Weekly News Recap: January 31, 2020

Weekly News Recap: January 31, 2020

Rosychuk used the Goodwill logo and LGBTQ rainbow in the guitar. (Rick Schick)

Fashions fade, style is eternal. -- Yves Saint Laurent

This week's highlights

Last week's most popular stories

back to Top

AFP Global

  • Canada Heads to AFP ICON (AFP Global) "Canadian fundraising professionals will be out in full force in Baltimore, Md., from March 29 to 31, to share their ideas at AFP ICON, the 'world’s largest conference for fundraising professionals.' Fifteen of those sessions will be delivered by 19 fundraisers currently practicing in Canada." 1/30/20

back to Top

News

  • Edmonton music collector rebuilds 2 electric guitars with 1,200 pencil crayons (CBC) EDMONTON STORY I really love this. It speaks to me on many levels. "Rosychuk, a retired elementary-school teacher, is a longtime guitar collector who has repaired several of the instruments with items found at Goodwill stores. When a friend told him it was possible to build a guitar out of pencil crayons, he began collecting them, amassing 1,200 in just over a year. His inspiration comes out of his passion for living sustainably." 1/30/20

  • Contemporary Calgary art gallery debuts in former Centennial Planetarium building (CTV News) CALGARY STORY Congrats! "An historic building on the west end of downtown has new life after undergoing $25 million in renovations and reopening as an art gallery. Contemporary Calgary, a gallery housed in the former site of the Calgary Science Centre and Centennial Planetarium, opened to the public this weekend. The unique building in the 700 block of 11th Street Southwest had sat vacant since 2011 when the doors were closed with the arrival of TELUS Spark, Calgary's new science centre." 1/27/20

  • Calgary sport school that grooms Olympic champions faces possible closure (CBC) CALGARY STORY "The National Sport School in Calgary that produces Olympic and Paralympic champions faces possible closure after a quarter century. The Calgary Olympic Development Association — now WinSport — and the Calgary Board of Education jointly established the school in 1994 to help athletes both pursue sport at a world level and graduate from high school." 1/27/20

  • The search for jobs and a recovery in Red Deer: 'There's absolutely nothing out there' (CBC) RED DEER STORY Ugh. "In Red Deer, more storefronts, industrial bays and offices are being emptied out as the province's economic slump enters its sixth year. Economic diversification and resuscitating the downtown are some of the priorities in this blue collar town known for its ties to oil and gas and agriculture." 1/27/20

  • Dozens of memorial plaques stolen from benches in Edmonton's river valley, parks (CBC) EDMONTON STORY Ugh. "Dozens of bronze memorial plaques on benches along Edmonton's river valley have been stolen. City officials say 123 plaques have been taken from locations that include the Victoria Promenade, River Valley Road and Grant Notley Park. Officials say in a statement that the thefts are unfortunate and the city regrets any emotional impact they could have on families and donors. They say they are contacting donors to reassure them that the city is working to replace the plaques. Officials say they have reported the thefts to the Edmonton Police Service, which is investigating." 1/27/20

  • The National Center for Music determines how music can help heal (The Media Times) CALGARY STORY Awesome. Nice move NMC! "Taking a cue from a national mental health initiative, the National Music Center is launching a stream of music and healing programs. In the spring, NMC will launch a weekly music and healing program for the public. In the fall, NMC will also unveil its updated Body and Brain exhibit with new content highlighting the strong link between music and healing, as well as hosting a one-day music summit and healing." 1/25/20

  • Trista Spencer named permanent executive director of United Way of Northern BC (Prince George Matters) PRINCE GEORGE STORY Congrats. "Trista Spencer is officially United Way of Northern BC's executive director. She had originally been named interim executive director in July 2019 after Roberta Squire announced she would be leaving to take a new position with Telus Communications as their general manager of northern B.C." 1/25/20

  • Tim Cook says Apple will donate to groups helping people affected by coronavirus in China (9to5Mac) "According to Cook, Apple will also be donating to 'groups on the ground helping support all of those affected' by coronavirus. As of this morning, the New York Times reports that 41 people in China have died due to the outbreak — with all but three of those deaths occurring in Wuhan." 1/25/20

