Apply for Investment

Application Guidelines

Each year, San Diego Social Venture Partners (SDSVP) chooses an investment focus area based upon community needs and our Partners’ interests.

Grant Awards

SDSVP selects two nonprofits - called Investees - to receive $75,000 distributed over a three-year period. In addition, SDSVP’s members provide professional support and services to promote capacity building for your organization. The time and expertise incorporated in these services, along with connections to other funders, has been valued by our past Investees at an average of $600,000 per organization.

SDSVP’s Philosophy and Approach

Outcome Funding
SDSVP’s granting philosophy centers on identifying nonprofits with the potential to make a significant impact through the implementation or augmentation of successful, innovative program models. We invest in organizations that are able to achieve measurable improvements which have lasting impact. Outcome funding emphasizes setting and achieving specific results or performance targets. We focus on the ability to produce results on an on-going and scalable basis, rather than funding particular programs or activities. We value approaches that have the potential for leverage through the spreading of a model that’s being developed, tested, evaluated or implemented and/or developing long-term strategies to promote advocacy that will catalyze change.

Capacity Building Partnerships

SDSVP believes that that stronger management, systems and infrastructure result in nonprofit organizations that are more effective in their programs and service delivery. To achieve this, we give more than money. We build long term strategic relationships with our Investees. With an eye to increasing the capacity of the nonprofit, we provide high-level individual and team assistance, in addition to philanthropic dollars, to meet the distinct needs of each Investee. Click here for a more detailed description of SDSVP’s approach to capacity building.

SDSVP provides the expertise of our Partners in the following capacity building areas:

• Strategic Outcome Planning
• Board Development
• Marketing/PR/Communications
• Fund Development
• Business Operations (includes Financial Management, Accounting, Information Technology, and Human Resources)

By working together, our Investees and Partners develop a unique, mutually-beneficial relationship. Our Investees gain from the valuable expertise, guidance and mentorship of our Partners while our Partners gain rich insight to community issues and the nonprofit sector.

Characteristics of Successful SDSVP Investee Candidates

Based on SDSVP’s past experience, some key characteristics are required for organizations to successfully take advantage of our combination of financial support coupled with dedicated professionals’ partnering with the Investee for building capacity.

• Leadership support for capacity building: Executive Director and Board understand the long-term benefits of the capacity-building strategy and can commit to the energy and resources necessary in the short-run to build organizational infrastructure
• Interest in embracing a SDSVP partnership: The organization welcomes the collective expertise of SDSVP Partners and looks for opportunities to work in concert to improve upon the overall effectiveness of the organization.
• Belief in the importance of performance measurement: Although an organization need not have developed performance targets and outcomes measures throughout their agency, an interest in creating a strategic plan outlining performance targets linked to outcome measures is expected.
• Organizational size poised for growth: In order to take advantage of the in-kind support offered, organizations must be big enough, with sufficient staff to support the design and implementation of the capacity-building programs. At the other end, organizations that are already well-established generally do not need the capacity-building expertise, and their size also makes the SDSVP funding less relevant. Past experience demonstrates that this “sweet spot” falls roughly within the $250K-to-$6 million annual budget range.
• Demonstrated involvement in the area: We prefer to fund organizations that have been working in the focus area for at least three years.

Organizations that consider SDSVP merely as a source of funding will not be considered. We are looking to establish a true partnership with you to build the capacity of your organization and thereby extend your reach and dramatically improve your future successes in assisting the community.

Eligibility

Organizations must have 501(c)(3) IRS tax-exempt status or other nonprofit status, and be located within and currently operating services or programs in San Diego County. We are particularly interested in working with local organizations, although organizations that are affiliates of national organizations but can operate on a reasonably independent basis, preferably with a local board of directors, will be considered. An organization can submit only one proposal per grant cycle.

Generally, SDSVP will not consider grant requests from individuals, organizations which are substantially funded or controlled by local, state or federal government, for-profit organizations, pure sports teams, organizations outside San Diego County, religious organizations for sectarian purposes, and organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, sexual orientation, gender, age, marital status, national origin, or physical ability. In addition, SDSVP will not make direct grants to school districts, local education foundations, or colleges and universities. Our model of grantmaking is not structured to effectively provide capacity-building assistance that will sustain or strengthen these organizational structures. SDSVP will also not make grants to support endowments, capital campaigns, land acquisition, auctions or fund-raising events, short-term or one time events including conferences, performances or productions, scholarships, political activities intended to influence legislation or support candidates for political offices, litigation or legal expenses, organizations outside San Diego County, re-granting dollars to other nonprofit organizations, and existing obligations/debt.