The Venture Philanthropists (VPs) is a giving circle of women who currently are committed to giving at the $2,200 level.  This group has been together since 2001 and was the catalyst for the creation of CWP.  The VP is an example of a small giving circle and the members have determined a maximum membership of 15 in their giving circle.

After extensive research including input from community leaders, the VPs have decided to designate  its collective dollars to the issue of women and girls in poverty.  The VPs are finalizing their grant making process and anticipate working with one or more nonprofits to design the grant(s) and identify the anticipated outcomes. 

The  Venture Philanthropists' first grant to Harbor House established a precedent for measurable outcomes that really make a difference in the community.  As most know, Harbor House is a temporary residential facility for women and children who desperately need a refuge to escape the horror of spouse abuse and family violence. The grant was given to Harbor House for the creation of a Development Office.  Harbor House at that time received almost all of its funding from governmental   sources.  The VP grant allowed Harbor House to establish a Development Office and train the board and staff on effective fundraising techniques. In three short years there has been a 58% increase in individual donations and a 36% increase in foundation giving.  That equates to a 60% increase in NON-GOVERNMENT funding! 

Anecdotally, there are even greater results.  Through the fundraising training, Harbor House representatives honed their fundraising skills.  When KB Homes met with the staff  to discuss donating time and materials to renovate the facility, they were so impacted by the need and the issue  as  stated by a determined, skilled Executive Director that the company decided to donate not just the planned renovations but  a  brand  new shelter home! Thus, the VPs investment of $150,000 over three years has been returned to the community ten-fold.

After many months of research and planning, the Venture Philanthropists (VP) giving circle issued a request for proposal in the spring of 2007 which sought proposals for a project designed to positively impact adolescent girls in poverty.  The RFP solicited proposals that addressed the physical, psychological, or sexual/reproductive health and well-being of such girls, as well as their aspirational, critical thinking and decision-making needs.  The VP grant request targeted projects that would employ a positive message and methods to provide girls with experiences to use or acquire tools, skills or resources to help them change their lives for the better.    

The VP ultimately awarded two separate $25,000 grants, one to the Office for Farmworker Ministry (OFFM) and one to the Orlando Neighborhood Improvement Corporation (ONIC).  The OFFM grant is helping fund an innovative program for young immigrant women in the Apopka area called "Voices of Youth."  The program is designed to help middle and high school girls find, hear, express and organize their voices so they can become confident and engaged participants in their community. Voices of Youth includes overnight retreats, financial literacy training, counseling, journaling sessions, mentoring, arts participation and volunteerism.   

The ONIC grant is funding an exciting program for minority girls in an Orlando neighborhood. Its goals include increasing self-esteem and coping skills, eliminating risky behaviors such as those resulting in teen pregnancy or substance abuse, and decreasing incidents of stress related illnesses and diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and STDs.  It strives to provide the "hands on" tools the girls need to escape the cycle of abuse too many of them come to expect, and to create healthy living habits and positive relationships.   

The VP are excited that preliminary reports about the progress of these programs are very encouraging! Along with Community Foundation staff, VP members will be making site visits to both programs in the first quarter of 2008.  To continue our initial focus of targeting girls in poverty, and to maximize the likelihood of achieving demonstrable results,  the VP giving circle has decided not to issue a new RFP for the current funding year. Instead, we will evaluate the methods and outcomes of the ONIC and OFFM programs with an eye toward refunding one or both programs.