Social Venture Partners (SVP) builds a network of informed, engaged, and effective philanthropists committed to eradicating poverty in Philadelphia.

The vision is simple: a Philadelphia where leaders working closest to the issues have the power and resources necessary to make lasting change.

SVP connects nonprofits with volunteers—called Partners—who want to contribute money, time, and their professional skills and networks. At the start of a relationship with SVP, nonprofits self-determine the type of support that will help them grow their impact.

They are then connected with individuals from the SVP network who can provide it—whether that be a specific skill set, thought leadership, or an introduction on their behalf. To ensure Partners are prepared for their roles, SVP provides training to help them better understand the nonprofit landscape, effective philanthropy, and the root causes of poverty.

In July 2021, SVP awarded $600,000 in multi-year grants to three BIPOC-led and -serving nonprofits: Center for Black Educator Development, Women’s Community Revitalization Project, and Resilient Coders.

Resilient Coders trains young adults of color from low-income communities for high-growth careers as software engineers and connects them to employment—and remains a resource through their career trajectories.

“SVP has been very intentional in designing a relationship-based model.”

SVP has been very intentional in designing a relationship-based model,” said Ayanna Lott-Pollard, executive director of Resilient Coders. “We have some great funders, and the best ones are those we can call when we’re facing a challenge and need a fresh perspective or alternative resource.”

Earlier this year, Ayanna worked with two Partners who helped enhance her marketing materials, and recently, Ayanna has been working with a Partner who has facilitated introductions with prospective employers for Resilient Coders alumni. These are just two of the many ways SVP Partners are having an impact.