What to Expect When You Join
After you make your contribution and become a Social Venture Partner, you’ll be joining a diverse group of men and women of all ages who are at different points in their careers. Some partners work full-time, others are retired or self-employed. Some have climbed the corporate ladder. Others are just starting out. Some are lifelong volunteers. They all bring expertise in time management, strategic planning, risk assessment, accounting, finance, event planning, communications, social work and much more. All Partners want to go beyond giving money alone to help Greater Cincinnati thrive.
It’s easy to fit Social Venture Partners alongside your family, work and social obligations. Whether you have a few hours a month or a few hours a week, we offer plenty of ways to get involved. You can join our committees for communications and marketing, education and innovation, membership or investment, or one of our teams that work directly with our investees. You can participate in one of our education events, which teach about philanthropy, equity and other topics. You can also take advantage of our parent organization, Social Venture Partners International, which has 3,500 partners in more than 40 cities worldwide and holds an annual conference and other events.
Here’s what just a few of our partners have to say about Social Venture Partners:
“I joined SVP because I wanted to contribute more than a check. After 40+ years working in brand strategy and innovation, it's been rewarding to put those skills to work for local nonprofits doing good things. The bonus has been the people — meeting others who care about this work and learning how the nonprofit world in Greater Cincinnati really operates.
Jon Hall, PARTNER SINCE 2025
“I joined Social Venture Partners because I was drawn to its collaborative approach to strengthening our community. SVP brings together people with different experiences, perspectives, resources, and relationships, all united by a genuine passion for serving nonprofits and helping them thrive. I’m excited to contribute my own experience while learning from others who share a commitment to creating meaningful impact in our community.”
Alisa Smith, partner since 2024
“A friend first pointed me toward Social Venture Partners, and the idea stuck with me: use what I've spent my career learning to actually help, not just fund. I wanted to stay involved, hands-on, and useful. What's kept me here is seeing that impact firsthand — working alongside nonprofits and fellow partners who share the same drive to make a real difference. SVP is a special group of talented people, and I feel like together we are making a difference”
Lynn Ryan, partner since 2021
Partners or their corporate/foundation sponsors make a minimum, tax-deductible, annual contribution of:
$3,500 for individuals
$7,000 for families
$1,500 for young professionals (younger than 40) sponsored by their companies
$500 for the first year for an individual younger than 40, $1,000 for the second year, and $1,500 for the third year and thereafter until they are 40 years old
Corporate Collaborations
Our corporate collaboration program allows employers to offer a unique leadership development and training opportunity to their employees.
How it works: The corporation or foundation pays the individual contribution for the sponsored employee, who becomes a Social Venture Partner for a year. By working with fellow partners and our investees and participating in our education events, the employee learns about our community, expands his or her professional network and builds valuable leadership skills to become an effective community citizen.
Our corporate collaborators often sponsor more than one employee year after year, allowing them to have an even greater impact on our community.
“Fifth Third is proud to be involved with Social Venture Partners, which provides a unique opportunity for valued employees to become immersed in the Cincinnati community in a meaningful way. The program supports our development and training initiatives and helps chosen employees become civic-minded community leaders and strategic philanthropists.”
Teresa Tanner, executive vice president and chief administrative officer, fifth third bank
“Social Venture Partners is an impactful and influential organization in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region. The E.W. Scripps Company and many of our executives are proud to support its important work and its approach of collaborative giving paired with expertise because we believe it is the best way to give local nonprofits a greater chance of success.”
Carolyn Pione Micheli, chief communications and investor relations officer, the e.w. scripps company
Email kelly@svpcincinnati.org to learn more.