Like many organizations, SVP Seattle is working hard to make sure our supporters, staff, and the social impact organizations we work with are safe during this challenging time. We also feel it is important to continue moving our work and mission forward – perhaps in ways we didn’t anticipate! We had originally envisioned a Fast Pitch Final Showdown held at Town Hall filled with supporters and community members excited to hear the innovators’ inspiring stories. As we all know, that is no longer an option. The SVP Board and staff decided the Fast Pitch Final Showdown will be presented online in order to celebrate and honor the time, commitment, and dedication that everyone has put into this program thus far – we know you will still be inspired!
Social Venture Partners Seattle continues to monitor the evolving COVID-19 outbreak in the Greater Seattle area. Our leadership, staff and Board are regularly updating our program and operations strategies in order to incorporate any new guidance from local, state and federal public health authorities.
SVP is already implementing changes to programming and in-person events such as Fast Pitch, Grant committees, and partner recruitment events. In many instances, we are adjusting events to virtual models before postponing or canceling as necessary. We are also experimenting with digital strategies to support our Investees and engage with Partners.
As we make our decisions, we continually revisit our SVP values as an anchor point for our plans. During times of crisis it is important to ground in values regularly, and we are proud to continue living our values through this time. See SVP’s website for additional detail on how we can interpret and lean in to these values, which are:
CONNECT | We cultivate relationships and recognize we can accomplish more together.
TRUSTED ALLY | We model humility, openness and mutual respect.
EQUITY | We center our efforts on those historically marginalized to balance power and access to resources.
STRETCH | We embrace challenging conversations and risk taking and seek opportunities to learn.
IMPACT | We pursue sustained and transformative change.
How SVP Seattle is Responding
In the past two weeks, local nonprofit organizations have been having tough conversations about the impact of COVID-19. In an already complex year (Presidential election! Uncertain economy!) the necessary shared public health actions we have had to undertake as a community have put many organizations in precarious operational and financial positions. Many have had to cancel and postpone events that bring in vital funding needed to run and sustain their organizations for the remainder of the year. We at SVP Seattle understand this challenge firsthand as we have had to quickly change plans for the Fast Pitch Final Showdown and think about how else this may affect programming. The impact of these changes reaches beyond SVP and hits the communities that our Investees and innovators work hard to serve every day. Our organizations are scrambling, figuring out how to maintain services in an increasingly volatile situation.
Times of challenge bring about opportunity – and we are now asking the SVP community to pull together and step up. Let’s keep SVP strong, really leverage our value of CONNECT and accomplish more together than we could alone.
How SVP Seattle partners and community can activate their philanthropy
Double down on your support for the organizations you care about – now and in the coming months.
Were you planning on attending a nonprofit event? Consider making your ticket purchase a donation, to show your support for the work that they do. Go online and make an additional contribution at a level that you would have made in attendance. Your financial support now aligns with the values we strive for at SVP and stands in solidarity with organizations through this exceptionally challenging time.
COVID-19 Response Fund – SVP is a partner of the COVID-19 Response Fund. Hosted by Seattle Foundation, this fund will provide flexible resources to organizations in our region working with communities who are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and the economic consequences of this outbreak. The Fund is designed to complement the work of public health officials and expand local capacity to address all aspects of the outbreak as efficiently as possible. The Fund expects to move an initial round of grants within the next few weeks.