SVP Boston Insider December 2025

Dear Partners, Grantees, and Supporters,

As we approach the year’s end, I am reflecting with gratitude on the role you have played in making this an exciting year of growth for Social Venture Partners Boston, and I am optimistic about where SVP Boston stands today—and what we can accomplish together in 2026.

Below are just a few highlights of 2025 that demonstrate how far our commitment to social equity and economic mobility are taking us:

High Impact Nonprofit Partner Support: Our partners provided a range of consulting support to six outstanding high-impact, equity-driven nonprofit partners the past year.

2026 Grantee Champions: The Investment Committee selected four 2026 Grantee Champions that will each receive 12 months of partner pro bono consulting, valued at approximately $250,000 each and a minimum of $5,000 funding. Check out our new Champions!

Partner Growth: We’ve welcomed 12 enthusiastic new partners, seven of whom are young professional Catalyst Partners, building a pipeline of emerging philanthropists who are passionate about creating impact. The energy from these young professionals, including those forming our new NextGen Philanthropists Council, is inspiring new ideas and engagement across our network.

Corporate Partnerships: Holland & Knight joined as a new corporate partner, and both EY Boston and CRAI renewed their commitments—strong votes of confidence in SVP Boston’s mission and model.

Foundation Engagement: We’ve developed an innovative joint venture structure to collaborate with local foundations to provide pro bono consulting to their grantees and are now in active, positive discussions with potential foundation partners—opening the door to broader impact and sustainability. Please share this opportunity with foundations that fund similar organizations to SVP Boston!

Investment Committee & Grantee Funding: Our new Investment Committee cycle launched with a board-led $20,000 matching commitment to support grantee funding. This funding, matched by $22,000 raised at our recent event, Spark: A Celebration of Impact, has created our new "COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND: Sparking Nonprofit Success Together" and reflects our renewed ability to invest directly in the nonprofits we champion.

Resource Team & Education Programs: A newly formed Resource Team—composed of 18 nonprofit professionals, former partners, and sector experts—is already enriching both grantee support and partner learning. Their contributions have fueled a thriving Lunch & Learn series, bringing timely insights to our community.

Annual Partner Meeting: Our inaugural Annual Partner Meeting in September marked an exciting turning point—one defined by openness, meaningful dialogue, and a shared sense of renewed momentum. The thoughtful feedback our partners offered that day continues to inspire and guide our work moving forward.

Building Informed Philanthropists: We’re also deepening our commitment to helping every partner grow as an informed philanthropist—one who gives not only generously, but wisely and collaboratively. Learn more here.

In short, SVP Boston has been building momentum—thanks to the dedication, creativity, and generosity of our partners and investors like you. If you haven't donated to SVP Boston this year, please invest in our movement with a gift today. A gift of any amount would be deeply appreciated. 

Warmly,

Karin Cassel Mitterando, CEO

Lunch & Learn: January 28, 2026

AI-Powered Impact: Your Roadmap to the Future

Darian Rodriguez Heyman

Founder of AI for Nonprofits: AI for Good, and author of AI for Nonprofits (Wiley, 2025).

The Lunch & Learn Series is free and open to the public.

Ready to harness AI’s transformative power without losing that human touch? In an era of unprecedented need, economic headwinds, and political uncertainty, nonprofits and changemakers must do more with less while advancing equity and staying true to their values. Join us as we help you unlock AI as your superpower, not your replacement. We’ll tackle the top concerns preventing AI adoption, while learning how to harness AI to unlock efficiencies and expand effectiveness.

Learning Objectives:

AI for Good Primer – Enjoy a quick overview of AI’s most compelling use cases and applications, enabling you to unlock AI’s true superpowers

Avoid Common AI Implementation Pitfalls – Learn the most frequent mistakes nonprofits and professionals make when adopting AI tools, from over-reliance on automation to data privacy concerns, and develop strategies to navigate these challenges responsibly

Enjoy Vastly Better AI Outputs – Master prompt engineering and learn to “speak AI”, ensuring better results every time you ask your robot for anything!

Welcome New Catalyst Partner

Linh Ho

"I'm joining SVP Boston as a partner because I want to apply my background in biotech, data analysis, and strategy to help strengthen nonprofits addressing critical community needs. My professional experience at Alnylam and CSL Seqirus has taught me how to solve complex

problems and work across diverse teams. Personally, growing up between Vietnam and the U.S. shaped my commitment to equity and community resilience, and I’m excited to contribute to Boston’s social-impact ecosystem while learning from mission-driven leaders.”

Coming Soon!

As part of our commitment to nurturing young executives to become informed, effective, and generous philanthropists, we are developing a NextGen Philanthropists Program for our Catalyst and Corporate Partners. Stay tuned for details!

Learn more: svpboston.org

Make an impact: https://www.svpboston.org/donate