Weekly News Recap: March 13, 2020

Weekly News Recap: March 13, 2020

This graph demonstrates the impact public health measures can have in 'flattening' the curve of a disease, slowing down virus transmission and easing pressure on the health-care system. (CBC News)

Good-humor is a philosophic state of mind; it seems to say to Nature that we take her no more seriously than she takes us. I maintain that one should always talk of philosophy with a smile. -- William James

A note to our recap readers

These are extraordinary times and these are extraordinary circumstances for all of us. Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw has indicated that "COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving global threat. It is more severe than seasonal influenza, and more contagious than viruses like SARS." It is at times like this when we need to especially look out for each other and to take care of ourselves. We need to encourage our leaders to do the right things and then we need to follow their advice. Our health system, our health providers, and all those who support them are and will continue to be under significant stress as they work to keep all of us safe. The recommendations made by our leaders are meant to ensure that this system continues to do just that. Our simple act of social solidarity will ensure that our nurses, doctors, and hospitals have a fighting chance. ViTreo wishes all of you a safe journey through the next weeks and months.

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This week's highlights

Last week's most popular stories

COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

  • Sophie Grégoire Trudeau has tested positive for the coronavirus, the office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, her husband, said in a statement on Thursday night. (New York Times) CANADA STORY "Sophie Grégoire Trudeau has tested positive for the coronavirus, the office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, her husband, said in a statement [...]." 3/12/20

  • WHO declares novel coronavirus disease a pandemic (Global News) "The World Health Organization has officially declared the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, a pandemic. WHO director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the announcement at a press conference [this week]." 3/11/20

  • Trump sharply restricts travel between Europe and U.S. for 30 days amid coronavirus pandemic (CBC) "Taking dramatic action, President Donald Trump sharply restricted passenger travel from 26 European nations to the U.S. and moved to ease the economic cost of a viral pandemic that is roiling global financial markets and disrupting the daily lives of Americans." 3/11/20

  • All public schools in Seattle closed for at least 2 weeks amid coronavirus fears (CBC) "All public schools in Seattle, Washington are closed for at least 14 days starting [this week] because of the spread of the novel coronavirus. The school board's office of public affairs sent a letter to parents [...] informing them of the next-day closures." 3/11/20

  • Alberta now has 19 cases of COVID-19, all travel related (CBC) ALBERTA STORY "Alberta has reported five new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number in the province to 19, health officials say. All 19 cases are travel-related, the province's chief medical officer said [...] hours after the World Health Organization officially listed the global outbreak of the illness as a pandemic." 3/11/20

  • India cancels all tourist visas as COVID-19 cases rise (CBC) "India said [...] it will suspend all tourist visas to the country in a wide-reaching attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as cases across the region continued to rise. The novel coronavirus has hit Europe and the United States far harder than China's most immediate neighbours in South Asia, where no one has yet died. But as the number of cases in the region topped 80, experts fear that overstretched medical systems may not be able to handle the type of intensive care required." 3/11/20

  • Trudeau announces $1B COVID-19 package as WHO calls global outbreak a pandemic (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a $1-billion package to help Canadians cope with the COVID-19 outbreak, with half of the money going to the provinces and territories. The announcement came just hours before he World Health Organization (WHO) officially called the global spread of the virus a pandemic." 3/11/20

  • Canadians being urged to help 'flatten the curve' of COVID-19 (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "Canada still has time to avoid such a situation, experts say. As the global number of coronavirus cases nears 120,000 people in 115 countries, chances of stopping its spread are now considered unlikely. So public health officials have turned their attention to slowing it down. And the key is to 'flatten the curve' — a reference to an epidemiological graph of a disease outbreak." 3/11/20

  • WHO thanks China for donation and impressive anti-virus effort (The Star) "The chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) said [recently] that Covid-19 cases in China have been in significant decline, following the country's 'impressive' efforts in containing the virus [...]. The WHO chief made the remarks after signing an agreement with Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva, on China's donation of US$20 million to the WHO for cooperation in dealing with the novel coronavirus epidemic." 3/11/20