  • Alberta retail sales plunge to lowest level in years as vehicle spending declines sharply (CBC) ALBERTA STORY :-( "Albertans are spending less and less money, particularly on cars, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada, which show retail sales falling to their lowest level in years. Sales across all retail industries totalled $6.61 billion in November, on a seasonally adjusted basis. That's down 0.9 per cent from October, and down three per cent from November 2018. Sales in the province are now slightly lower than they were five years ago. Across Canada, by comparison, retail sales are up 20 per cent over that same timeframe." 1/24/20

  • Albertans sew, knit, crochet their way to helping Australian wildfire rescue animals (CBC) ALBERTA STORY Crafters rule! "Hundreds of carefully crafted mittens for koalas, pouches for kangaroos and nests for birds are leaving Calgary and heading to Australia for the animal victims of the country's devastating wildfires, thanks to some caring central Albertans who like to knit and crochet and network on Facebook." 1/24/20

  • Historic Agreement for French-Language in Ontario (Government of Ontario) ONTARIO STORY This is huge! "The Université de l'Ontario français will be supported by an investment of $126 million over eight years. The agreement confirms that the Government of Canada will assume up to 50 per cent of the total investment in the project, a total of $63 million over five years. The Government of Ontario has committed to matching this amount." 1/22/20

  • Generous donation to Laurier creates the User Experience Design Initiative, supported by Scotiabank (Wilfred Laurier University) BRANTFORD STORY Nice work Scotiabank! "Wilfrid Laurier University announced [...] that Scotiabank is donating $852,000 to the university over four years to support its User Experience Design (UXD) program." 1/22/20

back to Top

First Peoples of Canada

  • Cenovus pledges $50M for new homes in Indigenous communities near Alberta oilsands operations (CBC) ALBERTA STORY Nice work Cenovus! "Cenovus Energy Inc. has pledged $50 million to build homes in six Indigenous communities near its oilsands projects in northern Alberta. The investment, the company says, is a way to 'contribute to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.' The funding will be broken down into a $10-million yearly contribution for five years to build about 200 homes in the communities of Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Chard Métis Local 218, Chipewyan Prairie Dene First Nation, Cold Lake First Nations, Conklin Métis Local 193 and Heart Lake First Nation." 1/30/20

  • U of L Elders Room renamed in honour of Carolla Calf Robe (Medicine Hat News) LETHBRIDGE STORY "Described as a native herbalist, Calf Robe learned about plants from grandmothers and was transferred the right to make medicine from her own grandmother in the 1970s. She has also instructed others in plant identification and common uses, along with often speaking to health sciences classes to share her knowledge." 1/28/20

  • Three generations of influential Indigenous women writers to speak at annual UCalgary literary event (UCalgary News ) CALGARY STORY "Three generations of acclaimed, groundbreaking Indigenous women writers are coming to the University of Calgary on Friday, Feb. 28, to read from their respective works and take part in a sure-to-be spirited panel discussion. Lee Maracle, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, and Gwen Benaway will be appearing as the university’s 2019-2020 Distinguished Visiting Writer(s), the event an annual highlight of the long-running Calgary Distinguished Writers Program (CDWP)." RSVP for tickets to this free event. 1/23/20

back to Top

Seven life and career hacks -- one for each day of the week

  2. 10 Ways To Guarantee Better Sleep (Live Your Life On Purpose) I hacked my sleep a few years ago. It has paid off handsomely. 1/10/20

  3. Why Long Walks Will Change Your Life (Human Parts) Christine and I try to take long walks on Sundays. When it doesn't happen, our mental health suffers. 1/8/20

  4. Learn How To Focus Like The Pros (Post Graduate Survival Guide) Oh my, I learned a ton here. And I am a focus hack nerd. Worth the read. 1/3/20

