Becoming Social Justice Partners LA
On November 4th, we’re taking a huge leap into the next chapter of our organization, capturing our values, work, and intentions in our new name: Social Justice Partners LA.
This change is not just a rebranding of our name and logo, but rather the branding manifestation of the identity we’ve been striving to embody. For the past five years, we’ve looked within to align our practices and programs with our values. We’ve made ourselves a living laboratory for how a nonprofit can fully live its values from the inside out.
Journey to Justice
In 2004, the Los Angeles affiliate of Social Venture Partners International was born. SVP employed a “venture philanthropy” model, where Partners invest money, time, and energy in local nonprofits. Over the years, many SVPs have evolved from this original model, including SVP Los Angeles.
In 2016, the SVPLA community began a new chapter. We believed we could play a critical role in the Los Angeles social justice ecosystem, and we set an intention to transform our work and our organization. As we joined this work, we began to question some core elements of the venture philanthropy model. We shifted to a model of mutual learning, a culture that centers relationships and lived experience, and a philosophy of redistribution of wealth and power.
We examined every aspect of our work through deep self-reflection, worked to cultivate a liberatory workplace for our team, and transformed our programs to focus on shifting systems and culture. Ultimately, we worked to model how philanthropy and nonprofits could embody the values of justice rather than those of charity.
CHARITY ➡ JUSTICE
Competition ➡ Collaboration
Individualism ➡ Collectivism
Philanthropist as Expert ➡ Prioritize Lived Experience
Donors Guide Us ➡ Justice Guides Us
Growth through Criticism ➡ Growth through Appreciation
Unaware of Power Dynamics ➡ Shifting & Sharing Power
Nonprofits as Businesses ➡ Budget as a Moral Document
Invest in Innovation ➡ Invest in Systems Transformation
Productivity is Key ➡ Relationships are Key
Though our journey as humble students of justice movements will be ongoing, we believe Social Justice Partners embodies the heart of who we now are.
We needed to take one final step before making the shift: Make our Partnership model more inclusive and reflective of who we are. Last month, our Partners voted to remove the financial contribution minimum requirements and welcome anyone who is willing to contribute a personally significant financial contribution, while committing to our values:
We value human connections and our interconnectedness.
We invest in addressing root causes of racial, economic, and social injustice in Los Angeles.
We root our learning and actions in the wisdom of people most impacted by systemic injustice.
We acknowledge, shift, and share power.
Celebrate with us
Join us at our Open House on November 4th as we celebrate our new name and the work our community is doing to advance justice throughout Los Angeles. We’ll introduce you to the leaders transforming systems and invite you to join our community and engage with our work.
We’re so proud to become Social Justice Partners LA, and we’re grateful to be in community with you.
