Giving back to the community is part of the DNA for Jennifer and Kevin Moriarty, as anyone who knows them understands. Throughout their careers, they have demonstrated a deep and personal commitment to supporting and advocating for nonprofits. In fact, they even met serving on a nonprofit board together. 

Jennifer has run her own consultancy practice for the past 7 years after a 25-year career as a community development executive. She served as SVPSA’s Founding Board Chair in 2017 and was instrumental in creating operational policies, committees, the processes for grants, raising money for Catchafire and designing the SVPSA Fellowship program. Kevin brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership and more than two decades as President and CEO of Methodist Healthcare Ministries. They have served on countless boards and continue to volunteer hundreds of hours for San Antonio organizations. Their impact has been recognized across the region.

Recently, they shared their thoughts on the unique ways SVP supports the local nonprofit community and where nonprofits and the people who support them can make an impact. 

“Social Venture Partners takes partners down a dual path,” Jennifer said. “One is supporting the nonprofit community through financial support and skills-based training and resources. The other is supporting partners as they seek to understand and respond to our community’s most pressing needs.”

Jennifer is pleased with the work SVPSA is doing and the thoughtful approach the organization takes in developing its programs. Going forward, she believes SVP will continue to benefit from evaluating its programs and providing more opportunities in the community that are unmet.

“The fellowship filled a need,” she continued. “Finding a platform to connect skills-based volunteers was critical. I appreciate that SVP has been thoughtful about its role without replicating and consuming other resources.”

Kevin believes nonprofits that are addressing equity issues are poised to make the biggest impact. 

 “As we consider the best use of scarce resources, we should focus on nonprofits that are about resolving some of the equity issues we face in this community,” Kevin said. “It might take more of an effort in areas of our community, but this is the greatest need.”

“As an emerging member of this community’s funding and capacity building network, SVP’s commitment to showing up as partners with the nonprofit community is essential,” he continued. “Our message has always been about walking alongside and with the nonprofits in the work that we do. We’re not looking for transactional relationships.”

As Jennifer explains, that is another unique aspect of SVP’s support strategy. 

“Through the fellowship, we’re trying to be the folks who meet them where they are and help them with very basic things that they may not get from other programs,” she continued. “Do you have a policy? Let us help you draft the policy. Those things consume a lot of time, energy, and angst. Small nonprofits don’t have the capacity and resources for that.”

And what’s next for Social Venture Partners San Antonio? Jennifer believes expanding participation in Catchafire will be key. And they both agree that for SVP to continue its momentum, it must grow its network of partners. 

“We can’t do more until we have more partners,” Jennifer said. “Our partners each bring ideas, input and thoughts on how we reach more deeply into the community.”