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Signs of Success
Summer 2002 In This Issue:
A Message from Melinda Tuan, Managing Director
George Roberts, REDF’s founder and funder, has always said “don’t say anything until you have something significant to say.” Well, it’s been five years since we first launched The Roberts Enterprise Development Fund in January 1997 and we are very excited to report our signs of success! REDF’s experiment with social purpose enterprise has proven to be effective in creating lasting, positive change in individual’s lives. The portfolio organizations that have been with us since 1997 have employed over 1,600 individuals to date, and have amazing social outcomes: 80% of individuals are still employed two years after hire — an especially amazing outcome given that over half of these employees are homeless or at-risk of homelessness at time of hire.
As we launch our second five-year initiative, REDF’s mission remains the same: to help homeless and low-income individuals move out of poverty by partnering with a portfolio of nonprofit-run social purpose enterprises. We are still working with four of our original 1997 portfolio members: Community Vocational Enterprises, Golden Gate Community, Inc., Juma Ventures, and Rubicon Programs, and are pleased to welcome three new organizations in 2002: ASAP, Community Gatepath, and Plugged In.
Much has changed since Jed Emerson and I (and Ruby, his German Shepherd) began this philanthropic venture to fund nonprofit-run social purpose enterprises. Jed has left to pursue his research interests first at Harvard Business School, and more recently at Stanford Business School and the Hewlett Foundation. REDF now has seven staff (and no dogs). And social purpose enterprise and venture philanthropy have become more mainstream practices across the country.
We look forward to sharing more information with you about what’s going on at REDF and in our portfolio through future editions of this newsletter. We welcome your feedback and comments! Please read on to see what else is new at REDF!
Introducing the REDF Team!
Kristen Ace — Enterprise Development Manager John Collins — Projects Associate Vanessa Collins — Administrative Director Cynthia Gair — Portfolio Director Monica Koller — Administrative Assistant Melinda Tuan — Managing Director Did you only count six REDF staff when we said we had seven? We hope to welcome a new Enterprise Development Manager soon! For a position description as well as information on how to apply, please visit our website at http://www.redf.org/career_withinredf.htm
Latest Publication: An Information OASIS
We have just published An Information OASIS, a look into a collaboration between several major foundations and REDF to provide REDF’s portfolio members with a comprehensive, customized client information and tracking system called OASIS (Ongoing Assessment of Social ImpactS). Social Entrepreneurs
Although we are a closed fund, we’re happy to list your social purpose enterprise on our website. Please submit an email to info@redf.org with your organizational contact details as well as a paragraph summarizing your work as a social enterprise-related nonprofit. |
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