Who We Are

(April 9, 2001, Washington, DC/ Baltimore, MD) "Kids are born leaders and agents of change, " said Rebecca Yenawine, a 27-year old Baltimore, MD, visual artist, who leads the nonprofit group, "Kids on the Hill. "The mission-related enterprise planning grant that we received from the SVCF today will enable the kids to turn their artwork into marketable products so that we can be financially more self-sustaining. It will also make Kids on the Hill more effective in our program of 'art action for neighborhood change.'"

Since 1997, "Kids on the Hill" has provided a supportive and caring artistic, academic, mentoring, and family support after school program for children and young adults from 7-18 in Baltimore’s low-income Reservoir Hill area. Until now, however, the group has relied entirely on foundation and public grants to pay for the program.

Today's enterprise planning seed money grant from a new Washington-area foundation, The Social Venture Capital Foundation (SVCF), will provide funds and business consulting support to help Kids on the Hill devise a "mission-related enterprise plan." Once the enterprise plan is developed, additional funding may be available to put the plan into action.

"With the SVCF's grant and consulting support, Kids on the Hill can now develop a marketing plan to generate part of our operating funds from the sale of artwork created by the young people in this program," said Yenawine. The grant will enable Kids on the Hill to design a campaign to develop brand name recognition for, and market interest in, a range of art-based products such as photographs, drawings, T-shirts, cards, stationery, and posters.

"By making Kids on the Hill more self-sustaining, we can more effectively help these young people to become leaders and pursue their dreams," said Ms. Yenawine. "At the same time, we can show our kids how the math and other subjects they are learning can be useful in running their own business."

"Kids on the Hill" got an early boost when Ms. Yenawine discovered several neighborhood teenage girls spray painting graffiti nearby and brought them into her home for art lessons. "They were hooked and so was I," she said. "With others from Reservoir Hill, Rebecca has provided educational opportunities, family support, mentoring, and choices that would not otherwise have been available in this neighborhood," said Jeff Schwartz, President of The Social Venture Capital Foundation, Chevy Chase, Maryland.

"We want to recognize the accomplishments of Kids on the Hill to-date," said Schwartz, "and at the same time encourage this group to use the tools of business to advance its mission of arts action for personal growth and neighborhood change."

Jeff Schwartz, President of SVCF, started the Social Venture Capital Foundation after a 30-year career spent primarily in management consulting and business development. "SVCF provides modest seed money and entrepreneurial support grants and, equally important, business counsel and consulting support to non-profits creating constructive social change. We aim to help them apply sound business principles and practices to maximize their outreach and impact," said Mr. Schwartz. "That’s why we saw a such a great fit between our objectives and Ms. Yenawine’s goals."

(Note: Thanks to e-town radio, which awarded Rebecca its "e-chievement" award and thereby led The Social Venture Capital Foundation to learn of Rebecca and Kids on the Hill.)

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Click here for more information on Kids on the Hill.

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