Weekly News Recap: December 23, 2016
Jordan Cartwright, 7, is battling leukemia, loves classical music and he wanted to conduct an orchestra. SHAUGHN BUTTS / POSTMEDIA
As this is our last issue before Christmas, on behalf of ViTrēo, we wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season. We hope it is filled with family, love, and joy.
Books to read
The 10 Best Books of 2016 Lots of lists as we close out 2016. This is a good one. (12/19/16)
A reading list to help you unwind – and inspire you – this holiday season 12 articles with a decidedly Canadian focus on philanthropy from The Philanthropist blog. Thanks to Andrea McManus for sharing this link. CANADIAN STORY (December 2016)
Reports of note
Fewer people making charitable donations in B.C. From 74% in 2011 to 59% in 2016, according to new Vancity report. BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY (12/21/16)
Giving to U.S. Nonprofit Hospitals Flat in FY 2015, Study Finds Note the Canadian data -- it's not good news. A report from the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy found that gifts to nonprofit healthcare institutions in the United States and Canada during the 2015 fiscal year totaled $11.04 billion, down some $82 million from the previous year. Based on survey data, the 2015 AHP Report on Giving found that total funds raised in support of nonprofit hospitals increased 0.2 percent in the U.S., to $9.651 billion, but fell 6.8 percent in Canada, to $1.39 billion. This is the second year in a row that they have declined. (12/21/16)
Wealthy people more self-serving when it comes to giving to charity, says UBC study This is in line with our experience. "Poorer donors, meanwhile, are motivated by 'togetherness'" CANADIAN STORY (12/20/16)
Gauging generosity This report, from the Social Sciences Research Laboratories (SSRL) and Department of Sociology at the University of Saskatchewan, examines Canadian philanthropic giving to the developing world with an unprecedented level of detail. Among the most significant findings of the report: faith-based organizations play a critical role in Canada’s international charitable sector. Thanks to Kara Exner and Scott Decksheimer for sharing this link. CANADIAN STORY (12/13/16)
News
'Tis the season of charitable giving — but not for 'under the radar' causes This has been a perennial problem for most charities in Canada. "Some charities with hard-to-explain causes are left out of the annual holiday donation surge." CANADIAN STORY (12/21/16)
Ottawa sends $4.4M to Sask. for upgrades to rinks, rec centres, spray pads Sprucing up the country for the 150th. I do wonder if this decision is linked to the story on the Saskatchewan government suspending its community rink grant program? We recap that story below. SASKATCHEWAN STORY (12/20/16)
Dream of conducting an orchestra comes true for Grande Prairie boy battling leukemia Jordan Cartwright took the stage at downtown Edmonton’s Francis Winspear Centre for Music Monday night, as guest conductor of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. It’s been the seven-year-old’s dream ever since he can remember. The evening was even more special because Jordan just completed nine months of aggressive chemotherapy for leukemia. EDMONTON STORY (12/20/16)
Giving and sharing at a young age Learning philanthropy early. Lovely activity from Lakeland College Campus Corner Children's Centre. The bake sale is an annual event hosted by children at the centre where, following the event, the funds collected are directed to an organization of the children’s choice. LLOYDMINSTER STORY (12/20/16)
Santas Anonymous weekend toy drive draws hundreds of volunteers Big fan. In 1965, they gave out toys to 600 children. In 2016, that number is closer to 25,000. Amazing. EDMONTON STORY (12/18/16)
'Better with them than on our shelves': Inn From The Cold shares surplus toy donations with other charities Leadership from the heart. While Inn From The Cold's financial donations are down 18 per cent this year, the organization received more toys than they needed for children under 10. About 20 large moving boxes filled with toys were shared among four Calgary charities: Hospice Calgary, The Magic of Christmas, The Salvation Army, and The Women's Centre. "It's not going to be enough to fill their shelves by any stretch of the imagination but it is what we have and what we're able to give and it's just unacceptable for us to think that any child will wake up on Christmas morning without a toy in their hands," said Janeen Webb, director of donor relations at Inn From The Cold. CALGARY STORY (12/17/16)
