SEATTLE, WA, September 14, 2018 – Giving Compass, the online portal for U.S. philanthropists, announced today its partnership with New Profit, a leading player in venture philanthropy for over 20 years. Together, they are launching “Unlikely Duos,” a series of video vignettes capturing conversations about critical issues between leading social entrepreneurs and venture philanthropists in the form of unscripted dialogues reflecting on life experience, personal influences, and learned perspective in change-making.

This marks the beginning of a larger partnership between New Profit and Giving Compass, as both organizations look to engage more people in conversations about high-impact philanthropy and to connect to the hearts and minds of individuals who want to make a social impact.

Both Giving Compass and New Profit share an interest in getting the most from Americans’ generosity on behalf of the issues and communities we seek to support” said Stephanie Gillis, Interim CEO of Giving Compass. “Sometimes, power dynamics can get in the way, when those doing the work and those funding the work don’t partner effectively. These conversations provide an intimate glimpse into the kinds of conversations that can break down silos and build relationships to unleash the power of social innovation. We’re delighted to partner to break down the barriers to opportunity that face so many Americans.

Earlier this year, New Profit brought together pairs of philanthropists and social entrepreneurs from their community at their annual conference, the Gathering of Leaders for candid conversation on the future of social problem-solving. Each pair was comprised of individuals who have experience working in different sectors and in different issue areas, and in most cases, the pairs were just getting to know one another. These "unlikely duos” were given thought-provoking questions to respond to and discuss on the spot.

The “Unlikely Duos” video series shows where a conversation can go when it’s centered on getting to know another person and his or her perspectives. This is not a how-to on the technical aspects of change-making. “Unlikely Duos” show what can happen when people from different backgrounds share personal stories, discuss leadership challenges, and exchange ideas on forward-leaning solutions.

These conversations show the power of relationships and the importance of taking risks to build them,” said Sam Hiersteiner, a Managing Partner at New Profit. “The more we can do to bring philanthropists and social entrepreneurs into closer proximity with each other, to openly collaborate rather than simply transact, the greater chance we have to solve the complex challenges facing our country.

Conversations include:

  • Marcus Bullock, CEO, Flikshop and Venkat Srinivasan, Managing Director, Innospark Ventures. Premieres Friday, September 14, 2018.
  • Phyllis Lockett, Founder & CEO, LEAP Innovations and Steve Arnold, Co-Founder & Partners Emeritus, Polaris Partners. Premieres Friday, September 21, 2018.
  • Aaron Walker, Camelback Venture and Roch Hillenbrand, Stony Brook Investments. Premieres Friday, September 28, 2018.

Content series and personal profiles are available at www.givingcompass.org/unlikelyduos.

About Giving Compass

Giving Compass provides a Gateway to Impact Philanthropy. The organization offers leading resources about charitable giving and the non-profit sector. By curating and aggregating the best material from around the web about philanthropy, coupled with a team of journalists creating original content and fresh insights, Giving Compass will lead you to more effectively give of your time and money. Giving Compass uses the newest technologies to create and build tools for philanthropists to make better and more impactful charitable decisions. For more information, please visit: https://givingcompass.org.

About New Profit

NEW PROFIT is a venture philanthropy organization that supports social entrepreneurs who are breaking down barriers to opportunity in America. In partnership with a national network of philanthropists, we provide unrestricted growth capital and strategic expertise to a diverse portfolio of breakthrough social entrepreneurs. In addition to providing direct support to our portfolio, we strengthen the ecosystem that exists around social entrepreneurs to help them thrive and achieve greater impact. Over the past 20 years, we have backed and help scale breakthrough organizations such as Jumpstart, Teach for America, BELL, Year Up, Health Leads, MLT, KIPP, iMentor, College Advising Corps, FII, ANet, LEAP Innovations, and EdLoC.  For more information, please visit: https://www.newprofit.org

Media Contacts:

Megan Bell for Giving Compass, megan.b@giving.tech, 303-881-5354

Liz Leberman for New Profit, liz_leberman@newprofit.org, 603-568-2006