SVP adheres to a model of “engaged philanthropy,” which is shorthand for the active role that donors play. This is far from writing a cheque and filing away the receipt for a charitable tax write-off; donors, called partners, contribute $5,000 to a pool of funding and non-profits apply to SVP for financial support. The money is used to build capacity – behind-the-curtain structures – rather than fund projects. For example, Brown Bagging for Calgary Kids was one of the SVP’s recent investees. Instead of paying for juice boxes and sliced meat, it worked with the Brown Bagging board to develop a new marketing plan, a message to attract more attention, and more contributions, from the local community.

The Good Boardroom: Gartner is immersing herself in government-funded philanthropy, while trying to engage private corporations to donate.

The partners who invest through SVP are involved in the entire process, and this is the thrust of engaged giving. Instead of making blind donations and waiting for their tax receipts, investors help non-profits operate like for-profit businesses. “This idea that non-profits are run different than businesses is a little skewed,” Gartner says, “because behind the scenes we are doing the same thing.” After all, successful companies and non-profits share the same structures: both require policies, governance, financial checks, HR and IT. Both require an infrastructure that is not immediately apparent from the shopfront, whether you are selling cars or running a soup kitchen.

The model suits Gartner’s social nature, and it has helped SVP weather the economic storm. People still want to give, regardless of the economic climate, but they want to be sure that their donations are used wisely. By being involved with the investees as volunteers – on the planning boards and in the offices – SVP’s donors know that their generosity is not being squandered.

A few days after Gartner and I first meet, I am at a wine boutique-turned-art-gallery where SVP is presenting $110,000 in funding to three local non-profits. Gartner is at the front of the room addressing the crowd without notes, thanking partners for their support and celebrating the work of the investees. Watching her, it occurs to me that, at 31 years old, she shatters the clichéd image of a philanthropist. She is hardly the sort of graying giver you might see photographed handing out oversized cheques at charity balls. “Philanthropy comes from the Greek for ‘to love people’” Gartner tells the collected givers and receivers at the reception. Then she helps hand out T-shirts with the words ‘To Love People’ silk-screened across the front.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 at 9:49 am and is filed under CSR Central, Leadership, Money, Profiles, Work, Working for Nothing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.