Feeding Tampa Bay, Preserve the ‘Burg among 2020 class of Social Venture Partners Fast Pitch
Social Venture Partners Tampa Bay has announced the seven participants in its 2019 Fast Pitch program. A global network of community leaders and philanthropists that increase the impact of nonprofit organizations by providing investment funding, Social Venture Partners (SVP) hosts the Fast Pitch program annually.
The SVP Fast Pitch program helps nonprofits develop social enterprises, an model that combines the social mission of a nonprofit with the market-driven approach of a business venture. It is intended to help nonprofits increase independent revenue streams and reduce dependence on shrinking government and private grant funding.
The Fast Pitch program begins with a six-week intensive training and mentoring program, in which participants are trained by SVP Partners in skillsets like marketing, leadership, finance, fundraising, and much more. The participants also practice distilling their message with their mentors for the ultimate culmination of the program, a start-up style pitch night.
This year’s participants are: Feeding Tampa Bay, Saving Our Seniors, Preserve the ‘Burg, The Little Saint Nick Foundation, Ready for Life, Inc to Inc and LiFT Academy.
The 2020 Fast Pitch will take place Feb. 20, 2020 at the Tampa Theater. That night, each of the participating nonprofits will have three minutes to share a high-energy presentation about their mission, vision and model for social and environmental impact in front of an audience of hundreds of community members, donors, foundations and corporations.
SVP Tampa Bay describes The Fast Pitch competition as a Shark Tank-style competition, in which a panel of judges assess the nonprofits’ social enterprise plans, and select winners. The program is an opportunity for the nonprofits to not just to perfect their message, but to raise the profile of their organization in the Tampa Bay community. As an added bonus, the organizations compete for unrestricted cash prizes – thanks to a fund within the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay – to use at their discretion.
Winners of SVP Fast Pitch 2018
Last year’s winner, Shepherd’s Village, which provides housing and education for single mothers, won $25,000. Sewn Apart, which repurposes discarded clothing into bowties and other accessories, won $15,000, and Indi-Ed, an independent school with individualized curriculum, won third prize and $10,000.
To find out more about SVP Tampa Bay and Fast Pitch 2020, click here.
