Social Venture Partners Boston Appoints Executive Director
Cindy Hanshaw to Lead Boston Area Philanthropic Investing Group
BOSTON, MA – October 2, 2007 – Social Venture Partners Boston (SVPB), an organization that aims to strengthen the existing capacity of the nonprofit sector through grants and guidance from the for-profit community, has appointed Cynthia Zavala Hanshaw as part time Executive Director. She will manage the administration of the organization, help grow the partnership, and build community and connection among the partners and the nonprofit organizations that SVPB invests in.
“Cindy is a great addition to SVP Boston,” said Tony Helies, Chairman of the SVPB Board of Directors. "Cindy knows the Boston non profit scene, she has experience with foundations and other sources of philanthropy, she has great chemistry with the partners and she's smart. SVPB is growing both in the number of partners and in the impact we are having in Boston. Cindy will help us manage that growth."
Ms. Hanshaw comes to SVPB from The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI), a nonprofit advisory firm that designs, carries out and evaluates philanthropic programs for donors. There she served as Communications Manager and consulted with clients such as SVPB, The International Network for Strategic Philanthropy, The Berteslmann Foundation, Bank of America, and The World President's Organization. She brings to SVP Boston her diverse experience in the philanthropy, publishing and marketing fields. A California native, she is a graduate of the Communication Studies Bachelor of Arts program at California State University, Sacramento and earned an MA in Integrated Marketing Communication from Emerson College.
Social Venture Partners Boston makes investments in strong, effective programs operating within Greater Boston that will benefit from a long-term relationship with individual partners who provide hands-on involvement. Partners have a range of talents and skills to offer non-profit organizations in the following areas:
• General management
• Boards and governance
• Finance and revenue development
• Information technology
• Marketing and media
• Evaluation and outcomes
• Replication and expansion
SVP Boston focuses its giving in two areas, Education and Economic Development. Education investments are made to organizations that take an innovative approach to education, with the intent to share best practices and create models that can be replicated at other locations. Past Education investments include Edwards Middle School, Machine Science and Project for School Innovation. Economic Development investments are made to programs that teach and assist individuals to build the skills and knowledge they need so they may become financially self-sufficient. Past Economic Development investments include Artists for Humanity, The Food Project and Project Place.
SVPB is an affiliate of SVP International (SVPI), which supports the shared mission and principles of 23 affiliates across North America and Japan.
About Social Venture Partners Boston
Social Venture Partners Boston (SVP Boston) was created to bring professionals, business executives and entrepreneurs together to promote venture philanthropy and to catalyze positive social change in Boston. This unique group of individuals, or “Partners” is the driving force of SVP Boston. Modeled on the venture philanthropy approach, SVP Boston creates partnerships with innovative non-profit organizations by providing time, expertise and resources that fuel growth and build capacity and sustainability. The group treats grants like investments and strives to maximize social value return.
SVP Boston is a dual mission organization that seeks to practice engaged grant making and to catalyze individual philanthropy among the Partners by modeling the venture capital investment approach to philanthropy and by giving Partners greater opportunities for involvement, information and learning.