At Philanthropic Ventures Foundation we try to go beyond the norm. Listed below are some of what we consider to be ingredients of good philanthropy which reflect the work we do:

Where does PVF want to go in philanthropy over the next five years?

• Stimulate people to be creative in their work and to do original thinking.
• Create a climate for taking risks with a willingness to suffer failure occasionally
• Get people to hold themselves accountable for creating a better community
• Constantly search for outstanding people
• Develop and support leadership; encourage people to have passion
• Be nimble and able to respond quickly

Philanthropic foundation work is in the position to see what people are doing in the community, what their needs are, and how they measure impact in evaluating their work. As a consequence, we see a picture of the community that most people do not see. With this in mind, we feel a responsibility to share as much information as possible with others.

At PVF, we are spending more and more time bringing people together, people who have common interests but are not aware of each other’s work. We are also conducting more field trips for donors and colleagues to see firsthand what is going on in a particular area of concern or just to observe a quality program at work.

In philanthropy there is no ax to grind; we are not political, and we are not in competition with anyone. This is a unique position to be in and we feel it puts a responsibility on us to share as much as possible by introducing individuals to each other, by showcasing programs we work with, or come across, by trying out new ways to manifest philanthropy that better serves the public.

We take this moment to thank our donors and advocates for giving us the wherewithal to do what we do, and to help make this world a better place.