Weekly News Recap: December 17, 2021

A new fundraising and alumni engagement campaign brings U of T’s focus on academic excellence, equity and compassion to bear on the most urgent social, environmental, economic and health challenges of our time.

Selling out is usually more a matter of buying in. Sell out, and you’re really buying into someone else’s system of values, rules, and rewards. -- Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes cartoonist)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

As 2021 comes to a close, it is hard to believe that we are ending another year while still in the throes of a global pandemic. Our sector has been bruised and battered but, in the main, remains resilient and hopeful. On behalf of all of us at ViTreo, we wish all of our readers a restful holiday break and a safe, sane and prosperous New Year. May you enter 2022 with peace and love.

THE YEAR IN PHOTOS

2021 in Photos (The Atlantic) I honestly cannot believe that all of this happening this year. #Incredible "As the year comes to a close, it’s time to take a look at some of the most memorable events and images of 2021." How the First Months Unfolded, A Look at the Middle Months, Wrapping Up the Year

SOME GOOD NEWS

Chicago 7-year-old raises money for hospital’s pandemic gear (AP News) #GoHayley "Hayley Orlinsky has made so many bracelets, looping colorful rubber bands over her thumb and index finger again and again, that she no longer must watch her hands. The spunky 7-year-old from Chicago has spent most of the coronavirus pandemic crafting the creations as a fundraiser to buy personal protective equipment for a children’s hospital. So far, the endeavor has generated nearly $20,000 for Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, prompting praise and purchases from Chicago politicians, a Broadway actor and her beloved White Sox."
Answered prayers: Loyal Dunkin' Donuts customer gifts employee new home (WRAL.com) Philanthropy is as simple as thinking about and helping another human. What a story! "A Dunkin' Donuts employee in Ohio received the surprise of a lifetime from one loyal customer: a fully furnished home. Ebony Johnson began working at the Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru three years ago when she met Suzanne Burke, a loyal customer. 'I go every morning, and Ebony has worked the drive-thru for three years and has really provided amazing customer service,' Burke said. But one morning, she noticed her favorite employee was missing..."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

Defy Gravity: Campaign for U of T offers vision of inclusive excellence with global impact (UToronto) TORONTO STORY Amazing. Well done UToronto! "The University of Toronto has launched the largest university fundraising and alumni engagement campaign in Canadian history to address some of the world’s most pressing issues. The Defy Gravity campaign seeks to elevate U of T’s position as one of the world’s leading public universities and advance the U of T community’s outsized impact in solving complex social, economic, and health problems. It also seeks to reinforce U of T’s commitment to excellence, equity and inclusion, creating more opportunities and support for talented people – students, faculty, staff, alumni, and donors from every financial circumstance – to discover, learn, create, collaborate, and thrive together."
Elon Musk named Time Magazine's Person of the Year (CBC) Love him, hate him, or just wonder 'what-the-heck', he has and continues to change our world. "Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk was named Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2021, a year that saw his electric car company become the most valuable carmaker in the world and his rocket company soar to the edge of space with an all-civilian crew. Musk is also the founder and CEO of SpaceX, and leads brain-chip startup Neuralink and infrastructure firm The Boring Company. Tesla's market value soared to more than $1 trillion US this year, making it more valuable than Ford Motor and General Motors combined. Tesla produces hundreds of thousands of cars every year and has managed to avert supply chain issues more effectively than many of its rivals, while pushing many young consumers to switch to electric cars and legacy automakers to shift focus to EV vehicles."
Larry Nassar sex abuse victims reach $380M US settlement with USA Gymnastics (CBC) I hope this starts to give pause to sports organizations who turn a blind eye to sexual abuse. This is a landmark ruling. And it's the right one. "The legal wrangling between USA Gymnastics and the hundreds of victims of sexual abuse by former national team doctor Larry Nassar, among others, is over after a $380 million US settlement was reached. The fight for substantive change within the sport's national governing body is just beginning. A federal bankruptcy court in Indianapolis on Monday approved the agreement between USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the more than 500 victims, ending one aspect of the fallout of the largest sexual abuse scandal in the history of the U.S. Olympic movement."
Alberta women's shelters faced staff shortages, reduced capacity as pandemic dragged on, yearly report shows (CBC) ALBERTA STORY We cannot continue to be turning away 20% of those in need. "The Alberta Council of Women's Shelters (ACWS) annual report shows thousands of women and seniors were turned away year-over-year, partly due to lack of space and services amid the ongoing pandemic. The group released data on Monday that analyzed shelter experiences from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. It saw that 66,687 Albertans were served through residential stays, outreach or calls to shelters; however 13,605 women and seniors were denied admissions."
Canada's energy regulator criticized for not modelling a net-zero future (CBC) CANADIAN STORY #Umm... "The federal agency tasked with projecting Canada's supply and demand of energy for the next few decades is drawing criticism for what's missing in its latest annual report: A roadmap for the sector to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. That's Canada's legislated climate goal, in order for the country to do its part in limiting global warming to 1.5 C and avoid the catastrophic impacts of runaway climate change. The latest energy future report from the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) sees the country's oil production continuing to rise until 2032, and natural gas until 2040 — seemingly inconsistent with reaching Canada's emissions targets."
Santa is in short supply in Vancouver this holiday season (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY Want to be a Santa? "He's making a list — but might be too busy to be checking it twice. Santa-for-hire companies in Greater Vancouver are seeing an increased demand for services. But many Santas are reluctant to entertain amidst a pandemic. Rozmin Watson, the North Pole operations manager at Hire A Santa, said that they are short on Santas compared to previous years and have had to turn down many requests."
Meet the Glenbow Museum's first director of Indigenous engagement and reconciliation (CBC) CALGARY STORY More of this please. Well done Glenbow. "Calgary's Glenbow Museum now has a director of Indigenous engagement and reconciliation, and she says stepping into the role is humbling and critical for the museum industry. Amber Shilling is Anishnaabe, from Mnjikaning First Nation in Ontario, on her father's side. She was born and grew up in Treaty 7 territory before completing her PhD at the University of British Columbia in 2020. There, she focused on how urban Indigenous youth utilize technology to engage with culture and language."
Elon Musk’s Latest Innovation: Troll Philanthropy (New York Times) Ah...Elon, you are one crazy dude. I love what he tweeted to Bernie Saunders (spewed my coffee)."The richest people on earth typically devote a share of their vast resources to charity. That is the bargain and the expectation, anyway. Jeff Bezos, until very recently the world’s richest human, has been applying himself dutifully if a bit cautiously to the task, giving money to food banks and homeless families while pledging $10 billion of the fortune he earned through the online retailer Amazon to fight climate change. The latest richest human, Elon Musk, has taken a rather different tack. There was the public spat with the director of the World Food Programme on Twitter, for instance, announcing, 'If WFP can describe on this Twitter thread exactly how $6B will solve world hunger, I will sell Tesla stock right now and do it.'"
RBC Future Launch provides $450,000 to power essential skills training through Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Saskatchewan Polytechnic) SASKATCHEWAN STORY Nice work RBC! "The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is providing $450,000 over three years through their Future Launch program to support skills enhancement training for Saskatchewan Polytechnic students. The investment enables Sask Polytech to address the gaps in the skilled trades through programming aimed to increase diversity and provide essential skills and trades training. RBC’s funding directly supports Sask Polytech’s Skills Enhancement Training project aimed at reducing barriers to education and employment for vulnerable and at-risk student populations in Saskatchewan. The Skills Enhancement Training project focuses on females, Indigenous peoples, new Canadians, visible minorities, LGBTQ+ and those living with disabilities by providing essential skills training, work preparedness interventions, trade exploration and trade program participation."
Grande Prairie Regional College to officially become Northwestern Polytechnic in 2022 (MyGrande PrairieNow) GRANDE PRAIRIE STORY I love it. It's perfect. Well done! "Grande Prairie Regional College will have a brand new name and designation starting in March 2022. This after the Government of Alberta approved the name of Northwestern Polytechnic, to go along with its soon to be updated polytechnic status. The name, according to GPRC officials was chosen to reflect the history and potential in the distinct communities surrounding the institution’s two campuses; Grande Prairie, and Fairview. GPRC President and CEO Justin Kohlman says the name and designation approval isn’t only the next step in the journey, it is one that the community has been eagerly anticipating."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

