Weekly News Recap: November 4, 2016
Joan Donald and husband Jack address a group gathered in the foyer of the Red Deer College Arts Centre after donating $3 million to the college on Wednesday. The money will go towards new Donald Health and Wellness Centre in the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre. (Photo by Jeff Stokoe/Advocate staff)
Tools
- New Canadian Charity Data Site Launched Cool site. Canadian Charity Lawyer Mark Blumberg has launched Charitydata, a database that provides information from CRA T-3010 returns. This portal provides select financial and operational information on Canada's 86,000 plus charities for up to ten years. This site provides quick, easy access to some 'dashboard' information which will be of interest to a variety of stakeholders. Thanks to CCVO in Calgary for this link. CANADIAN CONTENT (November 2016)
News
Chicago Cubs end century of losing with World Series championship We don't usually showcase sports news but when something only happens every 108 years, we had to make an exception. Congratulations Cubs fans everywhere. (11/3/16)
Finning to close Centre of Excellence, 200 employees affected It's still hurting out there and not just in Calgary and Edmonton. RED DEER STORY (11/3/16)
The lowdown on the Montney: Canada's next big energy bet has same high stakes as oilsands Folks are going to be paying more attention to Grande Prairie. Much more. GRANDE PRAIRIE STORY (11/2/16)
Red Deer-area charities seek support through Central Alberta Gives Nice initiative. Giving Tuesday is on November 29th this year. "Facing a tougher climate for raising donations, about 60 local non-profits are supporting a Central Alberta Gives campaign, which turns the spotlight in November on philanthropy." RED DEER STORY (11/2/16)
The worst of the oil price downturn is over, says ATB Tunnel. Light. Here's hoping. ALBERTA STORY (11/2/16)
Consumer confidence in Alberta nears all-time low, driving down national index "Despite strong overall jobs gains and a slight improvement in crude prices last month, consumers, especially those in Alberta, remained apprehensive about spending while the Canadian economy continues adjusting to depressed resource prices and labour market gains remain weak." ALBERTA STORY (11/2/16)
Consumer proposals jump 97.5% as Albertans maintain optimism in insolvency The graph for this past year is both interesting and depressing. ALBERTA STORY (11/1/16)
Liberty moves north There is something to be said for being proud of your country. As we look to celebrating our 150th birthday in 2017, we are increasingly seen by outsiders as "... a citadel of decency, tolerance and good sense." That more than works for me. Go Canada! CANADIAN STORY (10/29/16)
Philanthropy school races toward $50M fundraising goal Getting this right is important for more than the usual reasons. Our premier philanthropy school better not fail at philanthropy. They have raised $25 million since 2013 and have until 2019 to raise the rest. (10/29/16)
Bill Brooks: SAIT celebrates 100-year anniversary Yep, the social pages still exist. And, let's admit it, most of us secretly love to give them a look. A great set of pics from SAIT's anniversary celebration on Oct 13. CALGARY STORY (10/29/16)
National Music Centre launches special exhibit dedicated to Tom Cochrane Life is a highway. Right? A tremendous exhibit on a great Canadian artist that runs through April 30, 2016. Get there while you can. CALGARY STORY (10/28/16)
Canadian Cancer Society and Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation plan to merge Boom! This is really big news. I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen a merger of charities in Canada in the last twenty years. Pending regulatory and board approvals, these two important cancer charities will become one in February 2016 under the Canadian Cancer Society banner. CANADIAN STORY (10/28/16)
Life and career hacks
Which of the 9 Kinds of Intelligence Do You Have? Nice infographic on the nine types. Existential? Nope. Not me. (10/26/16)
Top 8 ways to ensure your Major Gift Officer fails June Bradham is a jewel. And this list is just one of the reasons why. (10/28/16)
What to Eat to Live to 100 I love summaries. This is a short read on what to eat and what not to eat if you want to live longer. (10/27/16)
Stop Selling Math For Its Usefulness Could not agree more. "Kids should be roaming around freely with the guidance of their teachers in the garden of numbers — discovering ideas about odd and even numbers, seeing the relationship between perfect numbers and triangle numbers, etc." (10/23/16)