  5. How To Effortlessly Look Stylish Every Day (Assemblage) *Pay special attention to #4 and #5 is a MUST! 1/2/20

  6. Damon Lindelof Heard Some ‘Hard Truths’ in the ‘Watchmen’ Writer’s Room (GEN) If you have not watched the Watchmen, you should. Truly brilliant TV. But, the creative process is even more interesting...(especially from a diversity and inclusion perspective) "What I had to come to terms with was wanting to bring together a diverse set of voices and experiences, not just in terms of the life they led, skin color, or sexuality, but also what your relationship was to Watchmen. But I really wanted diversity… as long as everyone listened to me. I don’t think I realized that going in, but I came to realize it very fast. Once it was pointed out to me, I realized that I’m going to have to build consensus around ideas, versus enforcing my will upon them. I shouldn’t be commended for that, but it was incredibly eye-opening." 10/23/19

  7. Trust-Based Philanthropy: Imagining better, more effective partnerships between funders and nonprofits (Nonprofit AF) This is really really good! "The website has information, toolkits, advice, and other resources. If you are with a foundation, definitely check it out. If you are not with a foundation, still check it out, because we all need to be on the same message to push philanthropy to change for the better. There is an urgency for philanthropy to change, because real people’s lives are stake." January 2020

back to Top

Uncommon knowledge

  • VIDEO: These are the most detailed images ever taken of the sun (CBC) Wild! "Images from a powerful new telescope installed atop a volcano in Hawaii show the surface of the sun in the closest detail yet, revealing features as small as 30 kilometres across. They were captured by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, which sits at around 3,000 metres above sea level near the summit of Haleakala volcano in Maui, Hawaii." 1/30/20

  • How a U.S. company plans to cut spaceflight costs by throwing satellites into space (CBC) I want to be spin launched (well...maybe not). "A private startup company called Spinlaunch could be the first to throw satellites into space rather than use a rocket for primary propulsion. The company has said that it's received millions of dollars in funding, and a prototype launch contract from the U.S. Department of Defence for its technology. The company is apparently developing a kind of spinning slingshot that will hurl projectiles up from the ground at high velocity in an attempt to lower the cost of spaceflight." 1/24/20

back to Top

Opinion

  • Harry and Meghan media circus has Canadians missing the point of the maple monarchy (CBC) CANADIAN STORY In all transparency, I am a monarchist. "All but lost in the media circus surrounding this latest royal development is serious reflection about why the Crown matters in contemporary Canada. As partisan echo chambers become louder and louder, and as politicians in both Britain and Canada push the boundaries of acceptable constitutional behaviour, the monarchy may become – as former Quebec Premier Daniel Johnson once said – 'the last bulwark of democracy,' an institution that provides sound leadership without the partisan filter that has taken its toll in public conversation and political debate. The problem is, we don't pay nearly enough attention to the Crown; when we do, we don't take it particularly seriously." 1/25/20

back to Top

Philanthropic personalities

  • Member Profile—Ken Mayhew (AFP Global) CANADIAN STORY We are lucky to have leaders like Ken. "Ken Mayhew is the chair-elect of AFP Canada, the chair of the AFP Canada Communications Committee and the former chair of AFP Greater Toronto Chapter. From 1991 to 2002, he worked with the MS Society of Canada, eventually becoming chief development officer. From there, he went to be President and CEO at the William Osler Health System Foundation in Brampton, Ontario, where he has worked for almost nine years. Ken has been involved with AFP through much of that time, contributing to the founding of AFP Canada, as well as the lives of many individual fundraisers. The following Q&A is taken from a speech he delivered upon receiving the Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award from the Greater Toronto Chapter in November 2019." 1/30/20

back to Top

Philanthropic controversy

  • doTerra Donation Of $5 Million For Oncology Center, Gets Social Media Criticism (Business For Home) "In accepting a $5 million gift from doTerra that sells essential oils, St. Elizabeth Healthcare announced that it aims to explore untraditional therapies at its new cancer center. But social media commenters accuse the Edgewood system of selling out to a multilevel marketing firm." 1/27/20

