Welcoming Our New Executive Director: Lynne Skinner
SOCIAL VENTURE PARTNERS AUSTIN HIRES LYNNE SKINNER AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Social Impact Organization Seeing Growth in Central Texas
(AUSTIN, TX; January 3, 2023): Social Venture Partners Austin (SVP Austin) announced today that they hired long-time Austin business leader, Lynne Skinner, as their new Executive Director. The organization, which is an affiliate of SVP International, is composed of business and community leaders working together to provide pro bono advisory services and resources to area nonprofits and social enterprises. Skinner assumes leadership of SVP Austin at a pivotal time, as innovative new projects are on the 2024 team agenda.
“Interest in this unique model of engaged philanthropy has grown significantly around the world, especially in dynamic cities like Austin,” said Debbie Johnson, Co-Chair of the SVP Austin board of directors. “Lynne’s experience and reputation in our community, coupled with her deep commitment to our mission, make her a perfect fit for our next phase.”
Skinner is a veteran Austin communications professional with a strong track record of serving both businesses and nonprofits in various capacities throughout her career. She has worked for organizations such as the Austin Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Division, PricewaterhouseCoopers Technology Group, Austin Ventures, Balfour, WPP (GCI Read-Poland, now BCW), and ingage Communications, her independent consulting business. Skinner has served as an active volunteer with numerous nonprofits in Austin, and as a board member for Leadership Austin, Entrepreneur’s Foundation of Central Texas, Center for Child Protection, and APD’s Operation Blue Santa, among others. In 2000, she founded (and continues to produce) The Austin Cup, an annual tech community fundraising event for which she received a Volunteer Leadership Award from the National Children’s Alliance.
“Those who know me understand how this SVP Austin mission resonates with me,” Skinner said, “Being invited to spearhead this work with such a diverse group of engaged, enthusiastic and impact-driven community leaders is a highlight of my career.”
Social Venture Partners Austin is a nonprofit organization focused on fostering a community of engaged citizens, strengthening nonprofits, and investing in collaborative solutions to tackle our community’s socioeconomic challenges. While the local group collectively acknowledges that Austin stands as a hub of innovation, entrepreneurship and economic prosperity on a global scale, they deeply understand that not all individuals partake in this prosperity. SVP Austin endeavors to bridge the economic gap and broaden access to opportunities for all members of our community, with a particular focus on historically marginalized groups.
Corporate Partnerships. In addition to Individual Partners, SVP Austin works with companies that are looking to give philanthropically and create meaningful employee engagement opportunities. These companies underwrite their employees to become SVP members, who then share their knowledge, skills and networks to help nonprofits/social enterprises achieve their impact goals. In turn, these employees deepen their skills, develop new ones, and gain community awareness through team-based advising engagements. All of which helps prepare them for leadership roles within their profession or community.
Social Venture Partners International is the largest group of connected donors in the world, providing skills-based volunteering and investment opportunities for its more than 3,400 philanthropist members in over 40 markets around the globe.
For more information on how to become a Social Venture Partner in Austin, or to inquire about applying for support as a nonprofit, please visit www.svpaustin.org.
