Partner Fellows Program Overview
In association with Civic Ventures’ Encore Fellowship Network
Need + Talent + Time These have been critical elements of our call-and-response mission since 2001. With greater need in the community than ever and a wealth of talent and time emerging from Baby Boomers retiring from successful careers, SVPP’s Partners Fellows are investing more resources than ever in the visions of Portland’s most promising nonprofit organizations.
SVPP’s Partner Fellows are seasoned private-sector professionals entering retirement who are sponsored by their companies and communities to offer professional expertise and passion for a cause in a high-impact, high-priority project with one of greater Portland’s most visionary nonprofits serving children, youth and families at risk. Hewlett-Packard Company has provided generous support to the program pilot in Silicon Valley, and is now helping to expand the program nationally with its investment in Portland. Fellows take on roles that deliver significant, sustained impact to their nonprofit “host” organizations. During the fellowship period (typically 1000+ hours over 6-12 months, half- to full-time), Fellows earn a stipend, learn about social-purpose work, and develop a new network of contacts and resources for the future.
Partner Fellowships are designed to bring significant value to all participants and builds on SVPP’s foundation and reputation for developing effective, supportive relationships with nonprofits.
- Nonprofit organizations get a high-impact project or organizational priority accomplished and gain affordable, low-risk access to experienced, skilled talent as they transition into the social sector.
- Retiring or retired professionals are able to create a flexible, experiential pathway to social-purpose work and to make an immediate impact using the skills and experience they already have.
- Businesses and other sponsors may benefit in a variety of ways: through deeper employee or member engagement, positive affiliation with a high-impact community engagement, identifying and opening new markets, and improved grantee effectiveness.
- Communities benefit directly by the impact of the Fellow’s work, and by the Fellow’s future engagement in the social sector. In Civic Ventures’ 2009 Fellows class, nearly 100% of participants have remained active as employees, volunteers and/or Board members with the nonprofit/nonprofit sector.
- SVP Portland drives further positive impact in our grantees and the broader nonprofit community focusing on children, youth and families at risk by deploying these highly-skilled Fellows. We also get the benefit of the Fellows’ and hosts’ collective experience, wisdom and tools developed in capacity building with the nonprofits.
Program History
Civic Ventures, along with a small number of pioneering corporations and non-profit agencies, introduced the nationally recognized Encore Fellows Program in 2009. In 2011, after two successful years in the San Francisco area, Civic Ventures launched an expansion of the program to eight cities across the US. Social Venture Partners Portland (SVPP) is pleased to be leading the Portland, OR metropolitan area in being among the first cities in the US offering the program.For more information on SVP’s Partner Fellows Program:
- Review and print a program brochure.
- Click on any of the program links found on the left of this page.
- Contact SVPP Fellows Program Director Paul Speer, paul-at-svpportland.org or 503-222-0114.
