February eNews | Announcing SV2's New Strategic Plan, Welcome New Board Member Grace Mah, and Join Us for Meditation Mondays

We are thrilled to share SV2’s new Strategic Plan with our extended community! The Strategic Plan both preserves the heart of SV2 and pushes us into new territory. We will be enhancing what makes SV2 unique while piloting new approaches, learning from these efforts, and refining and fine-tuning as needed. The Guiding Principles of the Plan include fostering a community of continuous learners, broadening the voices involved in our work, aligning giving and investing with personal values, working with our network to drive impact in the Bay Area, and centering equity in all that we do. Among the strategic highlights are empowering more Partner-led initiatives, expanding SV2’s impact investing work, and adding Grantees and community leaders to SV2’s Board and other decision-making tables.

We are excited to welcome Grace Mah to the SV2 Board of Directors!

Grace Mah has served on the Santa Clara County Board of Education since 2007. Her previous committee work includes the Head Start Policy Council, Joint Legislative Advisory Committee (JLAC), Budget Study Committee, and Policy Development Subcommittee. She also serves as Board President of Stevenson House, a low-income senior housing program in Palo Alto. Grace is co-founder of the Strong Start Coalition of Santa Clara County, dedicated to increasing access to early learning opportunities for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers in Santa Clara County. In addition, Grace has been a board member of the Palo Alto Family YMCA, a parent volunteer at Palo Alto public schools, and the initiator for a Mandarin immersion program in the Palo Alto Unified School District. Grace has 18 years of experience in the high-tech industry, including project management and sales experience. She has a B.S. in Engineering and Applied Science from the California Institute of Technology and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley, and is currently pursuing a Public Leadership Credential from the Harvard Kennedy School. Grace, her husband and their two sons live in Palo Alto.

We are excited to launch Meditation Mondays at SV2 and invite you to join us! We’ll gather every Monday at noon on Zoom, starting March 21st. Each session will include a 10-15 minute gently guided meditation and an optional chat afterwards, ending at 12:30. All are welcome, as are all levels of practice. Whether you are a curious beginner, long time meditator or somewhere in between, this will be a way to gather in community and share the practice of mindful living. The meditations will be guided by David Onek and Paru Desai. Click below to sign up for March 21 and to get future notices. For more information, please contact David or Paru.

Danielle Kraaijvanger is a researcher, non-profit advisor, and long-time human rights and environmental advocate. She completed an Ed.D. in Organization and Leadership in 2019. Her dissertation research centered on education and human trafficking prevention, examining the work of a nongovernmental organization in Mumbai, India. Danielle has served as a non-profit executive, consultant, and advisor to a number of organizations focused on human rights and women’s rights. She was an ambassador to Women for Women International, is a charter member of the Vital Voices Global Partnership Bay Area Council, and serves on the San Francisco Executive Committee for Human Rights Watch. She is currently affiliated with the Stanford Center for Human Rights and International Justice and holds an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. Danielle and her husband Paul live in Marin. They have a senior in high school and twins in college.

Gabe Swank has a BA and MBA from Stanford, and a background in finance, strategy, and business development. His skill is helping c-suite leaders make high-stakes capital allocation investments to drive growth. He has served on the board of the Redwood City Education Foundation, co-chaired the Measure H campaign, and currently serves on the board of Upward Scholars. He’s particularly interested in impact investments related to climate finance and technology, and novel financial products/technologies that accelerate upward mobility.

THURS. FEB. 10 | 10:00AM - 12:00PM

Being in Community with South Coast Neighbors and Puente de la Costa Sur

Let’s get together with our South Coast neighbors as they “cross the bridge toward independence”. We'll learn more about Puente de la Costa Sur, connect with South Coast community members who will share their stories, strengths, and experiences, and have small group discussions on important community topics such as mental health, community development, and legal services. Puente de la Costa Sur was selected as a Community Partner Grantee in SV2’s 2021 Economic Inclusion Grant Round. This event is one of our initial steps in strong trust and relationship building together

TUES. FEB. 15 | 12:30PM - 2:30PM

Equity in Education Learning Session

In this session we’ll connect with local and national education changemakers to learn about what equity in education means “day to day”, strengths and opportunities in the Bay Area community, and tips and guidance for funders and supporters. The format will be a keynote, followed by small group learning circles with community voices. We're excited to bring together these authentic and accomplished Speakers: Atyani Howard, Co-CEO, New Teacher Center, Dr. Ayinde Rudolph, Superintendent, Mountain View Whisman School District, Avani Patel, Former Teacher and Administrator, Ravenswood City School District and KIPP Bay Area Schools, David Civil, Alum, Eastside College Preparatory School and Third-Year Student at UC Santa Barbara, and Frances Messano, President, NewSchools Venture Fund.

WED. FEB. 16 | 11:30AM - 1:30PM

Impact Investing Working Group

The SV2 Impact Investing Working Group discusses prospective impact investment opportunities, hears pitches from social entrepreneurs, and performs due diligence in order to make informed investment recommendations on behalf of SV2. The Working Group is comprised of Partners who are committed to actively participating in all aspects of impact investing, including the due diligence process. All Partners are welcome to begin regularly attending IIWG meetings at any point in the year or are welcome to audit meetings on a drop-in basis.

