Social Venture Partners Greater Tucson (SVP) is pleased to announce its first social investments in two Tucson nonprofits. The Partners selected Voices: Community Stories Past and Present, and Literacy Volunteers of Tucson, each to receive $75,000 for capacity-building over three years. In addition, the nonprofits will receive significant time and expertise from SVP Partners in the areas of planning, marketing and communications, information technology, human resources, financial management, fund development, board and staff leadership development, program design and evaluation, and legal affairs.

According to Investment Committee Chair and Founding Partner Ann Lovell, "SVP selected community literacy as its first investment focus because it is an area where the SVP model can have a significant impact. First, there is great need: Illiteracy is a root cause of so many other social problems. It impacts public health and safety, economic development and human rights. Literacy is the path from poverty to economic self-sufficiency, yet nearly one in five adults in Arizona is functionally illiterate. There are a number of outstanding organizations working in this area who collaborate well and can benefit greatly from the kind of capacity-building support SVP provides."

Voices: Community Stories Past and Present (Voices) mentors low-income youth to tell their personal, family, neighborhood, tribal and community stories so they can strengthen their cognitive, artistic, emotional, leadership and higher education skills. Through its flagship 110 Degrees after-school literacy project, Voices builds the connection between writing literacy and college access and success. For further information about Voices: www.voicesinc.org

Literacy Volunteers of Tucson (LVT) is the only volunteer organization in the community to focus on the needs of adults at the lowest literacy levels. LVT trains volunteer tutors to teach basic reading, writing and English-speaking skills to adults, 16 years of age and older, who function at a sixth grade level or less. For further information about Literacy Volunteers: www.lovetoread.org