  • Giorgio Armani Donates €1.25 Million EUR to Fight the Coronavirus in Italy (Hype Beast) "As the country that’s been hit the hardest by the coronavirus in Europe, Italy has now put a staggering 16 million people in quarantine, the number of confirmed cases soaring to 9,172 [...] with total deaths reaching 463. Public amenities and museums have been closed down, and travel bans are in full force. In light of these tragic events, the country’s own renowned designer Giorgio Armani has donated €1.25 million EUR in an effort to combat the outbreak." 3/10/20

  • Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri Pledges Personal Donation to Fight Coronavirus (WWD) "Marco Bizzarri, Gucci’s president and chief executive officer, has made a personal donation of 100,000 euros to the Ausl IRCCS of Reggio Emilia, the entity gathering a range of eight hospitals in the Emilia Romagna region, to fight the coronavirus outbreak in the country." 3/10/20

  • Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates are stepping in on the coronavirus where the government has failed (Vox) "When government falls short, tech billionaires may be able to fill the void. A pair of Silicon Valley philanthropists, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, have announced new attempts to expand testing for the novel coronavirus in their local areas. They are playing a much-needed role at a time when billionaire philanthropy is criticized more than ever for supplanting government action. There are now more than 700 coronavirus cases in the United States and at least 26 deaths as concern rises among Americans." 3/10/20

  • Wells Fargo responds to Coronavirus with US$6.25mn donation (Business Chief) "What does the funding include? A total of, US$1mn for the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emergency Relief Fund and US$250,000 for the International Medical Corps. In addition to this first wave of global donations, the companies will also donate up to US$5mn at local levels to address community-specific needs in the upcoming months." 3/9/20

  • Puget Sound-area philanthropy, government, and business come together to establish COVID-19 Response Fund (Benzinga) "A coalition of philanthropy, government, and business partners have joined together to create a COVID-19 Response Fund that will rapidly deploy resources to community-based organizations at the frontlines of the region's coronavirus outbreak. The Fund is designed to complement the work of public health officials and expand local capacity to address the outbreak as effectively as possible [...]. As of today's launch, contributions from the Fund's lead partners total more than $2.5 million. Individuals and organizations are encouraged to donate via seattlefoundation.org/covid19. Hosted by Seattle Foundation, the COVID-19 Response Fund will provide flexible resources to organizations in our region working with communities who are disproportionally impacted by coronavirus and the economic consequences of this outbreak." 3/9/20

  • AC Milan offer donation as coronavirus fears grow in Italy following Serie A postponement (Mirror) "AC Milan have donated €250,000 to the efforts of the local government as they look to provide care to those hospitalised due to the coronavirus. Italy is Europe's most affect nation as the global epidemic continues to spread and one of its most decorated football clubs and teamed up with the Fondazione Milan to help out. The recent round of Serie A games were played behind closed doors but all sporting events in Italy will now be postponed until April as they look to contain the situation." 3/9/20

  • Coronavirus outbreak raises ethical dilemmas for governments and health-care systems (Globe and Mail) CANADIAN STORY "From the restriction of fundamental liberties to the rationing of scarce medical resources, the spread of COVID-19 is expected to raise extraordinary ethical dilemmas for leaders in government and the health-care system. Experts say Canada will likely consider restrictions on movement and large gatherings, as in China and Italy, to slow the progress of the disease. Such measures have rarely been considered in this country. Canada may also have to consider how to allocate scarce medical resources, such as ventilators and intensive-care beds. How will it ensure that health-care workers, among the hardest hit in these outbreaks, can stay on the job? Here are some of the key ethical categories identified by the pandemic influenza working group of the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics." 3/8/20

  • ATB closes 2 branches in Calgary after employee found to have presumptive case of COVID-19 (CBC) CALGARY STORY "Calgary's first presumptive case of COVID-19, a woman in her 50s, is an employee at a branch of ATB Financial, health officials confirmed [...]. ATB Financial confirmed its Sage Hill and Creekside branches have been closed." 3/6/20

