2018 Call for Letters of Interest - Social Venture Partners

2018 Call for Letters of Interest
Social Venture Partners Background
Social Venture Partners Waterloo Region (SVPWR) was founded in 2010, as a network of community
members who care about Waterloo Region and are committed to making it the best it can be. We are
part of a global network, established in 1997, with more than 39 affiliates in eight countries, and more
than 3,500 Partners around the world.

Our mission:
Together, we strengthen our Region’s not-for-profit sector by engaging a local community of active
donors

Our vision:
A collaboration of engaged donors and strong not-for-profits in a vibrant Waterloo Region

In Waterloo Region, we are supported by over 85 donors, or Partners, who pool their financial
resources, time and talent to make a bigger impact with their given, to strengthen local charities, and to
enrich Waterloo Region’s non-profit sector. We believe that by working together, and in partnership
with promising non-profits and their leaders, we can have a bigger and more positive impact on our
Region.

Our Partnerships

Our 2018 Investee will be our eighth community partnership, joining:

Strong Start, 2011
Woolwich Counselling Centre, 2012
Kinbridge Community Association, 2013
Hospice of Waterloo Region, 2014
SHORE Centre, 2015
Child Witness Centre, 2016
Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington, 2017

Our goal is to help build successful and sustainable non-profit organizations through multi-year
partnerships with local charities. By working together, our grant recipient, or Investee, and Partners
develop a mutually beneficial relationship: Investees gain from the valuable expertise and guidance of
our Partners, and Partners gain rich insight into community issues and the public benefit non-profit
sector.

In addition to an annual financial grant, we provide Investees with the personal time, resources,
network connections and business expertise of our Partners. The combination of unrestricted funding
(towards general operational costs as opposed to any specific program or project) and the hands-on
volunteer support of our Partners amplifies the development of operational capacity, and in turn, an
organization’s ability to meet its mission and increase its impact.

We believe that partners` time and expertise will represent the biggest value to our Investee. Partners
are not traditional volunteers, and we ask that you think outside the box when you propose ways that
they can help strengthen your organization. Partners bring an interest and breadth and depth of
expertise in areas including, but not limited to:

       Financial management
       Technology management
       Marketing and communications
       Strategic and organizational planning
       Legal
       Project management
       Leadership development
       Board development and governance
       Revenue generation
       General human resources

Criteria and Requirements

SVP Waterloo Region would like to partner with a registered charity located in Waterloo Region that:

       is committed to building their organizational capacity; can demonstrate how they have built
        capacity in the past and identify how they can continue to do so;

   is ready for change and can articulate where they want to go and how to get there; must have
        an effective Board-Executive Director relationship where both are equally supportive of focusing
        on capacity building;
       can demonstrate they have the time required to work with SVP;
       is committed to furthering the community agenda of belonging and can outline how they apply
        a “lens” of belonging to their work as it relates the Vital Signs Report.

Grant Recipient Requirements:

       Full time paid Executive Director
       Registered Charity
       Majority of programs serve Waterloo Region
       Head office located in Waterloo Region

At this time, SVP works only with individual organizations and not with collaborative structures or
networks.

Capacity Development-Ready Organizations:

In addition to the above, SVP seeks to partner with an organization that is ready for SVP’s capacity
development assistance. Typically, that means that the organization:

       Has long-term goals (three years) and ideas for how capacity building support can help amplify
        organizational impact
       Is self-aware, understanding their strengths and challenges*
       Has an engaged Executive Director and engaged board – all are receptive and supportive of SVP
        volunteer involvement over multiple years
       Is financially stable
       Is committed to measuring impact
       Values the importance of building internal capacity to achieve their mission
       Requests skills and expertise that we feel matches our partner resources

*Note: an important part of our process is an Organizational Capacity Assessment which occurs once an
investee has been selected

One organization will be selected in May/June 2017 as SVP’s seventh investee. They will receive an
initial grant that is anticipated to be $10,000-$20,000, to be used for general operating support and
capacity building initiatives. Based on successful annual reviews, similar grants will be given in years two
and three (SVP may also choose to invest longer).

Application Process

1. Letter of Interest

Please note that all applicants must meet with Rose Greensides, Social Venture Partners Waterloo
Region Executive Director (rose@svpwr.org), before submitting their Letter of Interest.

Our call for Letters of Interest will open on December 11th at 9:00 am. Links to our online application
process can be found on our website (www.svpwr.org).

Letters of Interest provides our Investment Committee with information on how your organization
works to further a lens of belonging in Waterloo; your organizational vision, goals and challenges; and
how SVP can help build your organizational capacity. Financial and reference checks are completed at
this time. Letters will be reviewed by our Investment Committee, and full proposals will be invited from
a short-list of organizations.

Letters of Interest are assessed across four categories:

    1.   Organization: leadership, organization vision, size/capacity to engage, readiness
    2.   Potential for Impact: growth, capacity building, results-oriented, achievability
    3.   Model and Programs: need, track record, innovation
    4.   SVP Engagement and Connection: SVP partner engagement, ability and readiness to partner,
         WOW factor

The deadline for Letters of Interest is January 31st, 2018 at 5:00 pm.

All applicants will be notified of the status of their Letter of Interest by March 5th, 2018.

2. Full Proposals by Invitation

Short-listed organizations will be invited to submit full proposals, the guidelines for which will be
provided upon invitation.

Proposals provide more detailed information on your organization’s work and accomplishments, and
more specifics on how Social Venture Partners Waterloo Region can help build your capacity.

Applicants will work with Social Venture Partners Waterloo Region’s Executive Director, who will advise
on the development of your proposal, including exploring options on how we might best work with your
organization. Letters will be reviewed by our Investment Committee, which will then select up to three
finalists to present.

The deadline for full proposals is March 28th, 2018 at 5:00 pm.

All applicants will be notified of the status of their full proposals by April 30th, 2018.

3. Finalist Pitches

Finalists will be invited to present to the Investment Committee on May 15th, 2018. This gives the
Committee a chance to meet your organization and ask any questions they many, and it allows the
finalists to ask any questions they may have of Social Venture Partners Waterloo Region.

Finalists will be notified of the results upon Board ratification, by June 8th, 2018. The 2018 Investee will
be required to attend our Spring All Partners Meeting on June 19th, 2018, when the formal
announcement will be made.

Requirements of SVP Investees

       Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool (OCAT)
        Within the first three months, work with Social Venture Partners Waterloo Region to assess
        organizational capacity. Facilitated by Social Venture Partners Waterloo Region’s Executive
        Director and Lead Partner, this process includes at least 2 staff members and at least 2 Board

members. Out of this process, we will identify a shared vision and work plan for how Social
      Venture Partners Waterloo Region’s Partners can best support the organization over the next
      three years.
     Completion of a satisfaction survey at the end of the first and third years of our partnership, to
      provide feedback about the collaboration and ensure that we’re working together efficiently
     Participate in an annual review of the partnership, detailing the impact of the investment and
      Partner time, including:
          o Review of financial statements and standing of the organization
          o Measureable accomplishments toward initial work plan and objectives
          o Details of how Social Venture Partners Waterloo Region Partner time was used
          o Quantitative and qualitative outcomes of your programs on the population you serve
          o Revisit and refine work-plan

Thank you for your interest in applying to Social Venture Partners Waterloo Region. If you have any
questions about the application process, or to set up a meeting with our Executive Director, please
                             email Rose Greensides at rose@svpwr.org.