Beyond Empathy (BE) is an Australian community, arts and cultural development organisation that create art projects with people living on the margins of their communities who are experiencing recurring hardship. BE programs enable these communities to tell their stories, engage with new futures and influence change in the lives of individuals and communities experiencing recurring hardship. Empathy is the first step towards creating change in ourselves and others, it acts as a catalyst to signal that change is needed, doing so with a warn heart. Going Beyond Empathy is a commitment to building skills and capacity for individuals to be in charge of their own change process.

During their time in the venture portfolio, SVA helped the organisation grow from a start-up into a mature organisation. SVA assisted BE establish valuable networks, and develop its funding base as well as its strategic plan.

CareerTrackers recruits Indigenous university students and links them with private sector employers to participate in a paid summer internship over 1-5 years, with the aim of securing a permanent place in that company at the completion of their degree. As of 2015, 1,138 interns have been engaged by 86 employers. The program achieves a strong success rate of 89% of participants’ transitioning to full-time employment. Over the six years of partnership with CareerTrackers, SVA:

Contributed $301,677 in funding enabling CareerTrackers to establish itself as an organisation and now operate as a self-sustaining social enterprise. Provided capacity building through leadership mentoring to CareerTrackers CEO as well as advice on governance and how to scale effectively. Leveraged SVA’s networks to showcase CareerTrackers to key corporates who have been integral to their scale and providing ongoing employment opportunities for their participants. Conducted an SROI that demonstrated that for every $1 invested in CareerTrackers, $4.40 is returned in value.

SVA are proud to have incubated First Australians Capital (FAC), an Indigenous-led organisation that provides new sources of capital and support for Indigenous businesses.

First Australians Capital joined the SVA venture portfolio in January 2015 and graduated in April 2017.

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Ganbina works with school aged Indigenous young people to unlock their potential. The program involves activities focused on education, training and personal development. The activities help young people complete their schooling, reach their career potential and become positive community leaders and role models. In 2015, Ganbina supported 347 participants through its Jobs4U2 program, of which 97% completed their relevant year of education training or employment. Over the 13 years of partnership with Ganbina, SVA:

Directed $2.5 million in funding. Provided Ganbina with mentoring and leadership development support for Adrian Appo and Anthony Cavanagh by SVA CEO and Executive team with significant support during the CEO leadership transition. A 2013 Social Return on Investment (SROI) showed that an investment of $1.1m in the 2012 calendar year created $7.5m of social and economic value for stakeholders. Contributed to Ganbina’s annual Growth rate of beneficiaries of 16% and an average annual growth rate of turnover of 5%.

North Queensland Green Solutions (NQGS) is an innovative approach to recycling and provides employment and training opportunities for those who experience barriers to employment in the Townsville and Ayr Community. Providing a program to ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’, NQGS diverts domestic waste before entering the landfill and sells reusable items to the public, while at the same time creating jobs in tip recycling and in the tip shop. Job seekers include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, people with disability, those with mental health issues and vulnerable young people.

SVA worked with NQGS to set up their recycle shop, analyse their employment costs and develop their financial projections. NQGS established the social, economic and environmental return they created through a Social Return on Investment completed by SVA.

SoFA provided assistance with the commercial expertise required to assist employees with a mental illness get and keep a job. A social firm is a real business with social and economic objectives that provides good-quality jobs to people with a mental illness or other disadvantaged in a supportive, integrated working environment.

SVA together with Eastern Access Community Health helped SoFA acquire Bonsai – The Imagination Tree (Bonsai). SVA worked closely with SoFA to closely pilot the acquisition model. SVA’s Social Return on Investment (SROI) toolset was also used to report on the financial and social value generated by social firms.

TFA recruits highly talented university graduates with non-education degrees and young professionals to teach in schools serving low SES communities for a minimum of two years. In addition to training and supporting great teachers, TFA fosters an Alumni movement, to influence across a variety of sector and make a lasting contribution to the Australian education system. Since 2010, TFA has partnered with 96 schools and placed 419 associates in schools serving low SES communities. Approximately 90% of principals find that TFA associates have a greater impact on student achievement than other graduate teachers. Over our five year partnership with TFA, SVA:

Distributed a total financial contribution of $280,500. Provided capacity building support by helping to develop an advocacy strategy through recommendations for engagement with unions and state and federal governments. Resulting in an average annual growth rate of beneficiaries of 35% and an average annual growth rate of turnover at 10%.