SVA Quarterly

Elyse Sainty, director in the Impact Investing team at Social Ventures Australia, spoke with Patrick Flynn, director of public affairs at SVA, as she's about to pass on the baton after 10 years leading SVA's work in social impact bonds (SIBs) and outcomes contracts. https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/outcomes-contracting-trailblazer-shares-knowledge-before-passing-the-baton/

Research from SVA and CSI found that not-for-profit organisations across Australia are, in general, not funded for the actual cost of what they do. The result is less effective operations and reduced impact. Author of SVA Quarterly article, Sam Thorp explores this tendency and its impact. For more see: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/paying-what-it-takes-to-create-impact/

Sally Garis outlilnes how strategic partnerships offer corporates the opportunity to create business and social value. She looks at how companies are adopting more effective ways to partner with the non-profit sector. From the SVA Quarterly aritcle: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/building-effective-corporate-partnerships-with-non-profits/

Field-building intermediaries play an important role in social sector ecosystems and they need to be supported financially. But what do they do and what kind of funding do they need to sustain their work and impact? Annabelle Roxon provides this audio of the SVA Quarterly article: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/social-sector-intermediaries-what-are-they-and-what-do-they-need/

With a growing body of evidence backing the highly supportive Housing First approach, including the recent evaluation of the Aspire SIB, why has it not been funded and adopted more extensively across Australia? Pat Bollen looks at what the Housing First approach is and why it is successful then explores how these pilots could become standard policy. Based on SVA Quarterly article here: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/housing-first-the-challenges-of-moving-from-pilot-to-policy/

Building on the SVA Quarterly article which encourages us to approach grief support as core business, SVA's Emily Adams talks to Dr Kerrie Noonan from the Death Literacy Institute about the concept of disenfranchised grief and grief literacy. They also explore some of the ways that employers and managers can support their staff to grieve. To read the article: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/the-art-of-supporting-grief-have-we-lost-it/

Divya Roy describes taking a systems approach to help get the most out of a food supplly chain drawing on work with the City of Greater Geelong to improve the region's food security. For the full article: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/a-systems-approach-to-food-insecurity/

SVA's Doug Hume and Desmond Campbell discuss a Koori-designed program in the Children's Court of Victoria which is providing a more effective and just response for Koori families. With potential for expansion across Victoria and Australia, it offers a step towards greater self-determination in the child protection system. See article here:https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/a-step-towards-first-nations-justice-in-child-protection/

Elyse Sainty talks with Patrick Bollen about the Newpin family reunification program deployed under the Social Impact Bond (SIB) mechanism in three states and about what SVA has learned. Read the article: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/social-impact-bonds-a-tale-of-three-newpins/

Anna Ashenden describes the common outcomes framework for disability housing co-developed by SVA and the disability sector, why it was developed and what it means for people with disability. Read the article: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/disability-housing-what-does-good-look-like/

SVA's CEO Suzie Riddell talks with Professor Megan Davis, the Balnaves Chair in Constitutional Law and Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous at the University of NSW, and primary architect of the regional dialogues behind the Uluru Statement from the Heart. They discuss the Statement, where it is up to and why it is so important. Read the article here: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/the-uluru-statement-from-the-heart-what-now/ For more information, go to https://ulurustatement.org

Covid-19 has had a massive impact on the social sector, not least in making planning for future service demand extremely challenging. This podcast outlines how using scenarios can help to understand the potential impacts on demand given the many uncertainties -- as exemplified in some work that SVA has done in the Victorian child and family services sector. Nancy Tran explains. This podcast is based on an article by Susie King and Nancy Tran. Find the links mentioned and read the article: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/scenario-planning-for-times-of-great-uncertainty/

SVA CEO, Suzie Riddell talks to Rob McLean, Director Emeritus of McKinsey and Company, about problem solving, what makes it hard for not-for-profits and how the seven step process described in his recently co-authored book can be applied to complex social issues. For more on the seven steps, read the article: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/bulletproof-problem-solving-could-it-work-in-the-social-sector/

SVA's Jonathan Finighan explores how the right of Indigenous peoples to self-determination has significant implications for evaluating policies and programs that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and experts are showing the way. Read the article here: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/how-can-evaluation-better-recognise-indigenous-self-determination/

SVA's Impact Investing Director, Rebecca Thomas on how improvements to the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) landscape can be made to deliver high quality housing options for people with disability? For the article: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/where-to-next-for-specialist-housing-accommodation-sda/

