VeNews May 18, 2001

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VENTURE PHILANTHROPY WORKSHOPS

One component of Vesper's comprehensive project on venture philanthropy is a series of workshops. The Principles and Practices of Venture Philanthropy workshops are designed for people who manage human service programs, and are intended to help them assess whether or not venture philanthropy is something that might be of interest to their organizations.

The purpose of the workshops is to provide unbiased, balanced, and useful information and a practical assessment of the emerging field of venture philanthropy. Workshop content addresses the questions of what venture philanthropy is, how it works, and whether or not it is right for an organization. Individual and group exercises provide tools to help nonprofit leaders assess the fit of venture philanthropy with their organization's mission and ways of functioning. Information, exercises, and group discussion about venture philanthropy help participants weigh the implications and determine next steps their organizations might take.
Vesper Society's objective is assessment, not hype. Our emphasis is on education about venture philanthropy, not advocacy for venture philanthropy. Venture philanthropy has numerous advantages and equally challenging difficulties. It is important for each organization to analyze the potential impact on the values, operations, and mission of their organization before engaging. We view success of our workshops in terms of familiarity with the concepts, values, priorities and principles of venture philanthropy; therefore, we emphasize a cautionary but open-minded approach.

Three initial workshops were conducted in January, February, and April of 2001. Interest from human service organizations has been high, with each workshop being fully enrolled several weeks in advance. (Additional workshops are scheduled for June and throughout the remainder of the year.) A report on these workshops and reactions of human service programs is now available. The report includes a discussion of workshop format, workshop content, reactions of human service organizations, how they weigh the implications, and a general summary.
For more information on Vesper's Venture Philanthropy Project, or for copies of the Principles and Practices of Venture Philanthropy Workshops report, contact us at .

Vesper Society is a private operating foundation with programs in leadership, health, and Central America. Our mission is to create opportunities for individuals, groups, and organizations to apply moral and ethical values in decision making on social and economic issues.