---

Guests get to know the wildlife at the Tusks and Tails fundraiser in 2013. The yearly event has been cancelled for at least the next two years. (credit: CBC)

---

News

---

• Donation toward state debt bill rejected by Louisiana House Citizens making gifts to government - is it just me or is this a wacky idea? (2/25/16)

• Edmonton downtown library aims to smash out of that concrete box This is a $62.5 million project to completely remake Edmonton's downtown library. Looks pretty cool! ALBERTA STORY (2/25/16)

• Celebrating 50 years as part of this vibrant, energetic city Happy 50th UofC! (2/24/16)

• Calgary Zoo cancels glitzy fundraiser for at least 2 years Tusks and Tails event has been shelved because of the economy. Smaller, more intimate events planned instead. CALGARY STORY (2/23/16)

• Get a Job: strategies for people 50 plus Myth busting: "...organizations need the wisdom and knowledge that come with the 50-plus age group. The only way you get that kind of experience is to reach that age." CALGARY STORY (2/22/16)

• Over 100 walkers participate in fundraiser for Streets Alive Update on earlier story. While it might not have been the coldest night of the year, the Streets Alive Mission fundraiser exceeded their goal of $20,000 and raised $21,991. Congratulations! The Streets Alive Mission in Lethbridge is a client of ViTrēo. ALBERTA STORY (2/22/16)

• Apple's encryption battle with the FBI could spill into Canada Privacy concerns matter. This case is not limited to the U.S. and, as Canadians, it affects us all. CANADIAN STORY (2/19/16)

• We Are Now At Peak TED By the time you read this, the 2016 TED conference will have just concluded in Vancouver. Dan Pallotta was there but not did merit a mention in this article. Here are a fewTED tidbits: first, TED only occurs once a year; second, it takes place in Vancouver (it used to take place in California); and third, it costs $8,500USD per ticket to attend ("donors" get to pay $17,000USD) (2/19/16)

• CMLC, Calgary Stampede sign development agreement “The east end of Calgary is coming alive and the momentum of the East Village project has had a positive impact for us all." Indeed. The East Village is happening! CALGARY STORY (2/19/16)

---

Events, activities, and deadlines

---

• Congress 2016 Call for Speakers AFP Toronto Congress 2016 will take place November 21 - 23, 2016. If you are planning to go, why not consider presenting? NOTE: DEADLINE FOR SESSION PROPOSALS IS MARCH 11, 2016(2/16/16)

• AFP's Canadian National Scholarship Program—Apply Now! This program offers Canadian fundraising professionals working for charitable and non-profit organizations the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in fundraising. Financial scholarships, up to a maximum of $1000, are being offered. NEXT SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE IS MARCH 15, 2016 (2/25/16)

• Call for Conference Session Proposals AFP's International Fundraising Conference 2017 will take place in San Francisco from April 30 - May 02, 2017. If you are planning to go, we encourage you to share what you know with others and think about presenting. NOTE: DEADLINE FOR SESSION PROPOSALS IS MAY 6, 2016 (2/24/16)

---

ViTrēo news

---

• ViTrēo welcomes Marie-France Varin as manager of corporate development and operations We are pleased to welcome Marie-France onto the ViTrēo team. (2/22/16)

---

Philanthropic controversy

---

• Free shoes from TOMS: Can such philanthropy hurt more than help? Some say that 'free' philanthropy sustains poverty. Thoughts? (2/25/16)

• Palestine pizza prompts international firm to redirect Harvard Law School donation Stewardship fail: Proceeds from a $1 million gift from the law firm, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, were to be used by students to fund a $500 'pro-Palestine' pizza lunch. The donor has requested that Harvard redirect the funds to another purposes. (2/22/16)

• A university in US rejects $3 million donation from a group with Hindutva links This is a follow up from a story we previously posted. Looks like UC Irvine has had a change of heart and is now rejecting some or most of this gift. Interesting story. (2/22/16)

• New scam is targeting nonprofits in NC, across US Heartbreaking. Nonprofits are offered donations but receive cheques in larger amounts, "donor" indicates an error and asks for the difference. Cheque is bogus but some charities pay before they validate the cheque. (2/21/16)

---

Stats, studies and facts

---

• Investing for effective impact: Changing donor perceptions about not-for-profit efficiency in Canada Need some backup with your donors about your fundraising costs? This might help. Thanks to AFP eWire for sharing this link. CANADIAN STORY (2/24/16)

