Eight ways SVP Calgary strives to maximize the return on its Partners’ investment:
1. Due Diligence Process for Choosing our Investments
A team of Partners search the community for the best non-profits to invest in. This process includes site visits, interviewing executive directors and board members, and scrutinizing financial statements. These Partners will also review all of our existing investments. The objective is not only to find the soundest organizations, but ones where the Partners’ donor dollars will have the most impact.
This year, the SVP Calgary Investments Committee spent 450 volunteer hours to find the best use of Partner donor dollars.
2. Ongoing, Long-term Monitoring
Our investments are managed daily by Lead Partners who establish a direct relationship with the non-profit agencies that we invest in. This allows us to be fully aware of any challenges currently facing the non-profit, as well as to help address those challenges immediately.
Lead Partners spend an average of 100 hours per year with the non-profits that we invest in, establishing and achieving objectives with the non-profit to strengthen their capacity.
3. Valuable Volunteer Assistance
Funds granted by SVP Calgary are followed up with the valuable volunteer time of our Partners and their extensive network of contacts.
4. Creating Cost Efficiencies across the Non-profits' Entire Budget
By lending their business expertise, Partners strengthen the capacity of the non-profits and allow them to more efficiently operate and provide their services to the community.
5. Attracting Matching Funds
The SVP Calgary due diligence process has provided assurance to other funders that their donor dollars will be put to good use. This “seal of approval” on these non-profit agencies has attracted additional funds from not only Partners, but also private corporations and the government.
Since making its first investment, SVP Calgary has been able to attract more than $200,000 of additional funding for the non-profits that we invest in.
6. Finding Discounts and Attracting Gifts-in-Kind
Partners are able to take advantage of their networks to find valuable discounts on things such as software and computer equipment as well as donations of furniture and other needed supplies.
7. Partner Education
Partners have the opportunity to become engaged with the non-profits that we support. They learn first-hand about our city’s most pressing social problems and the real challenges that non-profits face in providing their services.
8. Increasing Partners' Strategic Giving Outside of SVP Calgary
Partners that become educated about the issues that are important to them become empowered to do additional strategic and effective giving beyond their contribution to SVP Calgary.