Weekly News Recap: March 24, 2017

(Left to right) Deputy Chair of TD Frank McKenna speaks with Remai Modern's Board Chair Alain Gaucher and the Remai Modern's Executive Director and CEO Gregory Burke after announcing its $400,000 contribution to the Remai Modern's free programming in Saskatoon on March 22, 2017. SASKATOON STARPHOENIX

Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.- Bruce Lee

News

  • $149M upgrade to University of Alberta Dentistry/Pharmacy Building (Global News) EDMONTON STORY As important as the architecture and purpose of this space is, its history is even more interesting. This article speaks to the $500,000 ($6.2 million in 2017 dollars) gifted by the Rockefeller Foundation in 1921 to help the UofA build a medical school. The Rockefeller Foundation made scores of these grants across North America. Like the Carnegie grants that helped build many of the continent's most iconic libraries, the Rockefeller grants helped build many of our modern medical schools. 3/22/17
  • What got funded in Calgary and what didn't in the Alberta budget (CBC) CALGARY STORY "There's lots of spending for Calgary in Alberta's new budget, including money for new schools and a long-term care facility. The city will receive money for five new schools and presumably a chunk of funding set aside to modernize older schools across Alberta, but the province will announce more details next week." 3/16/17

Tools, tips, and trustees

Reports, studies, and stats

  • New publication explores philanthropy and the soul of universities (University College London) "From the Enlightenment to the first Apple Mac, universities have been the driving force that change the world. Now a new publication from UCL Press explores the role of philanthropy in a rapidly changing higher education environment." 3/15/17

Philanthropy in the era of Trump

  • Meals on Wheels Sees Donation Surge Following Trump Proposed Cuts (PJ Media) "[Private] donations have surged in response, a spokeswoman for the group told The Washington Post. The national office has taken in more than $100,000 since the White House announced plans to eliminate the Community Development Block Grant program on Thursday — compared with about $1,000 on a normal day." 3/20/17
  • Bill Gates, Opponent of Plan To Cut Foreign Aid, Meets With President Trump At The White House (Forbes) "Bill Gates, the richest man on the planet, doesn't agree with President Donald Trump's plan to cut aid for the world's poorest. [...] 'I understand why some Americans watch their tax dollars going overseas and wonder why we’re not spending them at home,' wrote Gates, whose $86 billion net worth is roughly 25 times larger than Trump's $3.5 billion fortune. 'Here’s my answer: These projects keep Americans safe. And by promoting health, security and economic opportunity, they stabilize vulnerable parts of the world.'" 3/20/17
  • Unfriendly to Children: Girl Guides and Others Opt Away from US Trips (Nonprofit Quarterly) "Citing uncertainty about the new administration’s travel policies, the Girl Guides of Canada, an organization much like the Girl Scouts of America, has cancelled all trips with the girls to the United States—even including those with airline connections in the U.S. On its website, Girl Guides calls the decision 'very difficult” but says it “reflects [a] commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunities for all girls and women.'" 3/14/17

Philanthropic personalities

  • Guardian of Rockefeller fortune, philanthropy dies at 101 (ABC) "David Rockefeller was the last of his generation in a famous American family that taught its children that wealth brings great responsibility. Even as children, he and his siblings had to set aside portions of their allowances for charitable giving. [...] He was the grandson of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller and the youngest of five sons and one daughter born to John D. Rockefeller Jr. He was also the guardian of his family's fortune and head of a sprawling network of family interests, both business and philanthropic, that ranged from environmental conservation to the arts." 3/20/17

Life and career hacks

  • 10 Things I Had to Give Up to Heal My Anxiety (Personal Growth) I have to admit, I would not have personally listed all of these but I suspect that I am 'generationally out of touch' on some of these. No matter if I agree with them all or not, we can all stand to spend more time healing our anxiety. 3/20/17
  • Ethics can’t be a side hustle (Dear Design Student) I have so been waiting for an article like this. "If you want to do good work, [...], start doing it at your day job. Start asking questions about what you’re building. Start asking questions about who benefits from what you’re building. Start asking questions about who gets hurt by what you’re building." 3/19/17

Philanthropic controversy

  • A charitable gift, a divorce, an angry ex-wife: WPI faces lawsuit over donation (Boston Globe) "Before his ex-wife discovered his offshore account in Switzerland, Bob Foisie was Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s dream donor. He graduated in 1956 and went on to become a prosperous businessman who shared his wealth generously with his alma mater: to date, Foisie, 82, has given the school $63 million, making him its single largest benefactor. [...] Now there is also the Foisie lawsuit." 3/16/17