MON. FEB. 28 | 10:15AM - 2:30PM

Tour and Volunteering with Code Tenderloin

Let’s get together and be in community with our dedicated and determined Tenderloin neighbors. Del Seymour, member of the Tenderloin community for the past 30 years, community leader and Founder of Code Tenderloin, will lead us through a walking tour of the neighborhood. We’ll have boxed lunch together with some students who participate in Code Tenderloin’s programs and get to know each other better. We’ll then do job ready-ness volunteering with the students - e.g. resume reviews and mock interview prep. Code Tenderloin was selected as a Community Partner Grantee in SV2’s 2021 Economic Inclusion Grant Round. This event is one of our initial steps in strong trust and relationship building together.

THURS. MAR. 3 | 12:00PM - 1:30PM

Family Philanthropy Interest Circle

The Family Philanthropy Interest Circle is a Partner-led group which provides a safe space to explore giving experiences, successes, and challenges in an ongoing, intimate setting. If you are a current Partner with a family foundation, a donor advised fund, family office, or some other structured family giving vehicle, please join us. This event is for current Partners only, and is led by Deb Dauber. Reach out with questions to Deb at dsdauber@gmail.com.

TUES. MAR. 8 | 12:30PM - 2:30PM

Education Equity Grant Round Meeting #2

Meeting #2 is part of our Grant Round redesign, and will provide an opportunity as the Grant Round begins to hear directly from each of the five organizations in turn about their mission and work. We envision this as a mutual “Get to Know You” for Partners and participating organizations. Each Executive Director, along with any key stakeholders they’d like to bring, will have some time to share their work and interact with Partners.

WED. MAR. 16 | 11:30AM - 1:30PM

Impact Investing Working Group

The SV2 Impact Investing Working Group discusses prospective impact investment opportunities, hears pitches from social entrepreneurs, and performs due diligence in order to make informed investment recommendations on behalf of SV2. The Working Group is comprised of Partners who are committed to actively participating in all aspects of impact investing, including the due diligence process. All Partners are welcome to begin regularly attending IIWG meetings at any point in the year or are welcome to audit meetings on a drop-in basis.

SAT. MAR. 19 | 10:00AM - 2:00PM

Climate Justice: Now is our opportunity to make a difference | Partner-Organized Event

Join us and our co-creator, Thrive Alliance, at a "Get Proximate and Beyond" on-site program to hear first-hand of the growing challenges our communities face due to climate and environmental issues. Learn how the effects of climate change, multiplied by historic inequitable planning choices and systemic inequities affect ourselves and our neighbors. Engage with community based organizations (CBOs) who are collaborating to build a better Bay Area together. This is a Partner-organized event run by Jennifer McFarlane and Paul Traina, SV2 Partners.

MON. MAR. 21 | 12:00PM - 12:30PM

Meditation Mondays

We are excited to launch Meditation Mondays at SV2 and invite you to join us! We’ll gather every Monday at noon on Zoom, starting March 21st. Each session will include a 10-15 minute gently guided meditation and an optional chat afterwards, ending at 12:30. All are welcome, as are all levels of practice. Whether you are a curious beginner, long time meditator or somewhere in between, this will be a way to gather in community and share the practice of mindful living. The meditations will be guided by David Onek and Paru Desai. Click below to sign up for March 21st and to get future notices. For more information, please contact David (donek@sv2.org) or Paru (desaiparu526@gmail.com).

Celebrations, Opportunities, Events

With some of our current Community Partners / Grantees

Braven

We are so excited to announce that Braven is launching a new site in Atlanta, GA, in the Spring of 2022! Our inaugural and groundbreaking college partner in this new area is Spelman College, the number one Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and all-women’s college. We believe our country is going to benefit immensely from the pairing of our multi-year Career Accelerator experience with the amazingly talented Black women of Spelman, propelling them even further on their path to lead lives of impact.

Breakthrough Silicon Valley

Sophomore Resume Review Workshop (Virtual) | Help our sophomores develop their professional portfolio by reviewing their draft resumes and providing valuable feedback on how to present their accomplishments as they apply for internships and part-time jobs. RSVP here | Saturday, February 12th from 9:00AM-11:00AM

Californians for Justice

Californians for Justice is looking for our next Executive Director! | We seek a passionate, motivated and courageous individual to lead our work building racially just, equitable and relationship-centered CA public schools. See our job posting here.

Shop the ICA Marketplace! | By shopping with us, you’re helping the Bay Area small business ecosystem thrive.

One Life Counseling

JOIN US for a San Jose Sharks game benefitting One Life! | Everyone who attends will receive a FREE t-shirt for FAN Appreciation night | Saturday, April 23rd at 5:00PM
Wellness Tip | This is a reminder for all those struggling to find the medication that works for them that we see you and we understand. An instructional video on the technique called Willing Hands, which helps to increase acceptance of difficult situations, can be found HERE #wellnesswednesday

StreetCode Academy

Adult Mentors Needed For Current for StreetCode Classes! | As our Winter classes begin, we are in need of adult mentors for specific classes (Game Design and Jr. Game Development) to help students during class! We need all hands on deck for anyone interested in engaging with students on these topics. Click HERE for details and how to apply

Upward Scholars

English Conversation Club | Join us as we help our students practice speaking English in a safe, virtual, and comfortable environment. RSVP by 12pm on Feb. 11th | Friday, February 18th from 6:30PM-7:30PM

With more friends and allies...

Listen4Good

While many organizations believe in asking their clients for direct feedback, figuring out how to effectively gather and respond to their input can be challenging. Listen4Good helps you harness the power of direct feedback and make client perspectives more integral to your work. Organizations can join either our January or June cohorts each year. Our June cohort has a deadline of May 15, 2022.

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