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Philanthropic Ventures Foundation
| December 2010
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progress
a newsletter for our donors
and colleagues
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Celebrating Two Decades
of Creative Grantmaking
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Our grantmaking at Philanthropic Ventures Foundation is almost entirely focused on poverty. This article is the first of a series asking how philanthropy can have an impact on poverty, highlighting the approach PVF has taken during its 20 years of grantmaking.
 Outstanding community workers who serve the poor with food, meals, clothing, housing and counseling receive funding from PVF - no questions asked, no applications, no hurdles. If poor individuals can gain a degree of stability in their life, they stand a better chance of fulfilling objectives such as getting a job and stable housing, being a good parent, giving back to others. Over $30 million in grants have been distributed for safety net needs, made possible by our donors. PVF is proud to partner with these dedicated community workers, such as Larry Purcell the founder of the Catholic Worker House program, serving the homeless, the hungry, and the poor in Redwood City, CA.  Parent Involvement Workers in Schools: For over 10 years PVF has supported immigrant women who are motivated to complete ESL classes, by hiring them to work as Parent Involvement Workers with Spanish speaking parents. These women are paid to work in East Palo Alto schools one-on-one with classroom teachers. They stay in contact with parents and encourage their involvement in their children's education. There is a direct relationship between parent involvement and student achievement. And there is a direct relationship between educational achievement and success in life. PVF donors have made this program possible with grants totaling $250,000. Pictured is Parent Involvement Worker, Martha Perez, working one-on-one with a student. Teachers are the real youth workers in society and PVF has been funding them for 12 years with grants in 48 hours. Through our Teacher Resource Grant Programs, teachers merely fax in a one page request, and receive funding immediately. When we meet outstanding school principals, PVF makes grants for discretionary funds, for the principal to use to meet the emergency needs of students and their families, and for pilot summer and afterschool programs. If teachers and principals can have flexibility and resources when they need them, they can improve student achievement. PVF has distributed over $3 million in teacher grants over the years, with support from our donors. Pictured is a teacher from Lomita Park Elementary working with her students on an animal unit, enhanced with funding from a PVF Arts Resource Grant.There is no magic bullet to solve poverty, but we are convinced that if we work toward a better world, life will improve. This is the role of philanthropy, and the work that PVF has been doing for two decades.
Help us to keep going strong. PVF's grantmaking to address poverty is made possible by donors like you.
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About the Editor
Bill Somerville
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Bill Somerville has been in non-profit and philanthropic work for 50 years. He was the director of a community foundation for 17 years, and in 1991 founded Philanthropic Ventures Foundation where he serves as Executive Director. PVF is a demonstration foundation practicing unique forms of grantmaking and conducting innovative philanthropy. Bill has consulted at over 400 community foundations in the United States, Canada, and the U.K., on creative grantmaking and foundation operations. His primary interest is in the creative and significant use of the philanthropic dollar.
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Board of Directors
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John P. Carver, Chair
Retired Senior Vice-President
The Gap Inc.
Duncan Beardsley
Marketing Consultant
Howard H. Bell
Attorney
Law Offices of Catherine Fisher
William E. Green
Attorney
William Green & Associates
Albert J. Horn
Attorney
Carr, McClellan, Ingersoll,
Thompson & Horn PC
Bill Somerville, President
Executive Director
Philanthropic Ventures Foundation
Jackie Speier
U.S. Representative
12th District of California
Moira C. Walsh
Attorney and
Philanthropic Advisor
Colburn S. Wilbur
Trustee and Former President
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
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Board of Advisors
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Janet Camarena
Director, San Francisco Office,
The Foundation Center
Leonard Edwards
Judge-in-Residence, California Administrative Office of the Courts
Sean Stannard-Stockton
CEO,
Tactical Philanthropy Advisors
Dien Yuen
Director of Philanthopy,
Give2Asia
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Where's Bill? Check out our latest blog post to find out!
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Last week we attended the ceremony for the new building to house the Mt. View Day Worker Center which we support. The Day Worker Center is a place where people out of work can go to find work... click to read more about Bill's visit
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| Did you miss our Micro-Documentary Series? Click below to see them! |
 Dien Yuen, Director of Philanthropy for Give2Asia, praises
PVF's donor-advised services: "PVF is efficient, it's lean, and it's the way philanthropy should be."
- Dien Yuen
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 Kathy Kwan of the Eustace-Kwan Family Foundation speaks
about why she chooses to donate to PVF: "PVF finds a way to get money into the right hands, for the right
people, at the right time." - Kathy Kwan
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 Sister Christina of the Saint Francis Center speaks about her
continued partnership with PVF: "The heart of everything that goes on at PVF is relationships." - Sister Christina Heltsley
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 PVF Board Member Cole Wilbur on PVF's grassroots
grantmaking approach: "PVF has a style that's almost unique in the field, and that's to
provide grants within 48 hours." - Cole Wilbur
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 Bill Somerville, President of PVF, discusses his philosophy
of trust in grassroots grantmaking: "When people want to do grassroots grantmaking anywhere, we're
the best people to contact." - Bill Somerville
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Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, 1222 Preservation Park Way, Oakland CA 94612-1201
Telephone: 510-645-1890 Fax: 510-645-1892
www.venturesfoundation.org
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