Tegan and Sara launch foundation in support of LGBTQ rights Glad to see this happen. We need charitable support for these rights. CANADIAN STORY (12/16/16)
New health facility finally underway in Leader, Sask. The $12-million project will consolidate the hospital, emergency medical services, health clinic and community centre. The new integrated facility will also be connected to the Western Senior Citizens Home. LEADER STORY (12/16/16)
'There's going to be an impact': Province suspends community rink grant program Seems like a 'cut off your nose to spite your face' kind of decision. SASKATCHEWAN STORY (12/16/16)
Fundraising for RDC’s new $88-million athletic/learning centre is on track Janice Wing, RDC’s director of community relations, is thrilled the fundraising campaign is on track for the new $88-million Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre. "All the Central Albertan support shows local philanthropy goes up when the economy goes down," said Wing." Congrats guys! RED DEER STORY (12/15/16)
'The courts are swamped': Calgary judge sees crime rates spike in downturn The link between desperation, helplessness and crime is clearly made in this article. It has always been important to help those who are desperate and helpless. It is even more critical during an economic downturn. CALGARY STORY (12/15/16)
Alberta sees provincial out-migration for 4th quarter in a row This hurts. We get it but it still hurts. 18,087 people moved to Alberta but 21,937 left, leaving a net out-migration of 3,850. ALBERTA STORY (12/15/16)
Downtown library wants Edmontonians to make their marks Banksy! Calling Banksy! Graffiti and live music to send off Stanley A. Milner before library closes for 3-year renovation. EDMONTON STORY (12/15/16)
Alberta economy poised to grow in 2017 but job recovery will lag, Todd Hirsch forecasts Good news bad news. ALBERTA STORY (12/15/16)
Philanthropic personalities
- No poor countries by 2035: Bill Gates Bill Gates has said there will be “almost no poor countries by 2035”, and that child mortality rates in the poorest nations will plummet to the same levels as in the US and UK in 1980. The world’s richest man made the prediction in the Gates Foundation’s annual letter. (12/21/16)
Philanthropic controversy
McDougall community league unhappy with $150,000 donation for parking lot rezoning This does not feel like philanthropy to me. This feels like payoff. Maybe that's the problem. EDMONTON STORY (12/21/16)
Laureate Education probes $18 million donation to Turkish charity "The biggest operator of for-profit higher education schools is investigating an $18 million charitable donation in Turkey and whether some of the money was diverted to a government official. (12/19/16)
Trends and shifts
FIVE TRENDS IN PHILANTHROPY Four of the five trends are in direct response to the Trump presidency. The Council on Foundations is predicting that 2017 will be "a year of change, as orthodoxies in the field get tested and philanthropy steps up and into a more prominent national role." (12/16/16)
New Impact-Investment Fund Taps Leading Philanthropists "A leading global investment firm has started a new impact-investing fund — and is turning to a high-wattage group of philanthropists to guide its focus on social good. TPG Growth, a company with more than $8 billion under management, has teamed up with Elevar Equity, a firm that specializes in impact investing, to start the Rise Fund. The new fund will invest domestically and overseas in seven areas: agriculture, education, energy, financial services, food, industrials and infrastructure, and technology. The Rise Fund was founded by Bill McGlashan, founder of TPG Growth; the singer and activist Bono; and Jeff Skoll, the former eBay president and founder of Participant Media, which produces movies to inspire social change." (12/20/16)
#ShiftThePower: The Rise of Community Philanthropy, Part 1 Fantastic article on an important shift in philanthropy. Part 2 will be published on December 21 (see below). (12/19/16)
#ShiftThePower: The Rise of Community Philanthropy, Part 2 As promised. (12/21/16)
Life and career hacks
41 Epic Sites With Breathtaking Stock Photos You Can Use For Free It is hard to find good free photos online. Thomas Oppong has done some of the heavy lifting for us with his curated list. (12/19/16)
The Primary Barrier Stopping You From Everything You Want In Life I just love Benjamin Hardy. As he says, "Make the decision and act." (12/20/16)
Start working on 2017 right now A solid approach to planning for 2017. (12/19/16)
