Meet Alex Oppes, Director, Impact Investing
A desire to do more than just help somebody make a profit is what drives Alex Oppes. A director in the Impact Investing team, Oppes has been at Social Ventures Australia (SVA) for almost five years.
Choosing a cause to support: passion vs pragmatism
Beyond my work at SVA, I’m passionate about charities and the charity sector. As part of that, last month I spoke at the Sydney Opera House Antidote Festival on “practical donations”. It’s an interesting problem, and delving into it led me to re-examine a lot of my assumptions about giving. Fundamentally, why do we donate […]
Backtrack Boys film set to screen nationally
On October 25 a film we’re all incredibly excited about and proud of at SVA: Catherine Scott’s award-winning documentary “Backtrack Boys” launches nationally. It’s the true story of BackTrack, a unique youth-centred program helping kids doing it tough. BackTrack and the program’s inspirational work is well known here at SVA, becoming a venture partner in […]
Innovation, disruption and lifelong learning: SVA’s 20th Thought Leadership Gathering
Innovation. Disruption. Lifelong Learning. These three themes were proclaimed proudly by guest speaker and Educational Technologist, Kieran Nolan, as part of his Provocation address at SVA’s recent Thought Leadership Gathering in Adelaide. The highly topical focus was: “STEM & Innovation – Deepening knowledge, sparking engagement and connecting learning.” Over three busy and technology-filled days in […]
Resolve Program: Improving mental health outcomes by supporting and empowering people
Above: Flourish Australia Peer Worker Tim Morandi (2nd from the right) with his Flourish colleagues. Nine months in, Resolve Program participants are being supported, empowered, and importantly, spending more time in the community rather than in hospital. Resolve Program participants say it’s making a significant impact on their lives, according to a Resolve Peer Worker […]
School Lawyer Program: helping young people access justice
I recently had the pleasure of working with WEstjustice to document the School Lawyer Program and develop a practical how-to guide for other organisations interested.
Aspire Case Navigator: ‘I feel like we’re part of something big.’
For the past five years, Tim Best, an Aspire Program Case Navigator at Adelaide’s Hutt Street Centre, has been helping people experiencing homelessness. Best joined the Aspire Program when the Aspire SIB launched last year, and says it’s the first opportunity he’s had to take a long-term approach with people who have a history of […]
‘I’ve never seen my kids so happy’ How Mimi’s House is supporting Queensland families
'If it wasn’t for Mimi’s House, we wouldn’t be where we are today.'Wayne and Natasha Patel are proud parents of five children. After spending more than a year homeless as a family, they moved to Queensland’s Moreton Bay region about eight years ago. It was here where they were introduced to Mimi’s House.
Martumili: preserving culture and knowledge through art
“For Martu people who live in this land, it’s the songline and the land around this area, it’s so special to them. We connect with the land – it’s our dreaming, our spirits, our culture. It’s my life. It’s all Martu people’s ancestors, our great grandmother’s and grandfather’s. What the old people told me – […]
Newpin Queensland’s first centre opens in Cairns
We are pleased to report that Uniting Care Queensland (UCQ) opened the first Newpin centre as planned in Cairns in January, and family referrals have commenced.
The Uniting Newpin Social Benefit Bond is funding essential services that are putting families back together
The most difficult moment of Ryan’s* life, was when the NSW Department of Family and Community Services came to take his children away.
A professional development experience for teachers like no other
The SVA Bright Spots Schools Connection International Exploration was the most valuable professional development exercise these teachers have ever experienced.
Five ways educators can create high performing teams
Last month’s SVA Bright Spots Schools Connection Thought Leadership Gathering (TLG) saw an impressive group of successful and emerging leaders from schools across Victoria come together to reflect on their role in creating high performing teams.
How technology is being used to share and preserve First Australian languages
The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation is working to strengthen and preserve Indigenous languages in Australia.
People and purpose: what made SVA’s staff offsite a success
For the whole Social Ventures Australia team, the SVA offsite is a chance to reconnect with each other, and our shared purpose.
Six reasons to attend Sydney’s Impact Investment Summit
It’s an exciting time to be involved in impact investing in Australia. Here’s why you should join industry leaders at this year’s Impact Investment Summit in Sydney.
The Aspire Program: finding vulnerable people a place to call home
In August this year, John stood in front of his new home in Adelaide, overwhelmed. John had a long history of homelessness. The 49-year-old had been bouncing between temporary accommodation, sleeping on the street, and in cars. He had finally found a home.
Spotlight on STEM education as students and school leaders head to Parliament House
Logan Skilling and Brianna Dewar, year 10 students from Wirreanda Secondary School in South Australia, were among the 53 students who took part in the 16th Thought Leadership Gathering in Canberra. Here they share their reflections on their experience.
Lift off on STEM skills for SVA Connection students
Launching science experiments into space is just one of the exciting possibilities the SVA Bright Spots Schools Connection is opening up for primary school students from disadvantaged communities. SVA Project Officer, Education, Susannah Schoeffel explains.
Case study: Marnin Studio’s measurement journey so far
As we begin the second year of our partnership with Marnin Studio and reflect on the first year’s progress, one of the areas that has been slower to progress than anticipated has been the development of the Studio’s outcomes measurement framework, systems and practices.
Dismantle – How our Venture Philanthropy Partnership is Trialling a New Regional Delivery Model
In April we announced Dismantle as the newest venture in the WA venture philanthropy portfolio. Since then, we have been working closely with the Dismantle team to plan, structure and coordinate what is a very exciting and innovative venture partnership.
How two days in Adelaide can spark a raft of ideas for school leaders
Bringing together diverse perspectives on the topic of partnerships, the 15th Thought Leadership Gathering (TLG) gave participants a wealth of actionable insights to explore in their own contexts. Here we talk to three attendees to find out which aspects of the TLG delivered the most value for them.
Talking measurement at the Social Impact Festival
It’s an exciting few weeks for social impact in Perth with the Social Impact Festival now in full swing. SVA presented the ‘Back to Basics – Beyond Funding and Reporting’ session, one of two sessions on outcomes management that SVA is presenting at the festival.
The importance of a client-centred approach for working in the social sector
Associate Consultant Jonathan Finighan recently he had the privilege of working with Indigenous social purpose organisation Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa. This work caused him to reflect on the importance of being ready to listen and ready to learn when conducting an assessment of the Martu Leadership Program, an education and development program designed to build capacity and create opportunities in remote Western Desert Aboriginal communities.
Queensland celebrates growing momentum in philanthropy
An atmosphere of generosity and excitement prevailed at this year’s QCF Philanthropy Week. SVA’s Queensland Venture Philanthropy Manager Dina Jak reflects on some of the highlights, including former SVA CEO Michael Traill’s inspiring speech at the QCF Philanthropist of the Year Awards.
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