Cleveland Social Venture Partners (CSVP) is an organization that helps the community's helpers. The group of individual donors accomplishes this worthy goal by pooling its varied skills to strengthen the business acumen of local nonprofits.

After getting linked with a nonprofit organization, CSVP's community professionals provide management support in finance, strategic planning, fund development, legal matters and marketing. CSVP also offers a range of information, workshops and resources to further develop the personal philanthropy of its partners.

"These are all the things an organization needs to be successful," says executive director Linda Springer. "Some nonprofits need assistance to thrive and carry out their missions."

Every other year CSVP holds its bigBANG! event to establish a long-term sponsorship with a local nonprofit. This year's event, to be held April 10 at the Cleveland State University Student Center, features eight nonprofits chosen by CSVP. Each organization will give a fast-pitch presentation to the bigBANG! audience, which will then vote for their favorite.

The chosen nonprofit will receive funding and in-depth consultation services from CSVP. Among this year's presenters are City Year, Drink Local, Drink Tap, Ingenuity and Ohio City Bicycle Coop. The organization is currently working with past vote winners Open Doors Academy and MedWish.

"We're looking for innovative ideas," says Springer. "It could be an organization adapting to its current needs, or wanting to make changes to become stronger."

Assisting these groups is beneficial to CSVP's members as well, adds the executive director. "We're strengthening our own skills to become better donors and philanthropists," she says.

SOURCE: Linda Springer
WRITER: Douglas J. Guth