“I lost my mom 25 years ago and had not had much of a support system since that happened. Baby’s Space has provided my daughter and I with so much support throughout the last few years. The staff will drop everything they are doing, just to talk, listen and help in any way.

I was having a hard time finding work and had nobody there to help me. Baby’s Space helped me set up a job through Tree Trust and I will start a new job this Thursday at Baby’s Space on the sub list and am happy to be near the people who care. My daughter, Angela, has been coming to Baby’s Space since she was 5 months old, and she will soon be 3. I would have brought her to Baby’s Space sooner if I was aware of this program. I am very grateful to have been able to be here at Baby’s Space.”

Daisy Green (left) has a daughter at Baby’s Space. She’s with Debbie Lund, center director (right)

By Josh Reimnitz, Co-Executive Director, STLF

SVP-MN partner and board member Guff Van Vooren will join the leadership team of Students Today Leaders Forever (STLF), a former investee organization, in mid-June. As part of their team-based leadership approach called the Core Model, Guff will succeed co-founder Brian Peterson and serve as Co-Executive Director for the next six years.

Guff is passionate about providing volunteers with opportunities to change the world and unleash their leadership potential, and will have a wonderful chance to do so with STLF. Guff is also excited to help STLF reach its goal of doubling by 2016 and will provide financial leadership so they can do so sustainably.

“I’m energized to be part of the next stage leadership that helps STLF grow mindfully, sustainably, and strong, both internally and externally,” Guff said. “My passion for serving this organization and its constituents will guide all decisions I make with the STLF team.”

STLF wants to thank SVP-MN and all the partners for being such outstanding supporters and mentors throughout their lifespan as a nonprofit, and for introducing Guff to the wonderful world of STLF!

We launched STLF. SVP provided their very first grant. To-date, they’ve had over 12,700 participants and served 176,000 hours on 319 Pay It Forward Tours. Talk about a social return on investment!

And we’ve only tapped into our potential. The ability to serve at-risk children and youth is only limited by the capacity and resources of our partnership. New Partners means we’re helping more youth. Here’s what you can do to help.

Top 3 Things You Can Do To Help Recruit New Partners

1. Reach out to three people you’d like to make aware of SVP and the great things we do.  Share the Annual Report. You can download it or get copies from Brad Brown. 
2. Invite prospective potential partners to the next SVP Quarterly Partner Meeting, Tuesday, August 14th.  Sign them up here.
3. Invite prospective Partners to our EPCON conference August 23rd.

If you have a potential Partner in mind, put them in touch with Brad or any of the Partner Recruitment Committee members:  Jeff Tollefson, Charlie Maxwell, Chadburn Blomquist, Jeff Arneson, or Pam Moret.

Why did you choose to join Social Venture Partners?
I was made aware of SVP by Pam Moret. I met with Brad and learned more about the mission and liked what I saw. I then learned that it was both a financial commitment as well as the ability to work directly with the recipients of the grants. I really liked that part of the proposition.

Tell us about yourself!
I am divorced and live in south Minneapolis with my cat Eddy. I spent 27 years in corporate America and left after a number of years in executive leadership to pursue the next chapter of my life. I have a passion for helping people do more than they believe they can, so I joined Lennick Aberman Group as an Executive Consultant focusing on Performance Enhancement coaching and training. I also provide business consulting which is a unique combination. When I am not working, I enjoy biking, running, throwing pottery, gardening, movies, and getting together with friends.

If you could change one thing in the community and had unlimited resources at your disposal, how would the community be different?
If I had one wish for the community it’s more attention and resources in our public schools. I volunteer at a local elementary school and it’s 40 students to a teacher and half of the students are left behind, not able to read, write, or do basic math at the 4th and 5th grade level. It makes me sad and frustrated as basic education should be available to all children in our community.

Ten Minnesota State University, Mankato graduates were named 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award winners for their exceptional achievement and contributions to their professions and communities. Our very own Tim Huebsch received the “Distinguished Young Alumni Award” for graduates 35 years old or younger who reached personal or professional achievements early in their careers, positively impacted their communities, and showed promise for continued success.

Tim graduated in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and since then has worked at General Mills, where he serves as integration manager for digital marketing. He has been an SVP Partner since 2011.

Please join us in congratulating Tim on this achievement and thanking him for his continued good work in improving our community.

More than 1,000 students representing all 50 states and more than 300 universities gathered to examine topics such as the global economic crisis and its impact on your people, recruiting and retaining teachers, famine in Africa, cost-effective campus sustainability programs, and the youth movement for global health.

As campus representatives for the youth service organization STLF, Abe, Caroline, Shelby, and Christina commit to creating new programs that will provide additional community service opportunities for young Americans across the country. Building on the 185,000 service hours already contributed by STLF, these students will help the organization meet its goal of scaling up by 37,000 hours of service nationwide over the next year.

STLF joined SVP’s Investee list in 2008 and has now has replicated its innovative model throughout numerous campuses. Congratulations STLF!

Young People Can Change the World


Jack Baartman hadn’t joined student organizations in high school. During his freshman year in college he received an email about a Pay It Forward Tour. He thought it sounded “cheesy,” but figured it’d look good on his resume. Fast-forward four years. He’s recently completed his fourth tour and now retraces his life change back to that “cheesy” email. It was his decision to answer this email, to step out his comfort zone, and get involved in something bigger than himself. He has learned that a stranger’s struggles are his struggles, and better understands different cultures.  He has seen hope on the faces of the homeless. And, most importantly, he has learned that young people can change the world. Read Jack’s full story on the STLF website. 

Beating the Odds

Seventeen-year-old Lashay Thompson, a senior at Highland Park High School in St. Paul is beating the odds. She’s on track to graduate from high school and succeed in college despite enormous disadvantages. She endured abuse that resulted in her living in foster homes as a young child, lost her adoptive father in a car accident at a pre-adolescent age, lost her mother to cancer as a teenager, and dealt with personal struggles throughout her life. Yet she goes forward in a courageous way. Read about Lashay on the Twin Cities Daily Planet or watch her Breaking Through speech.

Jill Whitnah joined SVP in 2007, and after serving on the due diligence team she joined the board in 2008. Having completed her term, Jill has left a legacy of growth in partner numbers and expanded programming. As a board member, Jill brought her thoughtful deliberation and personal warmth to board discussions as well as serving as SVP’s “chief risk management officer,” applying the professional expertise she gained in the insurance business.

Jill started on her engaged philanthropy path early in her career when she joined a group called Community Capital Alliance, now the Fourth Generation program of the Minneapolis Foundation. Community Capital Alliance was a group of young professionals who pooled their money, researched nonprofits they wanted to support, and then gave both their time and contributions to those nonprofits. Sound familiar?

“I will personally miss her presence on the board,” said executive director Brad Brown. “I always left feeling upbeat about SVP and our work after a conversation with Jill.”

Board Chair and SVP Minnesota founder Steve Bloom had this to say about Jill, “I want to thank Jill for her outstanding contributions over the past several years. Her infectious smile and positive attitude, coupled with her extremely savvy decision making skills, made her a very important part of our growth and maturation. We are all lucky to have her as a part of SVP MN.”