Elon Musk and Bill Thurston on the Power of Thinking for Yourself You knew that if they referenced Elon, I would have to read it. As it turns out, it is a good short reminder of why reasoning by analogy is almost never the road to breakthrough. (12/17/16)
8 Bits Of Wisdom For Preparing Your “New Years Resolutions” We all need inspiration. Lot's here. #3 convinced me that this article belonged in this week's recap. (12/16/16)
The Chemistry of Building Better Habits Activation energy. It's a great concept in chemistry. It's a great concept in life too. James Clear is one of my favourite writers on Medium. (12/16/16)
22 Things Men Should Know By Age 22 If you have boys, this is worth reading. I do so I did. #20 is one I am still working through with my sons. #18 is one I wish I had learned earlier -- working on it now. (12/15/16)
Intro to the 8-Point Grid System How many times have you (the non-designer) had to lay out a newsletter or other document for a client or for your team? This system can help with that and lots of other designerly things too. (12/14/16)
Strategic Planning Is Dead. Here Are Two New Ways To Face The Future What is at the intersection of technology and millennials? Change. Change is at that intersection. The 3-year plan is dead. Actually, even the 1-year-plan is dead. Thanks to ViTrēo's "Minister of culture", Scott Decksheimer, for this link. (10/23/16)
Philanthropy in the era of President Trump
- Will Trump's Tax Plan Hurt Philanthropy? Some big questions here. As currently outlined, "Trump's reforms would cap those deductions at $100,000 for individuals and $200,000 for families. That doesn't affect, say, someone who is giving $100 to his church's soup kitchen, but it definitely changes the math for high-net-worth individuals who tend to donate fairly large sums of money to charity. (12/15/16)
Large gifts
Google Awards $30 Million for EdTech, Nonprofits Google has announced grants totaling $30 million to enable nonprofit organizations to provide phones, tablets, hardware, and training to communities that need them most. The gift was donated on behalf of Google employees as their annual holiday gift instead of the gadgets they received in previous years. (12/21/16)
Bristol United Way gets huge $1M donation from Steve Johnson Steve Johnson donated a check for $1 million to the United Way’s endowment fund. Bristol is located in Tennessee. (12/21/16)
The University of St Andrews is celebrating what is believed to be one of the largest single gifts ever given to a Scottish university. A $5 million (about £4.06m) donation from a former student will allow the university to establish a chair in philosophy and public affairs and an endowed lectureship in American Literature. The donation from the Shelby Cullom Davis charitable fund was arranged by Christopher C Davis who studied moral philosophy and practical theology at St Andrews and graduated in 1987. (12/21/16)
Slain Dallas officers' families receive $10M donation Private donations from around the world that totaled more than $10 million were divided up to benefit the families of the officers killed in July. (12/20/16)
WVU Nursery School receives $1 million donation West Virginia University's College of Education and Human Services has received a $1 million donation to support the school's Child Development Laboratory. The gift is from an anonymous donor. (12/20/16)
Lakefront trail to be separated, thanks to $12M donation Chicago's iconic running and cycling trail along Lake Michigan will soon have separation between runners and cyclists thanks to a gift from hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin. (12/20/16)
Gifts Roundup: Craigslist Founder Backs Journalism-Ethics Program A current roundup of notable gifts by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. (12/19/16)
Vanderbilt gets $20M donation from former Facebook exec The donation comes from a donor-advised fund of Jeffrey Rothschild, vice chairman-elect of Vandy’s board of trust, and his wife, Marieke. (12/19/16)
St. Giles alumi donate $1 million to school Jack Crowe, a 1942 graduate of St. Giles School, and his wife Peggy Toohey Crowe, a 1948 graduate, announced the donation on December 7th. The school intends to use the donation to offer up to $50,000 for need-based tuition assistance each year, officials said. St. Giles School is a private catholic elementary school in Oak Park, Illinois. (12/18/16)
Perham girl now cancer free, inspires $1 million donation to life saving foundation KLN family brands has pledged the Pinky Swear Foundation $1-million over five years. (12/18/16)