  • Australian Red Cross defends spending 10% of bushfire donations on office costs (The Guardian) "The Australian Red Cross has defended its decision to spend up to 10% of bushfire donations on administration costs as 'essential', but its past fundraising history shows it has previously promised to put 100% of all money raised directly to a cause." Thanks to Ron Bailey for sharing this story. 1/23/20

back to Top

Trends and shifts

  • Millennials and Gen Z are more anxious than previous generations: here’s why (Mirage News) This is an important read. Next time someone uses the term 'snowflake', I suggest you share this with them. The issues are real. "The Harvard Business Review recently published findings of a study on mental health in the workplace that paints a bleak picture of anxiety among young people. In a survey, half of millennials, those between 24 and 39, said they’d left a job at least partly for mental health reasons. For Gen Z—those between 18 and 23—the percentage spikes to 75, compared with just 20 per cent among the general population." 1/29/20

  • AI to help find causes of and reduce labour market gender and ethnic bias (EurekAlert!) This is amazing. Looking forward to the outcomes. "The researchers will work with industrial partners to understand gender and ethnic bias within human resource processes, such as hiring and professional networking. They will analyse data from across hiring and recruitment platforms and develop new tools and protocols to mitigate and address such bias. This will allow companies, HR departments and recruitment agencies to tackle such issues in future recruitment." 1/28/20

  • VIDEO: “Philanthropy in the digital age” (Erstestiflung) This is terrific! "Lucy Bernholz, director of the Digital Civil Society Lab at Stanford University’s Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society believes that one of the things the future of philanthropy and the future of civil society needs is a holistic recalibration of the technologies we use, the organisational structures we depend on and the legal rules that shape the whole space." 1/28/20

  • UVic aims to reduce carbon footprint in $225M fund (Times Colonist) VICTORIA STORY "UVic financial officials are planning to adjust their investments to reflect a commitment to reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change. The University of Victoria board of governors will consider at its [upcoming meeting] a new policy to inform investment decisions for the $225 million in its short-term investment fund." An update to this story. 1/26/20

  • ‘Inventor of Twitter Philanthropy’ seeking to start a movement of giving (Norfolk Daily News) "Too often, Twitter is used to shame others. That’s why it’s so refreshing to see what Bill Pulte and others are doing on the social media site, giving away hundreds of thousands of dollars and inspiring others to do likewise. The 31-year-old self-described 'inventor of Twitter Philanthropy' is attempting to parlay his charitable giving and legion of social media followers into a far-reaching movement of people who are willing to make contributions of their own to help the many needy individuals whose stories he spotlights on Twitter." 1/25/20

  • New Report Reveals How The World’s Richest Families Give Away Their Money (Forbes) "Billionaire philanthropists are everywhere, funding everything from free college tuition to ocean exploration to the eradication of polio. With more billionaires donating to more causes than ever, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, a nonprofit launched in 2002 by the Rockefeller family, compiled a report on how the planet’s richest families give away their fortunes. The report, titled Global Trends and Strategic Time Horizons in Family Philanthropy 2020, surveyed more than 200 wealthy, charitable families in 28 countries. The families, who are worth $1.2 billion on average, donated a total of $2.4 billion over the past 12 months." 1/17/20

  • Part 1: The Staff Turnover Dilemma and why many of the very best fundraising professionals are being set up to fail (DGB Group) Great article. "We know that people are leaving for-purpose organisations in ever-larger numbers. And while the majority remain in the for-purpose sector, some leave altogether. We also know that the time fundraisers stay with for-purpose organisations is getting shorter. Fundraising staff change roles and organisations frequently, about every 16 to 18 months for general staff and around every second year for those in the top jobs." Thanks to Gina Wheatcroft for sharing this story. January 2020

  • Podcasting's Netflix moment: the global battle for domination (The Guardian) "Podcasting is experiencing a Netflix moment. Global hits – from the ground-breaking Serial to Up and Vanished, and TV crossovers such as Dirty John – and Spotify’s plan to spend up to $500m on leading producers have made podcasts a hot media property." Thanks to Ron Bailey for sharing this story. 3/30/19

back to Top

Large gifts

  • Kelley School of Business receives $16 million donation from IU alum (Indiana Daily Student) "An IU alum's foundation donated $16 million to the Kelley School of Business, the school announced [recently]. The gift is meant to support higher education, free enterprise and financial literacy. Brian Jellison graduated from IU in 1968. His family’s foundation, the Brian and Shelia Jellison Family Foundation, donated the money in hopes of inspiring business school students and increasing the school’s global [reach]." 1/29/20

