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Partners Creating Change

• Welcome! SVP Toronto would like to welcome our new partner –Lisa Smecca (more…)
• Get involved!
  • Partner Volunteer Opportunities (more…)

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Eva’s Pheonix Case Study

Investee Name: Eva’s Phoenix Print Shop
Investee Contact: Alexandra Djukic, Executive Director and Business Manager
Lead Partners: Steve White & Debra Campbell
Number of Partners Offering Pro Bono Consulting: 10
Investment Period: 2008 – 2011 
Total Grant Investment: $75,000

Mission of the Organization
Working with homeless and at-risk youth to achieve productive, self-sufficient and healthy lives

Program Overview
Eva’s Phoenix print program consists of two stages: training and apprenticeship. Every year, the award-winning Foundations of Print training program gives 30 youth the chance to build skills, knowledge and commitment in the graphic communications industry. The training stage lasts for a period of three months, after which students have the opportunity to work part-time as paid apprentices in the commercial print shop. When they have completed the training, students are expected to source and secure employment in the print industry. This is a more intense, on-the-job training experience in a supportive environment that culminates with a co-op and entry into the graphic communications sector.

SVP Investment History
 

Year	Amount	Purpose
2008 - 2009	$25,000	To hire and train a sales person
2009 - 2010	$25,000	To invest in Franklin Estimating software
2010 - 2011	$25,000	To increase the number of paid internships for program participants
Total	$75,000

Origin of Partnership with SVP
In funding Eva’s Print Shop, SVP Toronto’s goal was to help the organization grow revenue within its commercial print shop, enabling Eva’s to purchase more equipment and thereby increase the capacity of its print program. The intriguing concept of a dual impact through partners’ contributed efforts—socially on youth at risk and commercially on Eva’s Print Shop, coupled with the passionate presentation from the organization, impressed SVP Toronto’s partners. 

SVP Toronto-Assisted Work Streams 
Before creating work streams, SVP Toronto conducted a capacity assessment of the organization. Contributing partners were Steve White, Mike White, Roanne Argyle, Calvin Tam, Sandra Manolescu, and Kelly Donaher. Following the capacity assessment, SVP Toronto partners worked with Eva’s Phoenix in five different areas. 

Work stream 1: Sales Capacity
Contributing partners: Steve White, Mike White

Summary of initiatives:

• Hired, trained and coached a sales representative 
• Helped to identify target markets, including corporations and non-profit organizations, and developed prospecting campaigns, call scripts and tracking sheets
• Worked with outreach coordinator and program instructor to create a stronger message both to attract more youth to participate and to secure more employment opportunities and customers
• Selected and implemented Franklin Estimating software

Impact of implemented initiatives in collaboration with Eva’s Print Shop:

• 27% year-over-year growth in print revenue from January to June 2010 – 2011; revenue is up almost 70% over two years 
• This increased revenue has allowed Eva’s Print Shop to create paid work experiences for youth in the training program with benefits including an opportunity for youth to generate income, learn about money management, and be mentored by past program participants 
• Increase in career connections due to the formation of relationships with print employers outside the downtown core; for the first time, Eva’s has more employment opportunities for their participants than they can fill
• Implementation of Franklin Estimating software increased the speed and accuracy of the estimating process, alleviating up to 50% of staff time spent generating price estimates, and resulting in more orders won
• After 3 to 4 months, the hired sales representative was deemed a poor fit for the print shop; however Eva’s Phoenix still benefited greatly from learning how to structure a new position, and train and supervise a new sales representative

Work stream 2: Marketing & Branding
Contributing partners: Sandra Manolescu, Roanne Argyle 

Summary of initiatives:

• Increased brand consistency throughout marketing collateral
• Strengthened and refined the organization’s marketing message 

 Results:

• Identified the print shop’s key stakeholders, most notably Eva’s Initiatives
• Eva’s staff learned to articulate the difference between ‘information’, ‘insight’, and ‘action’, which has been transferred to other aspects of the organization’s day-to-day work
• Unfortunately, this work stream ended after year one due to the print shop lacking the autonomy to implement marketing recommendations; however, staff at the print shop still benefited from a more comprehensive understanding of the brand

Work stream 3: Technology Capacity
Contributing partners: Anil Patel 

Summary of initiatives:

• Implemented Salesforce Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software 
• Implemented Google Domain Apps

 Results:

• Implementation of Salesforce has provided Eva’s Print Shop with a 360 degree view of interactions with stakeholders and a better understanding of client behaviour; this has led to more focused marketing and better tracking and follow up with customers and prospects
• Implementation of Google Domain Apps has enabled staff members at Eva’s Print Shop to collaborate on documents, reducing redundancies and improving workplace efficiencies

Work stream 4: Foundations of Print Program Redesign
Contributing partners: Norm Tasevski, Jane Gaskell

Summary of initiatives:

• Assessed the original training curriculum and delivery method of Eva’s print program
• Helped design a new modular program and split the program curriculum accordingly

 Overview of changes:

• Old program
  • Consecutive 14-week program with only 3 entry points per year
  • Total training time of 18 hours per week (4.5 hrs/day x 4 days per week)
  • Approximately 15 participants started each program 
• New program
  • Modular 12 week program, broken up into four, three-week modules
  • Total training time of 25 hours per week (5 hrs/day x 5 days per week)
  • Approximately 5 to 7 participants in each module, based on employer feedback

Results:

