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Founding Partners
SVA was established in 2002. We were created by, and have the ongoing support of, some of Australia’s most well-known non-profit and philanthropic organisations.

(Click on name to jump to section on this page)
	AMP Foundation
	The Benevolent Society
	The Smith Family
	WorkVentures

AMP Foundation
www.amp.com.au

'Our hope was that SVA would build an effective venture philanthropy model in Australia to service a gap in the market. The organisation has done so much more. The professional tools and support that SVA provides are not only benefiting the ventures it supports, but also the non-profit sector.'

Helen Liondos
Manager AMP Foundation

The AMP Foundation focuses its funding on youth unemployment, particularly for Indigenous youth, and programs that build the capacity of the non-profit sector. It invests in innovative partnerships, organisations and people in selected community projects which will improve lives. By combining company and community resources, it believes we can deliver outstanding social returns.

The Foundation sees SVA as an innovative model seeking to deliver better futures by aligning business disciplines with social objectives. Its involvement reflects AMP's ongoing commitment to the Australian community. The Foundation aims to stimulate new ideas and thinking, to support some of the best ideas, and to build capability and sustainability in the social sector.

The Benevolent Society
www.bensoc.org.au

'SVA has become a world leader in fostering social innovation and entrepreneurship. Today we face many social challenges that demand new thinking supported by new models of philanthropy. SVA has responded magnificently to this challenge through its highly innovative programs. It's already making a major contribution to a better and fairer Australia.'

Richard Spencer
CEO

Australia's oldest non-profit organisation has been initiating social change since 1813. Its mission is to anticipate changing social needs and drive innovative and effective responses in disadvantaged communities. Its core programs focus on ageing, children, women's health and social leadership.

The Benevolent Society sees the development of innovative, entrepreneurial and high impact ventures as critical to strengthening Australia's social fabric. Its leadership in SVA builds on its long history of social innovation and complements its Foundation Partnership in the Social Entrepreneurs Network (SEN).

The Smith Family
www.thesmithfamily.com.au

'SVA has been extremely effective in demonstrating how partnerships between the commercial and non-profit worlds can work. Their model is helping to support our social innovators who desperately need better tools and resources to achieve their goals.'

Elaine Henry
CEO

The Smith Family is a national independent social enterprise which has been helping disadvantaged families to participate more fully in society since 1922. It believes all Australians should have equal access to opportunities and uses practical and effective programs to help families avoid a cycle of poverty.

The Smith Family supports SVA because it believes that innovative, evidence-based approaches to social problems have the potential to transform Australian lives and communities.

WorkVentures
www.workventures.com.au

'WorkVentures has watched SVA with great satisfaction as it has become the leading national venture philanthropy organisation in the emerging social innovation field. We believe SVA is beginning to drive the development of new thinking and action. It is engaging the creative capabilities of Australia's business and community leaders to build better communities and find solutions to some of our more challenging social and environmental problems. We can see SVA gathering new momentum - there is much more to come.'

Steve Lawrence
Founder and Social Entrepreneur

WorkVentures' history of social innovation as a Sydney based community employment and economic development agency began in 1979. It established Australia's first Information Technology Centre, operates one of the first Business Enterprise Centres and played a central role in forming JOB futures - Australia's national community employment network.

WorkVentures invested in SVA's formation because it wants the emerging field of social enterprise to receive increased support from all sectors of our society and to make a positive, measurable impact on the social challenges our nation faces.

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