Optimize Relationships, Not Transactions Lessons learned from Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots. Distilled: you don't need to be a dick to succeed in life or business. Enough said. (10/12/16)
Philanthropic personalities
- Sean Parker: This Is How Tech Billionaires Do Philanthropy You guessed it. They want to engage with their cause. Deeply engage. (11/2/16)
Philanthropic controversy
- P.E.I. watershed group turns down Pure Island Waters donation Pure Island was offering $25,000 per year as a donation to the community. The community isn't willing to exchange water rights for money. PEI STORY (10/31/16)
Trends and shifts
THE WEALTH GAP IN PHILANTHROPY The displacement of the United Way as the top charitable money raiser in the U.S. last week was breaking news. The New Yorker Magazine has done us all a service by digging into this trend. "As the top one percent has grown richer and richer, the kinds of cause they care about—colleges, museums—have been doing much better." We like colleges and museums but we also care about reducing poverty and solving climate change. Thanks to Ron Bailey for sharing this link with us. (10/27/16)
Looking Beyond the Trump & Clinton Foundations to New Trends in Philanthropy "Foundations’ strategic planning and operations are increasingly rooted in data and efficiency." This is just one of three major trends emerging in foundations. (10/27/16)
Large gifts
Scheels all in on new Bison arena, upping donation to $8 million to finish it North Dakota State University has unveiled the nearly $50 million Scheels Center. What started as a $5 million lead gift for the new home of Bison basketball home eventually reached $8 million in the last few years. This gift is from Steve Scheels, CEO of Scheels All Sports (11/2/16)
Donation to fund artificial intelligence ethics research Death by AI is just one of the ten or so big existential threats to humanity. Others include being hit by an asteroid, giant volcanoes, and climate change. Happy to see that Carnegie Mellon University has received a $10 million donation for research and education about ethical and policy issues stemming from advances in artificial intelligence and other technologies. The gift is from global law firm K&L Gates LLP. (11/2/16)
Donald Health & Wellness Centre gets $3 million This is a lovely gift from Jack and Joan Donald who are funding a wing at Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre at Red Deer College. Congrats! RED DEER STORY (11/2/16)
£5m donation to the British Lung Foundation for mesothelioma research The British Lung Foundation has received a donation of £5 million from the Victor Dahdaleh Foundation for mesothelioma research. This matches the government funding announced in the budget in March to set up the National Mesothelioma Research Centre at Imperial College. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer in the chest or abdomen, caused by inhaling asbestos fibres. (11/1/16)
UA lands $3 million donation to advance polymer research The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is giving the University of Akron $3 million to create an endowment in polymer science and polymer engineering to support its research and innovation. (11/1/16)
Players Championship announces record donation of $8.5 million to charity The Players and the PGA Tour announced on Tuesday that $8.5 million will be donated to area charities from proceeds raised through the 2016 Players that was won by world No. 1-ranked player Jason Day. (11/1/16)
Wake Forest athletics receives $15 million donation from Sutton A $15 million donation from Ben Sutton, an alumnus and local business leader, will allow Wake Forest to complete a project designed make the university more competitive in athletics. (11/1/16)
CCTEC changes name after accepting $1 million donation The name change follows the school board’s recent acceptance of a donation by the John F. Scarpa Foundation. The board approved accepting the donation and changing the name at its October 27th meeting. Cumberland County Technology Education Center is a four-year vocational public high school located in Bridgeton New Jersey that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from across Cumberland County New Jersey. (11/1/16)
