Svcf Philanthropy Now Podcast

On the show today we're hearing from our VP of Government Relations Gina Dalma and Zulma Maciel from the City of San Jose's Office of Immigrant Affairs. Gina and Zulma have a conversation about the current fears in the Silicon Valley immigrant community, for undocumented and visa-holding immigrant families alike.  They wrap up by covering SB6, the critical bill that would implement true due process for all people in California courts and would go a long way to fund and provide legal services for immigrant families dealing with legal and immigration issues.  Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org   

This week our chief community impact officer, Erica Wood, gives us an introduction to SVCF’s new report, San Mateo County’s Forgotten South Coast Residents.   Erica shares how the report came to fruition, and why it's just the beginning of the great work that community partners and SVCF will do in the region. She also shares the stories of South Coast residents and their experiences with housing shortages, education barriers and limited access to healthcare.  Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org 

Today we're joined by three members of SVCF’s Grants, Gifts and Compliance team — D. Lea Rauscher, vice president; Christine Morissette, senior director of grants administration; and Damon James, international grants administration officer — for a conversation about the ins and outs of international grantmaking. SVCF grants millions of dollars to international charities, but it's by no means a simple process. The participants outline the collaborative approach SVCF takes when working with donors who want to make international donations. They also discuss the importance of gathering information about international organizations and setting grant agreements with grantees.  Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Today we're joined by SVCF COO and CFO Paul Velaski and Moss Adams Partner Liz Dollar to discuss the Financial Accounting Standards Board's updates to the accounting standards for nonprofit entities. Paul and Liz walk us through some of the major changes to reporting, which by and large should have a positive effect on the nonprofit sector. They cover early adoption of these standards, how disclosure requirements will change, and why accounting should be easier thanks to these updates. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

In episode 7, Bert Feuss (Senior vice president of investments) and Sue McAllister (marketing director) discuss SVCF's efforts to increase the number of minority and women investment managers at SVCF. Because SVCF values inclusion and diversity in all aspects of our business, we had to take a hard look at our investment practices and acknowledge that there was room for improvement. Bert and Sue talk about why this effort has been such a great success, including increased investment in communities that other investment managers overlook. They walk us through the process of hiring consultants and finding talented women- and minority-owned investment managers — and they look at the excellent results we've had so far. Bert and Sue also discuss steps that other nonprofits or foundations can take to increase diversity in the hiring process.  Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

SVCF and other organizations have implemented a "ban the box" policy for hiring. Removing the checkbox inquiring about applicants' criminal history is intended to make hiring more inclusive for people who have had interactions with the criminal justice system. Gina D. Dalma (SVCF’s vice president of government relations) and Daiva Natochy (SVCF’s vice president of talent, recruitment and culture) talk about how unequal treatment by the criminal justice system often puts young people of color and those in lower socioeconomic classes at a disadvantage, because they are more likely to have had interactions with law enforcement. Gina and Daiva highlight research that demonstrates the effectiveness of banning the box and discuss why it's so important to welcome those with criminal histories into our organizations and businesses. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org 

Welcome to Episode 5, in which Maeve Miccio, SVCF’s vice president of corporate responsibility, interviews Director of Corporate Responsibility Liz Lipton-McCombie. Maeve and Liz discuss SVCF's efforts to support startups and large companies alike in their efforts to strengthen social responsibility.  SVCF recently completed a report called “Starting with Purpose: How Startups can Use Social Responsibility to Deliver Purpose and Profit.” Our goal was to provide a comprehensive resource for companies that plan to integrate social responsibility and philanthropy into their work, through volunteering, charitable giving, and other efforts. Maeve and Liz give us an overview of how the report was compiled, some of the most interesting discoveries, and some actionable takeaways.  Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org 

Today we're featuring a conversation with Avo Makdessian, SVCF’s vice president and director of the Center for Early Learning, and Michelle Sioson Hyman, senior early learning officer.  Avo and Michelle discuss what the Center for Early Learning does, as well as their recent research on how technology and digital media affect young children. Michelle talks about some of the foundational knowledge in the field and says parents don't have to restrict their children from technology entirely. We also touch on how developers can help solve the widening disparity between families who have access to quality digital media at an early age and those who do not. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Today our host is Manuel Santamaria, SVCF’s vice president of strategic initiatives and grantmaking. In the first half of the episode, Manuel describes the grantmaking process that has served SVCF well over the past 10 years. He outlines the four “buckets” we aim to serve: economic security, building strong communities, education, and immigration. Manuel also talks about how the grantmaking process is going to change to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Manuel then welcomes Valerie Cuevas onto the show to talk about the special anniversary grants we will be awarding throughout the year. Valerie is a senior program officer and the leader of our 10-year anniversary request for grant proposals. She talks about why we’re focusing on innovative ideas with our anniversary grants, and she puts out the call to anyone with a big idea to apply for a grant. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org

Arielle Fleisher is on the podcast today on behalf of SPUR, a member-supported nonprofit that supports great planning, development, and government in the San Francisco Bay Area. Arielle and Vu-Bang Nguyen (SVCF’s program officer for regional planning) discuss the need for a single map that includes information on all our transit systems. Arielle outlines the positive effects the project will have, including increasing communication between operators, riders, and designers in the planning phase; improving public health by making transit more accessible; and benefitting our economy by making our transportation more tourist-friendly. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org  

Welcome to the very first episode of the SVCF Philanthropy Now Podcast! In this inaugural episode, we kick things off with a keynote address by a seasoned professional in the Silicon Valley fundraising scene, Emmett Carson, SVCF’s CEO. Emmett has been a leading member of the local fundraising and philanthropic community for 10 years, and he delivered this address to the top fundraising professionals in the country at this year’s Association of Fundraising Professionals Symposium. In it, he highlights the challenges that Silicon Valley fundraisers face and talks in real terms about the situation, and what organizations need to understand to effectively gain support for their causes. Access the full show notes at siliconvalleycf.org