A local organization is celebrating 10 years of impact, coupling its annual nonprofit pitch competition with the announcement of a new initiative.

Social Venture Partners Tucson is a community of philanthropists that helps build nonprofits' capacity, strength, and impact in addressing social problems.

For a decade, SVP’s Fast Pitch program has helped nonprofits grow through storytelling and donor engagement. The organization focuses its work in a handful of areas: capacity-building work with nonprofits, results-oriented collaborations with the nonprofit community, and soon, a major community initiative called the Community Coalition for Prosperity.

Attendees at April 3rd's Fast Pitch event will learn more about the coalition, but Tucson Spotlight spoke with SVP CEO Anne Miskey to get the early scoop.

“Social Venture Partners is much bigger than Fast Pitch,” said Miskey, who came on board with SVP in October. “And this initiative is taking SVP Tucson to the next evolution from where we’ve been.”

The coalition will bring together the nonprofit community, philanthropists, the chambers of commerce, University of Arizona, and local governments to help advance the Prosperity Initiative, a regional partnership working to reduce generational poverty.

The initiative addresses the underlying factors of poverty and is focused on removing unfair barriers. It directs efforts toward families who are living in high-poverty, low-opportunity areas.

“We recognize that government entities can’t do it alone,” Miskey said. “Our hope is to make radical change in the community in alignment with the city and county’s policies.”

Miskey said Tucson is lucky that its community members are usually the ones pushing governments to pass policies addressing issues like housing and quality of life.

“It’s a constant struggle. But this city and county are ahead, and that’s huge for us,” Miskey said. “Rarely in all the years I’ve been working in the field have I seen a city that is as poised to make something happen as Tucson.”

The group is holding in-person information sessions this week to educate community partners about the coalition and is planning similar meetings for the general public with the chambers and other groups.

“We can’t take on all 13 policies, and we’re trying to be really careful that we’re not overpromising and under-delivering,” she said. “But sometimes things that seem little can have a ripple effect. I was involved in banning the box efforts in California. Once we got that banned, it suddenly opened up housing and jobs for people.”

The Fair Chance Act, also known as a ban the box law, prohibits employers from asking a job candidate about conviction history before making a job offer, among other requirements.

But before the coalition kicks off, representatives from eight local nonprofits will take center stage at the Fox Theatre next Thursday and deliver three-minute “fast pitches” to a global audience, competing for more than $125,500 in on-stage prizes.

Organizations include the Amphi Foundation, Borderlands Theater, Compass Affordable Housing, El Grupo Youth Cycling, El Rio Health Center Foundation, Greater Vail Community ReSources, Intermountain Centers for Human Development, and the Tucson Juneteenth Festival.

Fast Pitch participants receive deep training in pitch development and marketing strategies to help grow their organizations and provide more support.

Director Brittany Battle said Thursday’s event is the centerpiece of Fast Pitch’s fundraising academy. It’s also a way for the audience to “have their giving spirits activated” while learning more about the critical issues in the community, she said.

“People that come to Fast Pitch are truth seekers. They want to know what’s actually going on in our community,” Battle said. “We don’t shy away from it at all and aren’t shy about asking for support.”

Some of the nonprofits that participate in Fast Pitch are new and relatively unknown, while others have been doing work in the community for years and are trying to build up a specific program.

SVP is intentional about its Fast Pitch selection process each year, listening to the community and nonprofits and trying to figure out the community’s greatest needs.

This year, the group received more than 50 applicants.

“We’re really focusing on organizations on the ground level right now that are supporting families and trying to help these organizations better fundraise and make connections with donors in our community,” Battle said. “Fast Pitch is the catalyst to all kinds of giving. It’s kind of like a ripple effect. We hear stories of impact year after year.”

With more than 100 nonprofits coming through the program in its 10 years, Battle said SVP has worked hard to create a space where participants can have dialogues, collaborate, and connect.

“That’s what builds the fabric of it all,” she said. “The on-stage awards are just the big teal ribbon that ties it all together, but it’s really the relationships that are built.”

Battle called Fast Pitch a heart-centered approach to fundraising, saying the philanthropy space can often have significant power imbalances.

“This is a place where we say the thing. We’re not sugar-coating anything,” Battle said. “It’s the real deal. If you want to be a part of it and see it in your face and give back, then come.”

Caitlin Schmidt is Editor and Publisher of Tucson Spotlight. Contact her at caitlin@tucsonspotlight.org.

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