  • Children’s Wisconsin receives $15M donation to address mental, behavioral health (We Are Green Bay) Nice! "Children’s Wisconsin says they launched a $15 million challenge to support the health system’s $150 million commitment to address the mental and behavioral health needs of kids. The donor has pledged $15 million to match dollar-for-dollar donations to Children’s Wisconsin, according to a press release." 1/28/20

  • UCLA Gets $30M Donation to Renovate Psychology Building (NBC) "The University of California, Los Angeles has received a $30 million donation to support a major renovation of the building that houses its psychology department [...]. The gift from the Anthony and Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation is the second largest in the history of the UCLA College’s life sciences division, the university said." The Pritzker Family own Hyatt and have been previous owners of Braniff Airlines and the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. 1/28/20

  • Northeastern University to open $100M research center in Portland thanks to David Roux donation (Mass Live) "A Maine native is donating $100 million to Northeastern University to establish a graduate school and research center in Portland in hopes of transforming the city into a technology hub and sparking economic growth, officials said [recently]." 1/27/20

  • Seth MacFarlane donates $1 million to Australia Zoo’s Wildlife Hospital amid bushfire crisis (7News) "American actor Seth MacFarlane is the latest celebrity to pledge support to Australia’s bushfire recovery program, donating $1 million to the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital." 1/27/20

  • Binance CEO announces $1.5mn donation to Coronavirus victims (Cryptopolitan) *"When it comes to extending a helping hand and reach to people in need, the world’s largest cryptocurrency trading platform, Binance, does not shy away in doing its bit. Earlier this month, it announced a hefty crypto donation of one million US dollars ($1 million) to the people affected by the unceasing bushfires in Australia." 1/27/20

  • Walmart in second donation to Museum of African American History and Culture (Chain Store Age) "Walmart is continuing its support of the Smithsonian Institution’s 19th museum. The retailer announced a $5 million grant to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, D.C., as part of the company’s continued commitment to advance causes that promote diversity and inclusion." 1/27/20

  • Howard University Receives $10 Million Donation For STEM Scholars Program (NewsOne) "The Karsh Family Foundation—founded by entrepreneur Bruce A. Karsh and his wife Martha L. Karsh—funds initiatives focused on empowering underprivileged youth through education. Their donation to Howard, which is the university’s largest one to date, will go towards the Bison STEM Scholars Program." 1/25/20

  • Avera benefits from $5 million anonymous donation (KeloLand) "Avera is thanking a anonymous donor after the health system received a $5 million donation. The donor requested $1 million be designated as a matching gift to support Coordinated Care, which helps patients overcome barriers to better health." Avera Health is a regional health system based in Sioux Falls, S.D., comprising more than 300 locations in 100 communities throughout South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and North Dakota. 1/24/20

  • THE SCHOOL RECEIVES $2 MILLION DONATION FROM THE WAECHTER FAMILY (HEC) MONTREAL STORY "In a remarkably generous gesture, retired businessman and HEC Montréal alum André Waechter has donated two million dollars to the School on behalf of his family. The funds will go toward the construction of the School’s new building in Montréal’s downtown core." 1/22/20

back to Top

Welcome to our recap of the week's news, articles, and information of note. ViTreo Group Inc. provides this information for the benefit of our clients, associates, staff, partners, and stakeholders. The content is collected and curated by ViTreo partner Vincent Duckworth. If you would like to submit a link for consideration, please send an email to info@vitreogroup.ca

*The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by ViTreo Group Inc. of the linked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. ViTreo Group does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. All links are provided with the intent of meeting the mission of the ViTreo Group Inc. Please let us know about existing external links which you believe are inappropriate.

Vincent DuckworthComment