  • Fears of coronavirus contamination prompt coffee chains to temporarily ban reusable mugs (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT "Starbucks, The Second Cup and Tim Hortons are temporarily forbidding customers from bringing their own reusable mugs because of fears that they could help spread the coronavirus. Starbucks said in a release [...] that it is instituting a number of new policies to handle the virus that has so far infected almost 100,000 people around the world and killed more than 2,000. Among the new policies is a temporary halt to the reusable mugs that the chain has been encouraging customers to use to try to mitigate the environmental damage of disposable ones. The policy includes a temporary end to the practice of giving a customer a reusable mug to use if they choose to stay in store." 3/6/20

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Humour (because especially right now, we need some)

  • Australian paper prints blank pages to help tackle toilet paper shortage (CNN) A wee bit of humour. And, no, this is not fake news. 3/5/20

  • Woman Took Care of Succulent for Two Years, Then Realized It Was Fake (Vice) "'I had it up in my kitchen window. I had a watering plan for it, if someone else tried to water my succulent I would get so defensive because I just wanted to keep good care of it,' she wrote. 'Today I decided it was time to transplant, I found the cutest vase that suited it perfectly. I go to pull it from the original plastic container it was purchased with to learn this plant was FAKE [...]. It's sitting on Styrofoam with sand glued to the top! I feel like these last two years have been a lie.'" 3/4/20

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News

  • Ken King dies, leaving a legacy of leadership, business acumen and commitment to sport (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY I had the privilege of working with Ken on the "Jim Swim" event at YMCA Calgary. A great Canadian. RIP Mr. King. We will not see your like again. "Leaving behind a legacy of community leadership, an innovative business sense and a passionate commitment to amateur and professional sport, Ken King died [recently] after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 68." 3/12/20

  • Alberta government to cut contract jobs, reduce hours for 14 heritage sites and museums (Global News) ALBERTA STORY "The Alberta government has released a list of 14 museums and heritage sites that will see operating hours change as a way to cut costs following the Feb. 27 provincial budget. It includes several of Alberta’s biggest attractions: Drumheller’s Royal Tyrrell Museum, Edmonton’s Royal Alberta Museum, and World Heritage Site Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump." 3/10/20

  • Attempting accessibility: The Glenbow Archives' big move to the University of Calgary (Calgary Journal) "The Glenbow Museum’s library and archive reading room have been a popular spot for Calgarians, tourists, and local researchers for decades. But, the archives are now under new management as the rich collection of history recently made the move to its new home at the University of Calgary’s Taylor Family Digital Library." 3/9/20

  • Acting legend Max von Sydow dead at 90 (CBC) RIP Mr. von Sydow. I loved all of your films. "Max von Sydow, the self-described 'shy boy'-turned-actor known to art house audiences through his work with Swedish director Ingmar Bergman and later to moviegoers everywhere when he played the priest in the horror classic The Exorcist, has died. He was 90." 3/9/20

  • Kim Mitchell to be inducted into Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (The Suburban) CANADIAN STORY I am definitely putting the "Patio Lanterns" out as a I "Go for Soda" on this one. Congrats Mr. Mitchell. Well deserved. "The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) has partnered with North America’s leading entertainment festival and conference, Canadian Music Week (CMW), to celebrate the induction of rock legend, songwriter, and broadcaster Kim Mitchell to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Mitchell will be honoured during a special presentation by CSHF, and joined by friend and musician Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies to perform on stage." 3/8/20

  • STARS focused on air rescue for 35 years (CBC) ALBERTA STORY Congrats to STARS and all of its "stars" and...thank you! "STARS — it's an acronym for Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society — was founded in Calgary in 1985 by emergency medical physician Dr. Gregory Powell and others in the health-care system. In the past 35 years the not-for-profit has expanded its services, flying an estimated 42,000 missions across Western Canada." 3/7/20

