was shocked to learn that the kids in their communities were considerably lacking in resources and that the poverty level in the Eastside neighborhoods, which he thought were affluent, was rising. The battle to overcome the kids' socio-economic disadvantages wasn't going well. It was time to put the idea of Collective Impact to use.

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Changing the Status Quo

Changing the Status Quo

In January 2005, Paul Gross' son had two brain surgeries to implant a shunt in order to treat the brain condition (Hydrocephalus) he developed from his traumatic birth just two months before. The device had a 50% chance of failure within the first two years. A lack of research and treatment on this critical condition led Paul and his wife to create a foundation that will change the status quo.

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SVP Partner Recognized as a "Champion of Change"

SVP Partner Recognized as a "Champion of Change"

Nicole Trimble, SVP Partner and Director of Corporate Responsibility at Coinstar, Inc., was recently honored by the White House for being a "Champion of Change." This program was created in order to honor ordinary Americans who are doing great work in their communities.

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Giving Back to the Community

Giving Back to the Community

After leaving Microsoft in 2000, I knew I wasn't ready to retire and I wanted to find meaningful work that gave me satisfaction. Given how fortunate I was for having worked at Microsoft, I was looking for the right opportunity that would allow me to give back to the community.

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SVP Partners Recognized for Extraordinary Leadership in Philanthropy

SVP Partners Recognized for Extraordinary Leadership in Philanthropy

Each year the Microsoft Alumni Foundation recognizes Microsoft alumni who dedicate their time, talent, and resources to help address local, national, or global challenges. Can you guess how many of this year’s nominees are connected to SVP?

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Seattle Voices: Interview with Will Poole

Seattle Voices: Interview with Will Poole

At the intersection of all things social, Will Poole is a ex-Microsoft executive turned social innovator. Founder of the Social Innovation Fast Pitch - now in its second year - and the newly established SVP Bangalore, these are just two of Will's many accomplishments in bringing Seattle to a place at the social innovation table. Eric Liu, host of the Seattle Channel show 'Seattle Voices,' interviewed Will last week about his thoughts on the Seattle social scene.

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At the Intersection of Education and Climate Change

At the Intersection of Education and Climate Change

It's easy to feel like progress is far out of our reach, especially when times are tough; good news and small-scale successes can be easily forgotten. Continuous progress occurs when we take a hard look at our current state and our unique strengths, and work up from there. Steve Sundquist shares how.

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My experience as a Lead Partner

My experience as a Lead Partner

Lynn Coriano reached out to me about serving as Lead Partner for Friends of the Children in February 2010. I am on the board of the Washington State Mentors, believe strongly in the power of mentoring, and was excited about the opportunity to learn more about Friends of the Children, and how SVP works with its Investees. More than two years later, I have learned a tremendous amount, both about Friends and SVP.

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MWF Looking for MVO

MWF Looking for MVO

With most volunteer opportunities, you go in, do your thing, and leave. Although you help the organization in some small, or even big, way, you don’t create any real connections. And those connections – an “MVO” (Meaningful Volunteer Opportunity) – are what I was looking for when I decided to become a Lead Partner for Denise Louie Education Center (DLEC).

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Q & A with SVP Partner Arlene Levy

Q & A with SVP Partner Arlene Levy

Arlene Levy, the current Lead Partner for Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, talks about the surprise she felt when she realized that Lead Partners can actually make an enormous difference.

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