Weekly News Recap: February 16, 2018

Da Mao, an adult male, and three other giant pandas will begin a five-year stay at Calgary Zoo in May. TORONTO ZOO

We’re tight-fisted with property and money, yet think too little of wasting time, the one thing about which we should all be the toughest misers.— Seneca

Wisdom of youth

News

  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine launches new alliance with Lakeland College (UToday) LLOYDMINSTER STORY "The University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) and Lakeland College are joining forces to bolster learning and research opportunities for students and faculty at both institutions [...]. The partnership opens the door for a variety of initiatives such as unique student practicums, beef and dairy cattle research projects, and sharing facilities and resources." 2/14/18

  • Canadian Canoe Museum staff begin planning exhibits for new Lift Lock facility (Global News) CANADIAN STORY We first mentioned this story in our March 4, 2016 recap. "As the Canadian Canoe Museum raises funds for its new facility at the Peterborough Lift Lock, staff are already thinking about how to continue to tell the story of the canoe’s place in Canada." 2/12/18

  • 'Transformed' Calgary Zoo ready to welcome giant pandas on May 7 (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY "After years of preparation, the Calgary Zoo will showcase China’s giant pandas starting May 7. The Panda Passage exhibit will launch a five-year stay in Calgary for two of the four animals and highlight $100 million in renovations at the zoo." 2/12/18

  • Enterprise's Fill Your Tank Program Reaches $20 Million in Donations to Help Fight Hunger (Newswire) "The Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation has now donated $20 million to food banks around the world as part of one of the largest donations aimed at fighting hunger. The program, known as Fill Your Tank, is a companywide initiative launched in October 2016 to celebrate Enterprise's 60th anniversary by providing a total of $60 million, to address food insecurity." 2/12/18

  • Dave Semenko's legacy to support next generation of players (CBC) EDMONTON STORY "In life, Dave Semenko was a force to be reckoned with on the ice. In death, he's now a driving force in giving the next generation the chance to lace up [...]. In partnership with the NHL and its Players' Association Goals & Dreams fund, an initial investment of $325,000 to the Dave Semenko Legacy Project will fund two Sport Central initiatives over the next 10 years." 2/11/18

  • Harmony, dissonance and community: The National Music Centre (CBC) CALGARY STORY "Sitting as a gateway into Calgary's hyper-gentrifying East Village, Studio Bell is impossible to miss. With its metallic tile façade, cocooned around the historic King Eddy Hotel and saloon, the facility is a standout structure with an equally bold vision for what it wants to achieve. [Yet] creating community, or making yourself a focus of community, is complex. It requires time [...]. It's about expectations and results, about forming bonds and earning loyalty." 2/10/18

  • Happy birthday, StatCan! (Statistics Canada) CANADIAN STORY "It's been 100 years since the Dominion Bureau of Statistics—later renamed Statistics Canada—was created. Throughout 2018, the agency will be unveiling plans to celebrate this important milestone." 2/9/18

  • Northern Alberta community receives grant to fight high energy bills, food costs (CBC) FORT CHIPEWYAN STORY "The Alberta government hopes an energy efficiency grant to Fort Chipewyan will alleviate the high living costs that plague the northern Alberta community. Fort Chipewyan is one of the first Alberta Indigenous communities to benefit from an Indigenous Energy Efficiency Grant under the province's carbon tax and climate leadership plan [...]. 2/9/18

  • Federal funding to jump start Roxy Theatre rebuild (CBC) EDMONTON STORY "As they say in the theatre, the show must go on. For Edmonton's Roxy Theatre, that means returning to its roots on 124th Street, three years after a devastating fire. [MP] Randy Boissonnault announced $330,000 in federal funding to help with the architectural design of rebuilding the popular venue. The investment from the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund will support the architectural design of a new facility to be built at its original Westmount location." 2/9/18

  • Donation made to Red Deer College's new Alternative Energy Lab (RD News Now) RED DEER STORY "Red Deer College has announced a generous donation towards its new Alternative Energy Lab [...]. BGIS Canada, a 30-year partner with the college, is contributing $100,000 towards its construction." 2/9/18

  • Campaign launched to build Fort McMurray developmental disability treatment centre (CBC) FORT MCMURRAY STORY "Fort McMurray families whose loved ones have autism or other developmental disabilities are calling for a one-stop centre that would offer care. The Autism Society of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and Educare Early Intervention have launched a two- to five-year campaign to raise about $4 million needed to build a facility to cater to families in northeast Alberta. 2/8/18

  • RDC Teams up with Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (Lacombe Online) RED DEER STORY "In an effort to better understand and deal with child abuse in [the] community, Red Deer College is teaming up with the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC) to explore ideas on how they can best work together to serve children and families in the area." 2/8/18

  • Donors help United Way raise more than $50M in 2017 to help Calgarians in need (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY "The United Way of Calgary and Area celebrated its donors and recipients at the annual Spirits of Gold gala [...], applauding local businesses for donating during tough economic times. With more than 800 workplace campaigns, 12,000 volunteers and 35,000 donors, the United Way raised $52.6 million in 2017." 2/7/18