How to Take Great Notes: The Best Note-Taking System Illustrated (Dare To Be Better) I love note-taking systems. I am always learning.
The 3 Joys of Not Selling Out and Embracing Your Vision (Personal Growth) Stay true. It always works out better in the end.
5 Effective Brain-Recharging Activities I See No One Talking About (Wholistique) Any list that puts 'strumming your guitar' on it gets my vote.
5 Fundraising Trends to Watch in 2022 (Classy) All good but #4 might just the most telling of all.
Continued Challenges Ahead for Direct Response Fundraisers (NonprofitPRO) Who knew that supply chain challenges would be a risk to direct mail?
Why Would an Institution Refuse a Charitable Contribution? (Inside Higher Ed) Knowing when to be quiet, knowing when to hold back, and knowing when to say no to a gift are three great skills of all experienced fundraisers. The last is often the hardest of all.
Transforming Giving Relationships Into Transformational Ones (Inside Higher Ed) Transformational gifts are meant to...transform. And this best always do.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

Mercy Ships Receives Second $50 Million Transformative Donation from Harry and Linda Fath (Dentistry Today) Arguably, one of the most philanthropic missions on the planet. I am not the least surprised by this gift. Mercy Ships is amazing. Being on 60 Minutes also helped. "Mercy Ships is pleased to announce a second $50 million gift from Harry and Linda Fath of Cincinnati, Ohio. These two gifts are the largest donations in company history. Harry and Linda first learned of the incredible work Mercy Ships was doing while watching a CBS 60 Minute segment. They were so inspired that they sent a donation the next day."
$1.5 million to help University of Victoria engage in Indigenous mental health research (Saanich News) VICTORIA STORY Brilliant gift and an excellent example of thoughtful naming. Well done all. "A new research chair in Indigenous mental health – named for the late Chief Mungo Martin – will be established by the University of Victoria with the help of a $1.5-million donation from UVic alumnus Bruce McKean."
GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE ANNOUNCES LARGEST-EVER DONATION AND ONE-OF-A-KIND EXPANSION OF WATERFRONT CAMPUS (Newswire) TORONTO STORY I love this gift on so many levels. "The largest-ever donation to George Brown College paved the way for a groundbreaking event today, supporting the ongoing Waterfront Campus expansion with an Ontario first - a tall-wood, mass-timber, net-zero carbon emissions, 10-storey institutional building. Today's $10-million donation from Canadian philanthropist, Mr. Jack Cockwell builds upon his previous $8M donation, making it the largest donation to an Ontario college by a single donor. Mr Cockwell's donation will fund Limberlost Place, a visually stunning new learning facility constructed with mass timber components sourced in Canada."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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Vincent DuckworthDecember 16, 2021Comment