  • Business owner Peggy Garritty named U of A chancellor (Edmonton Journal) EDMONTON STORY Woot! Congrats chancellor Garritty! "The University of Alberta has its new chancellor. Business owner Peggy Garritty was elected by the university’s senate to take over from outgoing chancellor Douglas Stollery. Garritty will start her four-year term as the university’s 22nd chancellor in June, the university announced [...]." 3/7/20

  • RDC honours long-time support of Don and Michelle Sutherland (Lacombe Online) RED DEER STORY I have had the privilege of working with Don. Congrats to both Don and Michelle. Very well deserved. "Don and Michelle Sutherland have been honoured as long-time supporters of Red Deer College with the re-naming of the Don and Michelle Sutherland Arts Centre Foyer [...]. The Sutherlands’ decades of financial support have contributed to a wide variety of needs across the College. The list includes Trades Scholarships, the Athletics Leadership Fund, Donald School of Business programming and, most recently, the Shaping our Future Campaign, which worked to garner support for the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre." 3/6/20

  • Calgary's National Sport School stays at Winsport for another year, says CBE (CBC) CALGARY STORY "The National Sport School (NSS) will now stay put at WinSport in Canada Olympic Park for the upcoming year, but any plans to close or move it will be revisited in the coming months, says the Calgary Board of Education. Last year, student athletes and their parents were told the school faced an uncertain future due to the provincial government funding freeze on education and other factors." 3/6/20

  • Sask. government commits more than $300M to expansion of Prince Albert's Victoria Hospital (CBC) PRINCE ALBERT STORY "The Saskatchewan government is committing more than $300 million toward an expansion and renovations for Prince Albert's Victoria Hospital. The government said it will build a new multi-storey addition for the facility including an acute care tower and replacing the existing adult mental health space. Nearly 70 new beds will be added, an increase of 40 per cent. Other new additions include a larger emergency department, a helipad and an MRI." 3/6/20

  • All-women crew brings Air Canada flight into Edmonton International Airport (CTV) EDMONTON STORY Love this! "Edmonton’s rich aviation history saw another first Thursday, with the arrival of a seemingly ordinary Air Canada flight from Toronto. As the Boeing 787 Dreamliner eased its way to the ramp, keen observers may have noticed the ground crew tending to the aircraft were all women. When the air crew deplaned, every one of them were also female. The arrival of air traffic controllers visiting the passenger gate signalled something truly unusual, as three women from the control tower helped guide the historic flight safely to Edmonton International Airport. It was the first such journey crewed entirely by women." 3/5/20

  • Alberta spending $100 million to provide more surgeries (St. Albert Today) "[The] provincial government announced it would be investing $100 million as part of a strategy to reduce wait times for surgeries across the province. The plan would expand the capacities of operating rooms in bigger centres, like Calgary and Edmonton, so they would be able to perform more complex surgeries." 3/4/20

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First Peoples of Canada

  • Following her passion: Two-spirit Edmonton artist named best undiscovered voice in Canada (CBC) EDMONTON STORY "An Indigenous, two-spirit musician from Edmonton has been named the winner of CBC Music's annual search for the best undiscovered voice in Canada. Shawnee and her song Building a Wall were chosen [...] from more than 1,000 original songs that were submitted to the CBC Searchlight 2020 competition. The Mohawk artist who grew up in Ontario said she'd been timid about entering the contest in past years but was finally persuaded by friends to do so." 3/5/20

  • Indigenous Perspectives on Philanthropy: An Emerging Force (AFP Global) CANADIAN STORY "Sharon Redsky is the strategic partnership coordinator at Dakota Ojibway Child and Family Services in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She was an AFP Diversity and Inclusion Fellow in 2019, and in 2017 was awarded the YMCA-YWCA Women of Distinction, Community Champion Award. She currently serves on the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada Board [...]. Within the past decade, a significant piece of Indigenous history in this country was revealed in traumatic detail. Launched in 2008, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. Its purpose was to uncover the facts of the Indian residential school system and to lay the foundation for lasting reconciliation with Indigenous communities across Canada. The final report, released in December 2015, contained 94 calls to action. At the upcoming AFP ICON in Baltimore (March 29—April 1), Redsky will be presenting a workshop—What Does Truth and Reconciliation Mean in the Philanthropic Sector?" 3/4/20