AT&T's $2.5 million endowment helps SMU launch center for virtualization Southern Methodist University unveiled the AT&T Center for Virtualization, a research center focused on fast, cloud-based global telecommunications. AT&T endowed the facility with $2.5 million. Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a private research university in Dallas, Texas.[ (12/18/16)
Lincoln College board member pledges significant estate gift "Judy Morley of Chicago has pledged the gift in memory of her parents, Arthur and Amanda Bree, both lifelong residents of Logan County and longtime proprietors of the Arcade Café in Lincoln, a popular fixture for generations of city residents. The total value of the gift cannot yet be established because it will be based on the eventual value of Morley's estate." However, the pledge reportedly surpasses a recent $2 million corporate donation. Lincoln College is a private, independent liberal arts college located in Lincoln, Illinois. Lincoln College is a hybrid college offering both two-year and four-year degree programs for its students. (12/17/16)
WINDSOR ASSEMBLY PLANT WORKERS MAKE A HUGE DONATION TOWARDS THIS YEAR'S UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN Nice gift. The workers, both unionized and management, donated more than $1.26 million towards this year's United Way campaign. Thank you management. Thank you brothers and sisters. WINDSOR STORY (12/16/16)
UNF receives saltmarsh wetlands donation for research purposes The University of North Florida received a real estate donation of saltmarsh wetlands, appraised at $8.8 million. The 1,050-acre property will allow for students and faculty in the Coastal and Marine Biology Flagship program to conduct research. The parcel, which spans Duval and St. Johns counties, was donated for the William C. Webb Coastal Research Station by the Widan Investment Corporation. (12/16/16)
McGill University announces a transformative $20 million donation to the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital Nice to have Prime Minister Trudeau on hand for a gift announcement. The announcement celebrated the $20 million by the Larry and Judy Tanenbaum family. This transformative gift will help to establish the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute, a bold initiative that will facilitate the sharing of neuroscience findings worldwide to accelerate the discovery of leading edge therapeutics to treat patients suffering from neurological diseases. MONTREAL STORY (12/16/16)
‘Rio I love you!’ – Ferdinand makes incredibly generous donation of Christmas toys to needy children Rio Gavin Ferdinand is an English former professional footballer. He played for the England national football team between 1997 and 2011, and was a member of three FIFA World Cup squads. The former Manchester United and England defender made an enormous £500,000 donation of toys to Key 103’s Cash for Kids charity on behalf of himself and his Manchester restaurant Rosso.He is regarded by many to be one of England's greatest ever players and he is one of the most decorated English footballers of all time. (12/15/16)
Cynthia and Edsel Ford Donation Will Benefit Giraffe Habitat at Detroit Zoo Longtime Detroit Zoo supporters Cynthia and Edsel Ford have made a $1 million gift which will pay for an expansion of the giraffes' indoor habitat. Edsel Bryant Ford II is the great-grandson of Henry Ford and the son of Henry Ford II. He is currently a member of the board of directors of Ford Motor Company and is a cousin of its Executive Chairman, William Clay Ford, Jr.. (12/15/16)
Beautiful Minds - Clark H. Smith Brain Tumour Centre Clark H. Smith was a beloved husband and father who passed away from a malignant brain tumour in 2001. His wife, Jane, and son, Tony, have since invested more than $5.2 million in philanthropic support for brain cancer research and education, beginning with establishing a centre at the University of Calgary in Clark’s name. The family’s subsequent targeted donations have created a program whose activities have flourished and whose potential for impact has attracted the talent to exceed beyond its initial scope. CALGARY STORY (December 2016)
Catholic University Receives Donation of Ethiopian Manuscripts Valued at More Than $1 Million The Catholic University of America is now home to one of North America's most important collections of Ethiopian religious manuscripts, thanks to a generous donation from Chicago collectors Gerald and Barbara Weiner. The handmade manuscripts, which originate from Ethiopia and which date back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, include more than 125 Christian manuscripts, 215 Islamic manuscripts, and 350 "magic" scrolls. (December 2016)
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