SVP Partnership Proposal Template

Overview: This outline serves as a conversation guide between SVP’s Investment Team and a prospective Investee. The goal is to discuss each question at some point in the process of mutuallydetermining whether or not there is strong alignment around an SVP partnership / investment. The template is not rigid nor necessarily linear, as we expect the process to be highly collaborative and iterative. This means it may feel messy at times, and most likely will be very different from other grantee-funder due diligence processes. This template simply gives you a sense of the general content expected in the final partnership proposal for SVP Committee review and decision.

  1. Briefly describe the organization’s history, mission, vision and early childhood programs.
  2. What is the target population impacted? Please share approximate number of children (birth to Kindergarten), or parents with pre-k children, impactedannually, including:
  • Children/parents of Color (disaggregated by race):
  • Children/parents living in poverty:
  • Children/parents whose primary language is not English:
  • What early childhood data are you collecting to demonstrate impact? What data / findings are most meaningful to you?
  • List key staff & board leadership. What are the strengths to leverage as well as opportunities for improvement in your leadership (individually and collectively)?
  • Describe organization’s financial health (current strengths & weaknesses).
  • How does organization currently collaborate, align with and/or leverage resources for greater community impact?
  1. Imagine 3-5 years from now. Describe how our partnershipwillfuel progress for your organization andtranslate into impact on kindergarten readiness.
  2. What are the infrastructure gaps/challenges limiting your organization’s growth or impact today? The following capacity building areas may stimulate thinking:

Strategic Planning
Leadership Development
Board Governance
Legal Affairs / Financial Management
Marketing & Communications
Outcomes Measurement / Fund Development
Information Technology
Human Resources
  1. How will addressing operating gapsimpactyour early childhood work?
  2. What’s yourvision for impacting early childhoodon an even greater scale? Please consider program growth as well as systems change efforts that address root issues.
  3. What programs or strategies willbeimplemented for deeper or broader impact?
  4. Assuming the necessary resources are in place, whatearly childhood outcomes do you aspire to achieve in 3-5 years, and on what scale?
  5. How will youunderstandyour community impact, as well as opportunities forstrengthening your impact in the future? (e.g., evaluation strategies)
  6. In what ways could SVP’s investment be leveraged to attract additional resources?
  1. Describe partnership plan.
  2. How would we architect the first year’scapacity building activitiesto make progress towardsyour longer-term vision?
  3. What quarterly milestones would need to be met to ensure progress towards the goals?
  4. Are the right players on-board and committed to this partnership?
  5. What role will your organization play?List key individuals and describe their likely role/contribution to our potential partnership.
  6. What roles will SVP play tocontribute? Please consider SVP’s human, social and financial capital.
  7. What are the greatest risks/challenges that we’ll face together?
  8. What are the 3-6 critical success factors that will transform this partnership from a “base hit” (i.e., another program amidst a sea of programs) to a “grand slam” (i.e., high impact, scalable, transformational initiative) for our community?
  9. How will we know that our work together is complete? (Key milestones, metrics)
  10. Beyond partnership: How will the strategies / impact / model be sustained over time?

6/30/16