Part 2 of Elyse Sainty's letter from the frontline of Australia's foray into social impact bonds in which she outlines her ‘thoughts and prayers’ for their future. Find the full article here: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/social-impact-bonds-a-letter-from-the-frontline-part-2/

After seven years ‘in the trenches’ as part of Australia’s foray into social impact bonds, Elyse Sainty shares her insights around social impact bond myths and legends. Find the article here: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/social-impact-bonds-a-letter-from-the-frontline-part1/

Increasing numbers of Australians experience severe financial vulnerability and stress. SVA consultant, Louise Campbell describes some emerging trends with the potential to 'move the dial' on financial wellbeing. Read the article here: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/shifting-battlegrounds-for-financial-wellbeing/

SVA’s strategy consultants share their thoughts and observations about developing and implementing strategy in the social sector. To read the full article: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/strategy-in-the-social-purpose-sector-whats-critical/

Selection of SVA's staff and board picks to provide a smorgasbord of inspiring, insightful, and affirming reads, listens and viewing for the summer holidays. For the full list: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/summer-treats-staff-and-board-picks-2018/

Listen to Goodstart's CEO, Julia Davison and Chair, Michael Traill explain how Goodstart, one of Australia's largest not-for-profit social enterprises, balances its commercial and social goals. Read the full article: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/goodstart-steering-a-social-enterprise-for-impact/

Robert Fitzgerald AM, from the Productivity Commission talks with Stuart Lloyd-Hurwitz, SVA Consulting’s Executive Director about competition and contestability in the social sector and how it’s all about providing more consumer choice. Read the article: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/competition-its-all-about-the-consumer/

Robert Fitzgerald AM from the Productivity Commission talks to SVA's Stuart Lloyd-Hurwitz about how not-for-profit boards need to put clients ahead of their own organisation’s ambitions, whether that’s in the context of mergers, acquisitions and partnerships or other organisational priorities. For more: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/competition-its-all-about-the-consumer/

What is customer-centricity and why is it so important in the disability sector? Author Diana Ferner explains citing examples and explains how the SVA Quarterly article will help disability service providers become customer-centric. For the article, see: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/how-disability-service-providers-can-become-more-customer-centric/

Simon Faivel explains how Social Return on Investment or SROI has evolved over the last 10 years, and how that has shown up globally and locally. For the full article: http://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/sroi-revolution-or-evolution/

Diana Ferner discusses why non-profit organisations should consider a merger with insights on how to go about it and some lessons learned from a recent large-scale merger in the disability sector. For the full article: www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/how-to-adopt-an-outcomes-focused-approach-part-1/

Clemmie Baker introduces the step-by-step guide for organisations to set up an outcomes management approach, and explains why it is important, and how to go about it. To read the articles: www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/how-to-adopt-an-outcomes-focused-approach-part-1/

Social purpose leaders describe how social impact investing has provided a flexible, mission-aligned and supportive approach to fund their organisation's vision. Rebecca Thomas talks to Lucy O'Flaherty from Glenview Community Services and Jeremy McLeod from Nightingale Housing. Read the full article: http://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/funding-their-vision-social-purpose-organisations-share-their-stories/

Robyn Mildon, Executive Director of the Centre for Evidence and Implementation, explains what implementation science is and why social services need to take notice? In conversation with Nick Perini from SVA Consulting For edited transcript: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/implementation-science-what-is-it/

Richard Spencer explores the importance of healthy culture in creating an effective for-purpose organisation and what it takes to create and maintain that culture. In conversation with Susan Metcalf, SVA's COO. For edited transcript: https://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/culture-eats-strategy-social-sector/

Fiona Higgins from Australian Philanthropic Services illuminates the realities of private ancillary funds (PAFs) and what it takes to position your organisation for that serendipitous alignment. For more read: www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/accessing-pafs-six-rules-of-engagement/

If the Australian workforce is to be prepared for the future, science technology engineering and mathematics practices must be embedded across the entire curriculum. SVA's Susannah Schoeffel explains why. For the full report, go to: www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/why-stem-practices-should-be-taught-across-the-entire-curriculum/

Audio of SVA Quarterly article David Pritchard explains why and how the SVA Fundamentals for Impact were developed. This framework enables organisations to assess whether they are being effective and how they can do better. http://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/sva-fundamentals-for-impact-are-you-doing-good/

Audio of SVA Quarterly article by Dan Code What do successful community leadership programs look like? SVA shares insights from programs it has reviewed. www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/features-of-successful-community-leadership-programs/