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Books to read

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Seven life and career hacks -- one for each day of the week

  1. Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now (Coronavirus) This is a call out to all of us but especially our political leaders. A 22-minute read. I read it all. So should you. And share widely. 3/11/20

  2. Updated every minute, 17-year-old whiz kid’s coronavirus site used by millions (Times of Israel) This is a brilliant and easy to use site. "A Jewish teenager from the Seattle area has built a website that is keeping the world updated on the COVID-19 pandemic as it spreads. The website, ncov2019.live, has been visited by 12 million people since it launched in late December." 3/10/20

  3. These cleaners kill coronavirus: Lysol, Clorox, Purell products make EPA's disinfectants list (Yahoo News) That is, of course, if you can find them... 3/6/20

  4. How to Tell If You Have the Flu, Coronavirus, or Something Else (elemental+) An excellent and well-sourced piece. 3/4/20

  5. 9 Weird Things That Stress Can Do To Your Body (elemental+) Ha, now I know why I have to pee so often. Wait...shoot, that is my diabetes (and being a man over 50). 2/19/20

  6. It’s Fine to Have 77,000 Unread Emails (Forge) No. It's. Not. (Christine has exactly that number) 2/19/20

  7. Against Seriousness: How to Avoid Becoming Close-Minded (Personal Growth) I have NEVER been accused of seriousness :-) 1/20/20

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Uncommon knowledge

  • Skiing Behind a Galloping Horse in Retro Neon—Is this the Most Outrageous Race in Winter Sports? (Daily Beast) ALBERTA STORY Yeehaw! "In the foothills of western Canada where Stetsons, horses, and cowboys are common, winter sun is not. But perhaps these cowboys have the cheesiest way of beating mid-winter blues. I set out to see if Skijordue, a one-day event combining Nordic tradition of skijoring, afraid-of-nothing cowboys, and cheese fondue in the foothills southwest of Calgary, could make winter fun." 3/8/20

  • See inside the tower controlling the chaos of Vancouver Harbour's airspace (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY "Vancouver Harbour Tower is responsible for keeping pilots and passengers moving safely through one of the busiest waterfront airspaces in North America, and at 142 metres off the ground, it's also one of the highest air traffic control centres in the world. It's a cramped 12-sided workspace made almost entirely of glass that overlooks the harbour from atop the Granville Square office tower, formerly home to the Vancouver Sun and The Province newspapers, and for a place with such a striking resume, it's remarkably easy to miss." 3/6/20

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Philanthropic personalities

  • The College President Who Simply Won’t Raise Tuition (The Atlantic) This guy is a saint. "Most of the attention centers on that all-important number, 9,992. Not only is that the dollar amount an in-state student will pay Purdue for tuition and fees next year; it is also the amount such a student paid Purdue when Daniels became university president, in 2013. The university has also reduced the price of food services and textbooks. An undergraduate degree from Purdue, in other words, is less expensive today than it was when Daniels arrived." April 2020

  • Announcing new alumni UBC leadership (UBC) VANCOUVER STORY Congrats Natalie! "On behalf of the alumni UBC Board of Directors, I’m pleased to share with the UBC alumni community that Natalie Cook Zywicki has been appointed Associate Vice-President, Alumni and Executive Director, alumni UBC, effective March 1, 2020. Natalie brings more than 28 years of experience in higher education, having worked at Brock and McMaster universities, and the University of British Columbia. She joined UBC in 2004 as the Interim Director of Development in the Faculty of Medicine and then joined UBC Alumni Affairs (now alumni UBC) in 2009." March 2020