• Under the old program structure, fewer than half of the participants actually completed the program; under the new modular program, virtually every participant has completed the program
• Quality of output is much better due to greater time spent in the commercial print shop
• Increased number of entry points for youth participants – previously, youth could only enter the program in the first two weeks of each 14 week session, resulting in a wait of as much as 15 weeks before access was allowed; now, youth can access the program at the start of each 3 week module
• Instructor able to spend more time with participants, improving their skill set and employability
• Greater potential to attract youth, as they now need to make a series of three week commitments rather than a consecutive fourteen week commitment; allows for greater flexibility to better accommodate monetary, housing, or health issues 
• On-going outreach to youth participants, in contrast to the old peaks and valleys between the 15 week cycle, has created strong demand for the new program

Work stream 5: Organizational Effectiveness
Contributing partners: All

Summary of initiatives:

• Clarified job descriptions and reduced redundancies in work, leading to improved communication, performance appraisals and workplace interactions
• Developed social and commercial key performance indicators (KPIs) and established quarterly internal meetings to review progress
• Helped articulate a vision and mission that aligns with short-term and long-term capacity building strategies and established quarterly reviews of their plan 

Results:

• Fewer gaps, mismatches and redundancies in skills and responsibilities of staff, resulting in senior staff having more time to plan and strategize 
• Improved accounting of expenses has enabled Eva’s to better evaluate Cost of Goods Sold as a percentage of sales for each specific department, identify areas of growth by department, and make strategic investments to support this growth 
• Progress towards environmental sustainability of the print shop

Investee Comments 
“SVP Toronto’s partners brought us a very high level of expertise. As a small social enterprise, we would not have been able to retain the services of such professionals – and this has made a tangible impact on both the capacity and the results of our organization.” 

- Alexandra Djukic, Executive Director, Eva’s Phoenix Print Shop

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Toronto non-profit and philanthropy news:

New Appointments to the Order of Canada

His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, announced the new appointments to the Order of Canada. The appointments include leaders from the non profit sector such as Ratna Omidvar of the Maytree Foundation. Congratulations to all the recipients. 
Appointments to the Order of Canada - Dec 2011


To What End? The Importance of Outcomes and Performance

It is becoming increasingly important for nonprofit organizations to focus on actions to achieve targeted outcomes and operational performance. Executive leaders want to use information to attain greater clarity on what it is they seek to achieve. This article explores the increasing demands that are requiring a cultural shift to achieve and demonstrate nonprofit organizations results.
Read the article at  Venture Philanthropy Partners

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New Partner Profiles

Lisa Smecca

Lisa became inspired by the work of SVP when she volunteered with the team to support Skills for Change in their Board development. In her not-for-profit experiences she has led organizations through major change, engaged employees and Board members to raise record levels of funds, revamped organizational policies (both design and content), and worked as part of the executive team making decisions regarding the long-term direction of the organization.

Her career has focused on included training and human resources in the gas, retail, car rental, food service and not-for-profit industries (most recently as past Director of Human Resources for the Canadian Hearing Society and the VP, Employee and Volunteer Resources at Kids Help Phone). Lisa has a Masters of Education from University of Calgary, is a graduate of the University of Western and is a Certified Human Resources Professional. Lisa is committed to assisting not-for-profits in professionalizing their human resources functions and developing their leaders for the future. Presently, Lisa is consulting in the field of Human Resources and working as an Instructor at George Brown College.

In her "off time" Lisa enjoys sharing time with friends and eating the great gourmet meals her husband likes to make and, to offset this, regularly attends yoga classes.

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Partner Volunteer Opportunities

Performance and Outcomes Measurement
Social Return on Investment

• Work with a team (and potentially an outside consultant) to develop more effective ways to determine and measure outcome data, both to be used by management and as a Case for Support
  • Organization: Humewood House
• Collaborate with staff to determine key outcome measures for each program
  • Organization: Foodshare

Marketing /Communications 

• Assist with the development and testing of clearer messaging and tailored communications for different audiences
  • Organization: FoodShare 

Strategic Planning 

• Contribute to the development of a three year strategic plan for their next phase of growth
  • Organization: Humewood House

Event Focus Group

• Join fellow partners in exploring opportunities for SVPT to run an event that would connect philanthropists and funders to ideas/organizations making social impact, i.e. fast pitch, symposium, etc.
  • Organization: SVP Toronto

Copy Writer / Editor 

• Edit or write articles about issues including key challenges in the charitable sector, poverty in Toronto, trends in philanthropy, etc. These articles will be posted to our web site and placed into our newsletter.
  • Organization: SVP Toronto

Contact: Annette Heatherington  for SVP opportunities or Robin Cory for charity opportunities.

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SVP Toronto

Formed in November 2007, SVP Toronto is a new wave of philanthropy. Built on a venture partnership model, Social Venture Partners is a type of giving that’s more active, and more engaged.   Partners give their time, professional skills, and creativity to work together with local nonprofits to meet community needs and bring about positive social change. 
 
By offering our collective expertise and resources, SVP Toronto strengthens the capacity of social agencies that work to reduce or prevent poverty in Canada’s largest city.  The collection of SVP city chapters across North America and in Japan form a network of individuals who care passionately about making the world a better place.
 

Social Venture Partners Toronto

400-215 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M5T 2C7

e: info@svptoronto.org t: 416 642-5468
 

SVP Toronto is proud to be a designated fund and project at

Tides Canada and a tenant at the Centre for Social Innovation.