No images? Click here SVP Cleveland | Summer 2020 Newsletter SVP Selects New Executive Director SVP Cleveland has exciting news to share! We have selected Abby Westbrook to be our new executive director! We are pleased to announce that Abby will begin her role as SVP ED at the beginning of September. Abby was chosen after a more-than-three-month intensive executive search. SVP Partners Dick Cahoon and Cyndy Dunn co-chaired a search team of their fellow Partners with tremendous guidance from Partner Dominique Litmaath, whose executive search and management consulting firm Reneris serves clients around the world. We will distribute a more formal announcement in mid-August to highlight Abby's new role. Please visit Abby’s LinkedIn Profile here. SVP's 2019 Annual Impact Report If a picture paints a thousand words, then imagine how much you can learn from an infographic! Learn about SVP by the numbers in our 2019 Annual Impact Report! Flowers. Foster kids. Flying & floating. Fashion & flow. The nonprofits participating in bigBANG! 2020, SVP’s Fast Pitch competition on Feb. 27th, all put the F in Flair and get an A+ for missions impacting Northeast Ohio! The organizations’ presenters also earned high marks for their “pitch” perfect performances at the event. Presenters from BigHearted Blooms, Kinnect, PHASTAR, and Refresh Collective enthralled more than 200 audience members and inspired them to learn more about and support the organizations.For almost two decades, the drive to make the world a better place has fueled SVP. However, our understanding of how we—SVP’s Partners, board and staff—approach this work has evolved over time. The events of the past days, weeks, and months are just the latest reminder of the systemic racism that permeates all aspects of our society. They are also testament to the fact that our evolution must be swifter, deeper, and all encompassing. We can—and must—do better.PARTNER Q&A: Embracing the World around Her, Catalina Wagers Brims over with Passion and Compassion "I was intrigued by SVP’s strong connection to the concept of equity. Though I was familiar with the word, I never felt I fully understood its meaning until now. The best way to answer this question is to compare my current state of mind to a spiritual awakening: you know you have been transformed but your brain is still processing the depth and magnitude of your expanded awareness."SVP and its community partners recently announced a new website to help Northeast Ohio’s social sector respond to and recover from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. Even as our community rallies to support nonprofits with disaster relief, these organizations struggle with measuring and communicating the triple threat of financial losses, disruption to mission-critical programs and outreach, and limitations on safe volunteer opportunities. WeCareForCLE.org is a tool that tackles all of these challenges. It consists of the following ways to help:
PARTNER Q&A: From SVP International Board Member to Grandpa, Kevin Shaw is Committed to Building Connections for Bright Futures "[Sitting on the SVP International Board] made me acutely aware of the enormous possibilities that lie dormant in the SVP Network. In large measure, this has remained for me an 'unscratched itch.' SVP’s special power is its proximity. We are hands-on. Being intensely local is what makes our work special. But this heads-down effort makes our engaging and coordinating across our network less natural. For example, when I worked with Near West Theatre, I missed the opportunity to learn from any other SVP affiliates that had worked with a Community Theatre. Who knows what important best practice I missed? Our opportunity is for every engagement to benefit from our entire Network of experience."Though May 30th was Hilary Sparks-Roberts’s last day as executive director of SVP Cleveland, it does not mark the end of the positive impact she has had on our Partners, staff, Investees, and community. Testament to this impact are the teary-eyed farewells given by Partners and staff. Thank you to our Board Members & Partners. |