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Philanthropic controversy

  • UBC to consider renaming David Sidoo Field amid court case on college admissions scandal (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY "The University of British Columbia is considering renaming David Sidoo Field at Thunderbird Stadium as the Vancouver businessman prepares to plead guilty for his involvement in a college admission cheating scheme. The former CFL player is scheduled to plead guilty [...] in federal court in Boston to a mail and wire fraud conspiracy charge for paying $200,000 US to have someone take a college entrance exam in place of his two sons." 3/11/20

  • CHARITY GROUP RETURNS SHINCHEONJI'S 12 BILLION WON DONATION (omana) "A charity group said [...] it has decided to return a huge donation made by a minor religious sect to help in the nationwide fight against the virus, citing the negative public sentiment against the group. The Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which is at the center of a rapid increase in coronavirus cases in South Korea, said [...] that it had donated 12 billion won (US$10.1 million) to the Seoul-based Community Chest of Korea, saying that it feels responsibility for the massive number of virus infections. 'The Community Chest of Korea suggested it give back the money, citing negative public sentiment against the Shincheonji church,' the church said. 'We express our apologies to the public and will seek (other) ways to make a donation as soon as possible.' The charity confirmed that the donation was made without prior consultations with the group and that it will thus refund the donation." 3/6/20

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Trends and shifts

  • Foreign Gifts to U.S. Colleges and Universities: Why They Matter (Inside Higher Ed) "Last month, the U.S. Department of Education announced the launch of an investigation into foreign gift reporting at several Ivy League institutions, extending the pool of institutions under the microscope [...]. According to OECD Education at a Glance 2019 data, the public share of education funding decreased in the United States by 3.14 percentage points between 2010 and 2016, while the private share of funding increased by the same amount. Comparatively, across the OECD countries, the public share of higher education funding decreased by 2.37 percentage points with an increase in the share of private funding of 2.54 percentage points. That is why philanthropy remains vital to higher education in this country and around the world." 3/9/20

  • You're not seeing things. Ghost kitchens are popping up across Edmonton (CBC) EDMONTON STORY "Tucked against a brick wall in a downtown parking lot, it could be mistaken for a mobile concession that sells hot dogs at baseball games. But the white propane-powered trailer offers a rather more expansive menu. According to a sign plastered to the side of the so-called 'ghost kitchen,' it offers dishes from 11 restaurants. Ghost kitchens are commercial kitchens that exist only to fill orders from food delivery apps. The kitchens, which have sprung up in cities across Canada, have no dining spaces. Their menu offerings typically only exist on apps like Skip the Dishes and Uber Eats." 3/9/20*

  • Girl Guides, Scouts see surge in demand — but struggle to find volunteers (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "East Vancouver mother Katherine Laurence wasn't expecting to become a volunteer leader when she tried to register her daughters last spring for Girl Guides programs. Laurence's oldest daughter, now 10, had previously participated for a couple of years and was looking forward to returning after a short break to try other activities. But when Laurence tried to register her and her younger sister, the girls were put on a wait list because the organization didn't have enough volunteers." 3/8/20

  • CBC Sports commits to gender-balanced coverage across all platforms (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Yay! "According to a 2016 report put out by Canadian Women & Sport, an analysis of Canada's primary national sports networks in 2014 (both French and English) showed that men's sport coverage significantly outweighed that of women's coverage. Of approximately 35,000 hours of sports programming, only four per cent featured women's sports, with approximately 11 per cent of the coverage devoted to sport that featured both genders (something like figure skating or equestrian, for example). And that was an Olympic year." 3/6/20

  • How Working-Class Life Is Killing Americans, in Charts (New York Times) "When the economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton first published their research on 'deaths of despair' five years ago, they focused on middle-aged whites. So many white working-class Americans in their 40s and 50s were dying of suicide, alcoholism and drug abuse that the overall mortality rate for the age group was no longer falling – a rare and shocking pattern in a modern society. But as Case and Deaton continued digging into the data, it became clear that the grim trends didn’t apply only to middle-aged whites. Up and down the age spectrum, deaths of despair have been surging for people without a four-year college [degree]." 3/6/20

