Social Venture Partners Video Goes Big

Charitable Words Scholar Neal Patrick introduces the Social Ventures Partners video at Fountain Square with SVP Cincinnati Chair Wijdan Jeirsat and partner Patrick Points.

It was quite a moment. For a student, for a group of engaged philanthropists, for a community served by their work.

Charitable Words Scholar Neal Patrick stood on the Fountain Square stage, introducing the video he had worked the summer to produce as part of his internship with Social Venture Partners Cincinnati.

Months of interviewing, shooting images and editing his work, with the guidance of SVP partners, came down to this. Lights, camera…

And when as the 2:45-minute minute “I’m A Better Person” video looped for a second time, there was applause.

It was a job well done. And the project personified what Charitable Words, and Social Venture Partners are all about.

Charitable Words is about connecting students with nonprofits with a variety of assignments in Greater Cincinnati and around the globe. The students don’t always have tangible outcomes to show from their experiences, as Neal has. But if they learn and lend a hand, that’s success.

Social Venture Partners’ web site explains it is a network of engaged philanthropists, who “do more than write checks…We roll up our sleeves, open our minds, and get involved.” Using a hands-on approach, SVP combines the power of business with the passion of philanthropy. Partners bring their collective expertise, skills and life experience to work in partnership with area nonprofits and their leaders.

SVP chair Wijdan Jreisat showed the Fountain Square audience a large check representing the hours donated by partners valued at $600,000 in five years.

Neal acknowleged that, saying: “Your skills, whatever they may be, are valued and needed. Something the best thing you can do is listen and ask questions.”

The intern benefited from that hands-on engagement as several partners with storytelling and video expertise we there over the summer to guide his work. He didn’t need much help with his creativity and camera skills. The lighting and audio will improve in future projects, but he’s got what it takes. Partners watched him grow personally, gaining confidence and people skills that showed in the way the subjects in the video related comfortably to the camera.

As he stood tall, spoke with authority and pride on that stage, we all knew this was a different Neal than walked into the SVP offices this summer.

We hope we provided him learning experience. And one thing we do know:

He left SVP Cincinnati with a great video to show, an important story to tell.

And he did it in a big way.

Best wishes, Neal Patrick, Charitable Words Scholar.

Tom and Maureen Callinan are Social Venture Partners. Tom is on SVP’s international board; Maureen serves on a committee reviewing nonprofits in which to invest.