Trends and shifts

  • Currier House Faculty Deanship First to be Renamed Following Donation (The Harvard Crimson) This does not happen often but when it does, it usually happens at Harvard first. "For the second time in just over a year, Currier House Faculty Deans will have a new title. Following a gift from former Currier House resident X. D. Yang ’87 and his wife Nancy Yang, the position—currently held by Latanya Sweeney and Sylvia Barrett—will now be known as the X. D. and Nancy Yang Faculty Deanship of Currier House." 3/21/17
  • Public relations, marketing or fundraising: Who is best at public engagement? (Hillborn: Charity News) Could not agree more. We get mired in structure and never end up using approach. "My research showed no clear link between the way organizations were structured (amongst public relations, marketing and fundraising) and successful engagement, but what became clear is that organizations should focus their efforts more on approach, rather than structure." 3/8/17

Large gifts

  • Donation gives major boost to free programming at Remai Modern (Saskatoon Star Phoenix) SASKATOON STORY Congrats to the Remai and thank you to TD! "As the Remai Modern gallery inches closer to completion, a $400,000 donation from TD Bank has cemented funding for the gallery’s free programming over the next five years." 3/23/17
  • Darby schools dream big with $3 million donation (Missoula Independent) "The gift came from 1949 Darby graduate Archie Lorentzen, who left three-fourths of his estate to his alma mater when he died in Dec. 2014. The district has received more than $2.8 million so far, with one of Lorentzen's properties still to be sold." 3/23/17
  • Former Patagonia CEO announces largest land donation in history (inhabitat) "Land conservation in Chile could reach a new high with a recent pledge to conserve 11 million acres of wilderness as national parks. As part of the proposal, former Patagonia CEO Kris Tompkins gifted one million acres to the country in what her organization, Tompkins Conservation, says is the 'largest land donation in history from a private entity to a country.'" 3/21/17
  • Notre Dame Receives $15 Million for Effort to Unite Global Religions (Philanthropy News Digest) "The University of Notre Dame has announced a $15 million gift from Rafat and Zoreen Ansari and their family to create a global institute dedicated to the study of religion." The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located adjacent to South Bend, Indiana. 3/20/17
  • 2 Davis County high schools receive major STEM donation (Deseret News Utah) "The National Math and Science Initiative, the Northrup Grumman Foundation and Hill Air Force Base partnered to donate $1.7 million for science, technology, engineering and math education and training, with most of the money targeted for college readiness curriculums at Syracuse and Northridge high schools over the next three years." 3/17/17
  • Notre Dame College receives $1.5 million gift, largest academic donation in history (Cleveland.com) " Notre Dame College has received the largest academic donation in its 95-year history -- $1.5 million to support programs. The families and friends of the late Marie Goetz Geier, represented by her husband Richard and sons Robert and Thomas, provided the gift to establish the Marie Goetz Geier Endowment for STEM Education and Professors in STEM Education." Notre Dame College is located in South Euclid, Ohio. 3/17/17
  • Lethbridge YMCA receives its largest donation in its history (Global News) LETHBRIDGE STORY Congrats to Lethbridge YMCA and thank you to Cor Van Raay. "The Lethbridge YMCA received the largest donation in its history on Thursday, $3.75 million dollars. The money helps to kick off its community campaign which has a goal of raising six million dollars. 'I could have given money to the government, hospital or stuff like that, but I thought this had more of an impact directly on the community,' said businessman and philanthropist Cor Van Raay, who made the donation. Phase two of the ATB Centre will now be known as the Cor Van Raay YMCA." 3/16/17
  • Alumnus' donation to strengthen ODU accounting program (CBS) "Old Dominion University plans to strengthen its accounting school after receiving a $3 million gift. The school in Norfolk says the financial commitment comes from accounting school alum Robert W. Mitchell." 3/16/17
  • Late 'Father of Economics' at UCalgary leaves one final gift (UToday) CALGARY STORY "He was both the 'Father of Economics' at the University of Calgary and one of the founding fathers of the university itself. At the inaugural Dr. Frank Anton Distinguished Lecture Series in Economics, with the late professor’s family in attendance, Dean of the Faculty of Arts Richard Sigurdson made the announcement of a $1.5-million donation that the faculty received from Anton's estate." 3/14/17

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