  • Reddit lets users support one another with Crisis Text Line partnership (Engadget) This is très cool. "As the topic of mental health becomes less of a social taboo, tech companies are increasingly exploring ways they can do good in this area. Reddit is the latest to do so, today announcing a new partnership with Crisis Text Line. Through this partnership, redditors will receive a private message directing them how to connect and text with a trained crisis counselor at the moment they need them." 3/4/20

  • A Significant Contribution in How to Approach and Appeal to Women Donors (AFP Global) CANADIAN CONTENT You might remember that the recap solicited for candidates for this study. Well done Juniper. Looking forward to having you on our podcast later this year. "These are the underlying assumptions of a new report by Juniper Glass, Donor Engagement of Women in Canada: Insights on Fundraising Programs and Practices, which seeks to disseminate the learning and challenges faced by fund development professionals implementing various methods of engaging women donors. Glass is a specialist in strategy, partnership development and research with a focus on philanthropy and social change. She has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 20 years and has a Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership from Carleton University. The report is the latest research funded by AFP Foundation for Philanthropy - Canada." 2/27/20

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Large gifts

  • Faculty of Engineering named in honour of monumental donation by Dr. Gerry Price and family (UManitoba) WINNIPEG STORY Woot! Nice gift! "The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba bears a new name this week, thanks to a transformative $20 million investment from visionary philanthropists Gerry and Barb Price [...]. Today’s transformative donation will create seven endowed faculty member positions over ten years, greatly enhancing the capacity of the undergraduate engineering program. In recognition of their generosity, the Faculty of Engineering will be named the Price Faculty of Engineering." 3/11/20

  • Henry Ford Health System Receives $25 Million Gift, Largest Single Donation in its History (news wise) "Nationally-known developer Chris Jeffries and his wife Lisa have donated $25 million to Henry Ford Health System, the largest single gift from an individual in the health system’s 105-year history. This historic gift will rapidly accelerate the growth and expansion of Henry Ford’s Precision Medicine program, with the ultimate goal of creating a Precision Health Center. The efforts will have a robust focus on the advancement of cancer research and treatment, while also expanding to other medical specialties treating behavioural health, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases." 3/10/20

  • Holyoke Community College Receives Record $7.5 Million Donation (Business West) "Holyoke Community College (HCC) has received by far the largest donation in the college’s 74-year history — $7.5 million — and what could very well be the largest donation ever recorded by a community college in Massachusetts. The gift comes from a familiar source, the Elaine Nicpon Marieb Foundation, established by the late Elaine Marieb, a longtime HCC faculty member, alumna, best-selling textbook author, and Northampton native." 3/10/20

  • Laidlaw Foundation funds Oxford MBA Scholarships for women with £1.35m donation (Saïd Business School) "The scholarships are intended to encourage extraordinary women with clear leadership potential to enrol onto the MBA programme when they would not have previously considered the qualification due to financial constraints. Women are more likely than men to face financial limitations that prevent them from accepting offers to graduate business schools, according to analysis from the Graduate Management Admission Council, which administers the GMAT exam." 3/9/20

  • Musée d’Orsay Announces a Massive Expansion Following $22.6M Donation (Architectural Digest) "[With] a recent €20 million ($22.6M) gift from an anonymous philanthropist through the nonprofit American Friends of Musée d’Orsay, the museum announced an ambitious plan for redesign: Its historic building will be rededicated entirely to public space, converting administrative offices on the fourth floor into galleries and an education and research center." 3/6/20

  • Colby College receives generous donation to support some top priorities (NBC) "Colby College has received a generous gift from Trustee Marieke Rothschild and her husband Jeff Rothschild. The $16 million donation will support financial aid, the arts, and health and wellness, three of the college's highest priorities." Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. 3/6/20

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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

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