Life and career hacks

Philanthropic personalities

  • 10 Tough Questions We Get Asked (Gates Notes) Bill and Melinda Gates' Annual Letter. Great insights. I especially liked Melinda's comments about Trump's treatment of women. 2/13/18

  • Philanthropy 50: Where They Live, Where They Give, and More (Chronicle of Philanthropy) "The Philanthropy 50 includes 11 donors in the tech industry, who collectively gave nearly $8.7 billion in 2017; that’s roughly 60 percent of the total contributed by all donors on the list." 2/8/18

Philanthropic controversy

  • Oxfam’s sexual abuse scandal in Haiti prompts CEO’s resignation (Global News) This story is beyond reprehensible and has been emerging since last October. Oxfam has been in damage control since then. Only now are we seeing why. "British charity Oxfam said on Monday that Deputy Chief Executive Penny Lawrence had resigned, taking responsibility for how the organization 'failed to act adequately' in response to concerns raised internally about sexual misconduct by some members of staff." 2/12/18

Trends and shifts

Large gifts

  • Seattle Children’s receives $60M donation to fund care for sick children, second largest in its history (Geekwire) "Seattle Children’s, the largest children’s hospital and pediatric research center in Washington state, says it has received the second largest donation in its history from the late Seattle businessman Bruce Leven, who passed away in September." 2/13/18

  • CHUM Foundation receives landmark $15 million donation from Quebecor (Markets Insider) MONTREAL STORY "It is with great emotion and pride that Quebecor [...] makes a $15 million donation to the Fondation du centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montreal (CHUM), as part of the Foundation's 'Donnons-nous le meilleur de la santé' (Giving ourselves the best in healthcare) capital fundraising campaign." 2/13/18

  • New Space For Colby Students Thanks To Million Dollar Donation (CBS) "A Colby College graduate has donated $1,000,000 to help build a new community space within one of the school's residence halls. Malcolm Chace graduated from Colby in 1990 and now works as a finance executive in Rhode Island." Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. 2/13/18

  • Hawthorn's $10 million Dingley boost (The Age) "A key benefactor is donating $10 million to Hawthorn to help the club fund the shift to its new Dingley headquarters. In one of the most generous gifts in AFL history, former Hawthorn vice-president and Flight Centre co-founder Geoff Harris has committed a $10 million donation to the Dingley project for what the businessman calls ‘seeding capital’ for the new project." 2/13/18

  • Cincinnati Cancer Center gets $10 million donation (NBC) "UC Medical Center and Cincinnati Childrens Hospital both will benefit from a $10 million gift from the Farmer Family Foundation. The money will go toward cancer research at the UC College of Medicine, specifically with the hope of earning the Cincinnati Cancer Center a National Cancer Institute designation." 2/12/18

  • $1 million donation secured for Saginaw youth development center (Michigan Live) "The YMCA of Saginaw and the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Great Lakes Bay Region are closer to their goal of $4.1 million for a new joint venture called KidsCampUs after a seven-figure donation was secured. The Harvey Randall Wickes Foundation announced a $1 million donation toward the project, bringing the campaign total to $3 million." 2/12/18

  • Sjsu Announces $5M Alumni Donation To Athletics Department (SF Gate) "San Jose State University announced [...] that two of its alumni have donated $5 million towards the school's athletic department. Larry and Deidre Solari, former SJSU students who met on a blind date after college, gave the university a signed gift commitment that will support SJSU football personnel and facilities, including plans for a football operations center envisioned near CEFCU Stadium, university officials said." 2/8/18

  • $1 million donation to underwrite SLU welding program (Times-Picayune) "A $1 million contribution will help Southeastern Louisiana University fund a new academic concentration in welding inspection and supervision [...]. Performance Contractors, a Baton Rouge industrial construction, management and fabrication company [...] is putting up the $1 million [...]." 2/8/18

  • Illinois receives $5 million donation for football facilities (Chicago Tribune) "Former Illinois football captain Stu Levenick has donated $5 million toward the construction of a new performance center for the Illini football program [...]." 2/8/18

  • UCLA receives a $6.5-million donation for its basketball programs (LA Times) "UCLA has received a massive infusion of cash for its basketball programs and its coaches have been bestowed new titles as part of a $6.5-million donation [...]. The donation from Jodi and Michael Price will establish the Michael Price Family UCLA Basketball Excellence Program to support both the men's and women's teams equally at the discretion of their respective head coaches and Bruins athletic director Dan Guerrero." 2/8/18

  • UCSF receives another record $500M donation from Helen Diller Foundation to build new hospital (Biz Journal San Francisco) "UCSF has received a $500 million commitment from the Helen Diller Foundation toward rebuilding its Parnassus Heights hospital in the Inner Sunset District." Yes, this is another gift from this family foundation. The Helen Diller Foundation has given $1.15 billion to UCSF. 2/8/18

  • UWL’s New Science Building Named after Record Donation (The Racquet) Nice gift and, yes, the publication at the University of Wisconsin La-Crosse is called 'The Racquet'. "The University of Wisconsin La-Crosse’s new $82 million Science Labs Building finally has its name; The Prairie Springs Science Center. The Paul Fleckenstein Trust following a $2 million-dollar donation to the project gained naming rights to the [building]." 2/7/18

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