• Center for Effective Philanthropy Releases New Findings on Foundation Transparency "Foundations are less transparent when it comes to sharing how they assess their performance or their lessons learned, despite their belief that it would be beneficial to do so." For foundation nerds, this is required reading. PDF link. (2/23/16)

• Infographic: Why Nonprofit Employees Quit Promotion and pay [or lack thereof] are top two. Thanks to AFP eWire for sharing this link. (1/16/16)

---

Trends and shifts

---

• Holy Cow, This Community Foundation Is Exploding. Why Is That? Ever wonder which community foundation Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan use? Wonder no more, it is the Silicon Valley Foundation with assets of $7.3 billion. These assets make this foundation, by far, the largest community foundation in the U.S. Last year, it made 122,000 grants totaling $823 million. Crikey! (2/23/16)

• Is Philanthropy Helping to Usher in an Age of Enlightenment for Psychiatric Research? In terms of the sheer level of giving to this area, it certainly looks like it. Very glad to see mental illness becoming an important problem to address. Please see related story on Ted Stanley (The Stanley Foundation) who gave $650 million to support research in the area of mental illness. (2/19/16)

---

Life and career hacks

---

• The Secret To Success, Happiness, and Productivity — 15 Subtle Yet Life Altering Changes In Mindset "Turn Envy Into Curiosity" is one of my favourites but I also really like 3, 6, and 9. (2/18/16)

• If You’re Struggling to Stay Motivated, Try this One Tweak to Your Goals "Motivation is for amateurs." Sometimes we can really get lost in the far away. (2/18/16)

• 200+ Podcasts, 100+ Articles, 20+ Books… In 11 Bullet Points This is the meta distillation of every self-help and personal improvement idea you have ever read, watched, or listened to. And it's great. (12/9/15)

---

Cool, fun, and inspiring

---

• 10 Incredible Quotes To Guide Your Life. One can really never have too many quotes to work with. Happy Friday! (2/25/16)

• 7 Ways To Instantly Feel 10X Better I have been there. Some days just suck! For those days, read this. Also, go find a place to lie down in public. (2/22/16)

• NASA gets inundated with astronaut applications With films like Gravity, Interstellar, and The Martian, along with killing it in social media in the last few years, NASA has three times as many applications as their last hiring round in 2012. In case you are wondering, you have approximately a 1 in 1200 chance of being selected. Still worth it. (2/20/16)

• Dodgeball: more learning curves than curve balls for Rick Mercer Rick Mercer was in Edmonton this past week for a segment on Dodgeball. Would you believe that Alberta has 300 dodgeball teams? I didn't even know that was a thing. ALBERTA STORY (2/20/16)

• The Met Explains Its Controversial New Logo Contemplating a change to your logo is not idle business. That said, I have been involved in more branding discussions in the nonprofit sector than I ever thought I would be as a fundraiser. This case study is topical, instructive and, well, it is The Met after all. (2/19/16)

---

Philanthropic personalities

---

• Independent Sector Names Education-Charity Leader as CEO Dan Cardinali named as CEO. "Independent Sector is an influential — if at times controversial — advocate for nonprofits, representing more than 500 [U.S. based] charities and foundations." There have been calls for Independent Sector to merge with the Council of Foundations. Also, the former CEO's pay packet topped $670,000. (2/23/16)

• Which Australians are donating millions for good? Excellent overview of big philanthropy in Australia. (2/21/16)

• Not Forgotten: Billionaire known for health philanthropy Theodore "Ted" Richard Stanley of New Canaan, Connecticut, died Jan. 3 at age 84. Mr. Stanley, over his lifetime gave over $825 million away to charity. Stanley and his late wife, Vada, were founders of the Stanley Foundation, deemed the largest nongovernment funder of research on mental illness. See related story in trends and shifts section of this recap. (2/20/16)

---

Tools and tricks

---

• Four tips any charity media team should know As fundraising and nonprofit professionals, we are called upon to do this more often than you think. I particularly like #2. "Get to the important stuff – and fast." Could not agree more. Thanks to ViTrēo's own Mick Mulloy for sharing this link with us. (2/18/16)

• Facebook Launches Site to Boost Nonprofits’ Use of Its Tools A tremendously thoughtful and rich trove of advice here. Thanks Facebook! (2/18/16)