SVA's Dan Code discusses why building community leadership capacity is important and some of the shared features across successful programs. www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/features-of-successful-community-leadership-programs/

The OECD's Dr Andreas Schleicher talks with SVA's Matthew Deeble about the ‘21st century skills’ or general capabilities, why they matter and whether they can be measured. www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/hard-measures-soft-skills/

Since transforming from service delivery organisation to catalytic funder, ten20 Foundation has been on a steep learning curve. The SVA Quarterly talks to ten20’s Managing Director, Seri Renkin and Executive Director, Caroline Chernov about ten20’s journey, and what they've learnt about funding collective impact initiatives to bring about systems change. For the article: http://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/ten20-foundation-doing-philanthropy-differently/

Lisa Paul AO PSM, previously secretary in Federal Government departments including variously for education and training, employment and workplace relations, talks with SVA’s COO Susan Metcalf about her approach to dealing with the challenges of leadership, its loneliness and rewards. For article: http://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/leadership-amidst-complexity-and-change/

Four key players behind Australia’s first dedicated non-profit consulting business for the social sector tell the story of launching SVA Consulting. Listen to Michael Traill, then SVA CEO; Rob McLean, then SVA Chair; Greg Hutchinson, former Managing Partner, Bain; and Duncan Peppercorn, who first led SVA Consulting recall how it began. Find out more about SVA Consulting's story here: http://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/founding-sva-consulting/

After 10 years advising the sector, and with persistent disadvantage an ever-present issue in Australia, SVA Consulting reflects on the strategies and interventions that it has seen deliver the greatest impact. Based on article by Malcolm Garrow, Nick Perini and Olivia Hilton. www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/reducing-disadvantage-insights-from-10-years-sva-consulting/ Podcast by Nick Perini

Indigenous women’s social enterprise, Marnin Studio and SVA describe what it takes from both ‘venture’ and ‘funder’ to create a collaborative philanthropic partnership – one that is driving mutual objectives and generating shared learnings for both partners. Based on the article by SVA's Shiri Leventhal: www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/what-makes-a-collaborative-philanthropic-partnership/

SVA's recommendations to the Federal Government about what steps it could take to help access more private capital for social impact investing to address challenging social issues. By Mark Peacock Read the article: www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/how-government-can-grow-social-impact-investing/

Jon Myer describes how SVA Consulting worked with Te Whānau O Waipareira to build an outcomes management culture and strategy to measure what really matters for Māori families in West Auckland. Read the article: www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/how-culture-grows-effective-outcomes/

Insights from the two year Indigenous Social Enterprise Fund pilot provide lessons about supporting Indigenous social enterprises to grow. From the article by Indu Balachandran and Leah Armstrong: www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/dos-donts-investing-indigenous-social-enterprises/

Michele Goldman, CEO of the School for Social Entrepreneurs Australia in its final year of operation, reflects on the organisation’s learnings and how they could be applied to support the social enterprise ecosystem going forward. Based on the article: www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/ceo-reflects-on-learnings-from-sses-experience-in-australia/

Founder of micro-credit and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Professor Muhammad Yunus urges us to consider social business as a tool to address the world’s increasing inequity, whether it’s getting rural Bangladeshis out of poverty or Australians off welfare. Based on article http://www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/yunus-advocates-social-business-as-tool-to-stop-increasing-inequity/

SVA’s analysis of a peer operated mental health service reveals just how and why this approach is so valuable to both those accessing the service and the local mental health system which benefits from their recovery. Karen Prout Read the article: www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/the-value-of-a-peer-operated-service/

Part 2 in which leaders reflect on how their organisations are responding to trends in evidence-based practice, innovation capabilities, place-based service design and collaboration. Edited by Karen Prout Read the article: www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/sector-trends-stories-frontline-part-2/

Leaders in the social sector reflect on current trends and how their organisations are responding to them to be the most effective funders and service providers. Part 1 of 2. Edited by Karen Prout Read the article: www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/sector-trends-stories-from-the-frontline/

A model that uses expert support to build employers’ capacity is proving a necessary first step to increase workplace participation for people with disability. By Este Darin-Cooper Read the article: www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/substantial-capacity-building-of-employers-is-needed-to-grow-disability-employment/

Networking and collaboration are increasingly important for achieving social change. SVA’s successful model – in education – points to the core elements needed for growing an effective network. By Sue Cridge Read the article: www.socialventures.com.au/sva-quarterly/networking-for-social-purpose-whats-needed/