SVP India Visits SVP Portland: Learning from Each Other and Building What's Next

When a leader from the world's fastest-growing SVP affiliates flies from Mumbai to Portland specifically to learn from us, that's worth paying attention to.

Govind Iyer, Chairperson of SVP India and SVP International board member, met with staff, talked with Investor Partners, and saw our work in the community up close. Portland was one of seven cities on his North American tour. And he definitely made the most of it!

Govind came to learn. As a newer SVP International board member, he wanted to see what makes North American affiliates work, what keeps Partners showing up year after year, and what other affiliates might take home.

In the Community

Two site visits shaped the trip. The first was a Ready to Grow marketing session. Our Ready to Grow business accelerator is a cornerstone of SVP programming, and this latest cohort includes twenty-two preschool providers and is offered entirely in Spanish. Govind got to witness the program in action and the energy was unmistakable. SVP Investor Partner Bob Tate described what he saw: "This group conveyed clearly the excitement, hunger to learn new skills to grow and scale their preschool businesses."

Pictured here: Ready to Grow participants, SVP Portland Investor Partner and session facilitator Randall Vergara, and Govind Iyer

The second took them to Latino Network at La Plaza Esperanza in Rockwood, where Govind heard the story of a 12-year partnership with SVP that has grown from strangers to trusted partners to, in the words of those present, familia. Latino Network alumni now serve on SVP Portland's Board of Directors.

For Bob, the two visits told the whole story: "Govind saw the earliest beginning of SVP Community Partner relationships in Ready to Grow, all the way to deeply mature, continuing partnership. Important bookends for the transformational work SVP Portland is doing."

Partner Power

Govind had heard about SVP Portland's early childhood education focus. Seeing it was something else. What struck him most was "the commitment of SVP Portland's Partners to helping nonprofits be successful by deeply engaging with them for long periods of time."

The parallel to his own network is closer than most Portland Partners might realize. At SVP India, 55% of Partners give more than 50 hours a year, and 89% say the engagement has been personally valuable. Two organizations, different contexts, same conviction about what it takes to effect positive change.

Pictured here: SVP Portland Investor Partners, Staff, and Govind Iyer

SVP India

For most of us, SVP India was a name we'd heard but hadn't fully understood. Govind changed that. We were impressed to learn:

• Launched in Bengaluru in 2012, now in 8 cities across India

• 790 active Partners, with the Partner base more than tripling in the last seven years

• 70% of Partners were new to engaged philanthropy when they joined

Education is one of their largest focus areas, a third of their work, and a direct parallel to SVP Portland that neither side had fully appreciated before this visit.

Bob called the picture Govind painted "stunning". Rapid growth packed with lessons about governance, Partner recruitment, and what a scaled affiliate can look like.

Lauren Johnson, SVP Portland Executive Director, shared: “I was honored to learn alongside Govind through several deep-dive sessions. It became clear that SVP Portland is helping lead innovation across our network — evolving our venture philanthropy model to meet this moment and respond to our community’s unique needs, while staying grounded in the core elements shared across our thirty affiliates. As the first SVP to set a community-level goal and expand our roles locally, others are now watching how we continue to adapt as we near success with universal preschool. Looking toward 2027, I’m energized by the opportunity to share our progress, lessons, and ambitions—and to partner across our global network on what we can achieve together. We’re just beginning to see what’s possible.”

Mumbai 2027

The 2027 SVP Global Summit will be hosted by SVP India, and SVP Portland Partners are personally invited.

The Summit runs February 4–6 in Mumbai. Two conference days, NGO site immersions, and curated travel itineraries for those who want to extend the trip. SVP Portland will be sharing our story on that stage: what we've built, how we've built it, and what Govind saw when he visited us here.

Govind's visit gave us a small taste of what that exchange looks like. Mumbai is the full version. We hope you'll join us.

Learn more about the SVP International Global Summit.

To learn more about Govind, watch this interview: Govind Iyer: From Global Boardrooms to Giving Forward.