---

Opinion and advice

---

• HOW DOES PHILANTHROPY LEAD IN A COMMUNITY CRISIS? Flint, Michigan has been in the news of late with its water crisis. This story touches on how important philanthropy is during a time of crisis. (2/25/16)

• Wall Street Philanthropy: The 6 Do's And Don'ts From The Trading Floor Interesting piece advising Wall Street financiers on philanthropy. It's a little bloodless but it does get many things right."...inaction offers no reward in philanthropy." (2/24/16)

• Stanford, with another $400 million donation, is out-fundraising all other schools Yes, yes, they are. See story on Phil Knight gift in Large Gift section of recap. BTW, Stanford's endowment is now $22 billion. (2/24/16)

• Beyond Profit Purpose is the magic word here. (2/16/16)

• If You’re Going It Alone, You Are Missing Out There really aren't any 'lone supermen'. (2/19/16)

• Is Your Recurring Donation Program Working for Your Donors? "According to AFP, donor attrition rates improved in 2014, from 39 to 43 percent." These programs are working. (February 2016)

• Socially Responsible: The Increasing Relevance of Philanthropy in Business "People buy brands, not products....make philanthropy part of your brand." (2/19/16)

---

Large gifts

---

• CFCC Board of Trustees receive donation for Fine Arts Center Nice $1.5 million gift from Allan and Laura Wilson to the Cape Fear Community College in North Carolina. (2/25/16)

• Leadership program moving to Lake Forest Academy after $2.4 million donation A gift from the great grandson of the founder of Quaker Oats endows a leadership program in Chicago. (2/24/16)

• Nike Co-Founder Phil Knight Just Gave Stanford Its Largest Donation Ever $400 million! Mr. Knight's gift will be used to set up a new graduate-level leadership program, the Knight-Hennessy Scholars, after Nike’s Knight and John Hennessy, the university’s outgoing president. The total value of the program will be $750 million. Not a bad start! It should be noted that this gift matches the largest ever gift every bestowed on a University. Hedge fund magnate John Paulson last year donated $400 million to Harvard’s engineering school. (2/24/16)

• $4.4 million donation goes toward Kootenai Health hospital addition Douglas Hugh McCall, who worked in the oil industry and died in 2004, left the money to the Kootenai Health Foundation of Idaho in 2011. (2/23/16)

• Publix marks milestone in local philanthropy $4.5 million in workplace giving to United Way of Central Florida. Nationally, this company and its employees gave $58.7 million to United Way. Staggering. (2/22/16)

• $7 MILLION DONATION HIGHLIGHTS WESLEYAN’S 125TH ANNIVERSARY GALA Nice gift from Nick and Lou Martin towards the $20 million campaign for a new student center at Texas Wesleyan University. Always a good idea to pick a very public celebration to announce a gift like this and they did. Nice work Wesleyan! (2/21/16)

• Student-run philanthropy surpasses $1 million raised for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta That is a lot of money to raise with a dance marathon. Kudos to the students at the University of Georgia! (2/21/16)

• Fluor Donation Kicks Off Industrial Construction Management Partnership with UH Looks like Fluor is still making gifts. This is a $1 million commitment to the University of Houston. Thanks Fluor! (2/19/16)

• SC Johnson Announces $15 Million Donation to Help Protect Families Around the World from Mosquito-Borne Diseases such as Zika "This week, responding to the global outbreak of Zika virus illnesses, SC Johnson announced it will donate at least $15 million over the next year to provide products to help needy families combat the mosquitoes that may carry the virus. BTW, SC Johnson is the family-owned company that makes the leading global household brands including Glade®, Pledge®, and OFF! (2/19/16)

• USC School of Accounting receives $15M donation from alumnus Harlan Helvey The USC Leventhal School of Accounting announced that Ms. Helvey's gift will renovate the School's 1920s-era building to "state-of-the-art collaborative learning spaces and new integrated distance learning classrooms." This gift supports the USC's multiyear $6 billion campaign which is currently at $4.8 billion. (2/19/16)

• Bluffton University receives $4 million donation for new science center This is the largest gift in Cincinatti-based Bluffton University's history. The gift, from the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation, will be used to develop a new science building at the heart of campus. Austin Eldon Knowlton (1909 - 2003) was an architect and construction magnate who designed over 600 buildings during this lifetime, more than 160 of which were college and university buildings on every major college and university campus in Ohio. (2/19/16)

---

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.