Notre Dame receives $10 million donation to biophysical research center The William and Linda Stavropoulos Family Foundation of Midland Michigan has donated $10 million to Notre Dame to create a center specializing in biophysical research in the College of Science. (11/1/16)
Seton Hall gets $1.75M donation for new doctoral program Seton Hall University's College of Communication and the Arts is adding a new doctoral program with a $1.75 million gift from the estate of a late graduate. The donation is from the late Henry F. Roman, a 1954 Seton Hall graduate, and his late wife Maryann. It will also create an endowed professorship, and support doctoral students – to be known as "Roman Fellows" – as well as faculty development. (11/1/16)
Des Moines Area Community College Gets Record Donation Can you say Holy repair-man batman! Des Moines Area Community College has received it's largest gift since the College was founded in 1966, an $8 million dollar donation to the DMACC Newton Campus. Reza Kargarzadeh, President and Founder of Engineered Plastic Components, Inc. based in Grinnell, Iowa, is donating the former Maytag facilities to become part of the DMACC Newton Campus. The donation includes seven buildings, 472-thousand square feet of office and meeting space, which will triple the size of the DMACC Newton Campus. (10/31/16)
Camp Siloam receives $1 million donation from former PB couple Camp Siloam has received a $1 million gift from the Bonner family of Conway, formerly of Pine Bluff. Camp Siloam is seeking to raise a total of $3.4 million to build a new dining hall and has received $2,063,175 thus far. Camp Siloam is a Christian camp for children, youth and families funded in part by the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. (10/31/16)
Delta Air Lines Makes $2.5 Million Donation to Atlanta Symphony Great gift to a great symphony. The Principal Tuba Chair, served by tubist Michael Moore, will be named ‘The Delta Air Lines Chair’ in recognition of the company’s generosity. I wonder if he gets to fly for free? Thanks Delta! (10/31/16)
Jaguars owner makes $1M donation to Baptist cancer center Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan has made a $1 million gift to the Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, which is in the midst of expansion. (10/31/16)
NWACC Receives $2M Donation from Walton Family Foundation for Education Center Northwest Arkansas Community College is located in Bentonville, Arkansas. (10/31/16)
Million Dollar Donation Given to Redwood Area Education Foundation Orrin S. Estebo, a lawyer and philanthropist, has given a one million dollar donation to the Education Foundation in Redwood Falls Minnesota. (10/31/16)
Newark Students Get $4.7M Donation For ‘My Very Own Library’ United Way of Essex and West Hudson announced that a private community member has given the group a $4.7 million donation to support literacy for Newark Public School students. (10/31/16)
From orphanage to riches: $25 million gift to LA art museum The donation comes from Harbor Freight Tools Chief Executive Officer Eric Smidt and his wife, Susan, and will go toward a planned $650 million, 368,000-square-foot building by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. Smidt, whose family struggled to care for his ailing mother, spent part of his childhood in an orphanage, found high school challenging and finally moved out on his own at age 16. (10/29/16)
NAIT receives $5 million donation from student association I remember working with NAITSA on their first of $2.5 million donation to NAIT in 2001. So pleased and proud to see them making another commitment to their school. Well done NAITSA! EDMONTON STORY (10/29/16)
Britton Smith Foundation gives $3 million to St. Lawrence College St. Lawrence College, located in Kingston, has received $3 million from the Britton Smith Foundation. The College hopes to raise $11.5 million over five years to support construction of a new student life and innovation centre, behavioural research centre and upgraded health care simulation labs on all 3 campuses. The “uncommon campaign” has already reached 50-percent of its goal. KINGSTON STORY (10/28/16)
$1M donation to MSU recognized at Oct. 28 ceremony, open house United Supermarkets has donated $1 million to Midwestern State University, much of it for communal spaces in MSU’s new dorm, Legacy Hall. (10/28/16)
Central Cass receives million dollar donation for athletic upgrades Central Cass High School in Casselton North Dakota has received a $1 million gift from Gary Tharaldson of Tharaldson Ethanol. (10/27/16)
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