Social Venture Partners Calgary has a dual mission to catalyze significant, long-term positive social change in their communities by:

• Educating individuals ('Partners') to be well informed, effective and engaged philanthropists;
• Investing time, expertise and money in local non-profits ('Investees') to strengthen their organizations.
  

The six principles that we ensure are...

1. Engaged Venture Philanthropy
   SVP...
   • Invests time, expertise and money in non-profits;
   • Applies best practices, both for-profit and non-profit, to help strengthen organizational capacity;
   • Seeks 3+ year collaborative relationships with non-profits and develops sound graduation strategies.
   
   
2. Entrepreneurial Spirit
   SVP...
   • Uses innovative, entrepreneurial approaches to achieve leveraged results in their non-profit partnerships, community and local philanthropic environment;
   • Models entrepreneurial skills in Investee relations by creatively mobilizing resources;
   • Delegates decisions, resources and authority to those closest to the work.
   
   
3. Philanthropic Education
   SVP...
   • Educates Partners in a peer environment to be informed, effective, lifetime philanthropists;
   • Catalyzes ongoing, individual philanthropy through hands-on experience and education.
   
   
4. Community & Collaborative Action
   SVP...
   • Forms a collaborative network that shares a set of core values and sense of community;
   • Believes in the power of collective, self-organized effort, consistent with the mission and principles of SVP;
   • Believes in all forms of diversity, whether it be gender, ethnic, professional or family relationships;Supports a completely full, open and free exchange of knowledge and lessons learned;
   • Embraces representative governance;
   • Encourages and maintains a highly participatory, Partner-driven organization that uses non-hierarchical communications and operating practices;
   • Avoids partisan, religious and political activities in association with SVPs.
   
   
5. Mutual Respect
   SVP...
   • Respects the expertise of community non-profit organizations;
   • Helps non-profits to be more effective in pursuing their self-defined mission;
   • Forms close working relationships with non-profits where the SVP invests in their success;
   • Inspires and empowers, rather than compels behavior in all activities.
   
   
6. Accountability & Results
   SVP...
   • Is mutually accountable to other Affiliates, their Investees and the community;
   • Achieves and documents measurable results, both in their own work and through their Investee partnerships.