Weekly News Recap: March 29, 2018

Photo: XQ Institute by Chris Chandler

Happy Easter

We are sharing this week's recap one day early as many of you will not be in your offices tomorrow (Good Friday). To all of our clients, associates, staff, partners, and stakeholders who celebrate Easter, happy Easter! For the rest of you, enjoy the wonderful springtime break. We wish you a wonderful weekend.

We are the turn of this century. We are the voice of change. We are here to fix what America is falling short of. -- Mya Middleton, 16, Chicago.

Application deadlines

  • CALGARY YOUTH FOUNDATION GRANT (Youth Central) CALGARY STORY If you have a great idea for a youth (12-18) project in Calgary, we have the funds to back you up! Receive up to $2,000 for youth-driven projects in your community, school or neighbourhood. Next grant deadline: April 9, 2018. Submit your idea through the grant application form here. March 2018

Beautiful

Opinion

Lists of lists

News

  • Quad ball diamond project rounding third (Rocky View Weekly) LANGDON STORY Nice work NBCFB! And thank you to the donors. ViTreo is proud to be working with the North Bow Community Facility Board on this project."The Langdon Community Campus quad baseball diamond project is moving along, said Chrissy Craig, with the [NBCFB]. 'We have the ball rolling. We’re about 10 per cent towards the funds we need. We’re not quite there, but we actually have funds rolling in and we have commitments coming in.' That 10 per cent equates to more than $200,000 donated by the private sector." 3/27/18

  • Myer Horowitz Theatre renovation ‘on hold’ at University of Alberta (Global News) EDMONTON STORY "A multi-million-dollar renovation to the Myer Horowitz Theatre at the University of Alberta is on hold after a failed attempt to get the student body to pitch in on the renovation costs [...]. By a narrow margin, the vote failed, with 49 per cent of students saying no. Forty-four per cent of students said yes and six per cent of the votes were spoiled or unmarked." 3/27/18

  • Immersive YWCA women's shelter gets $8.6 million from Alberta government (CBC) CALGARY STORY Congrats to all. What a fantastic facility. "The Hub will provide housing, services and training for women fleeing violence or living in poverty". 3/26/18

  • Winspear Centre expansion project closer to completion with $13M provincial pledge (CBC) EDMONTON STORY Congrats! "Downtown Edmonton music venue has 50 per cent of estimated $53 million needed for expansion". 3/25/18

  • Tens Of Thousands Across The US March For Gun Control (CBS) "Summoned by student survivors of the Florida school shooting, tens of thousands of teenagers and their supporters rallied in the nation’s capital and cities across America on Saturday to press for gun control and ignite political activism among the young." 3/24/18

  • How the Calgary Zoo is getting ready to welcome Canada’s giant pandas (Global News) CALGARY STORY Everyone is very excited. "Two giant pandas on loan from China and the two babies they created while living at the Toronto Zoo [have] landed in Calgary [...] marking the start of the second part of their Canadian journey. But, instead of staying for just seven months like the pandas did in 1988, they will stay in Calgary for five years in the Panda Passage habitat at the Calgary Zoo." 3/23/18

  • Arts Umbrella to get $7M boost for sprawling new campus (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY Nice work Ottawa! We need more funding to encourage kids to pursue and engage in the arts. "A Vancouver non-profit that teaches kids to dance, paint and sculpt is losing its old home — and gaining a new one, thanks to a $7-million injection from the federal government. Arts Umbrella, which offers free programming for the bulk of its 20,000 young students each year, had been operating in an old nail factory on Granville Island." 3/23/18

  • Alberta Budget 2018: What’s in it for Calgary and Lethbridge (Global News) CALGARY STORY "Alberta’s NDP government is beginning to reduce its capital spending from previous years as Finance Minister Joe Ceci’s budget, delivered [on March 22], indicates a tightening of the province’s fiscal belt. But Rachel Notley’s government still has plans for $26.6 billion in infrastructure spending over five years, much of it for projects and initiatives in Calgary and Lethbridge. Here’s a look at what’s new for the two southern Alberta cities." 3/22/18

  • Alberta Budget 2018: What’s in it for Edmonton (Global News) CALGARY STORY "Finance Minister Joe Ceci’s 2018 budget sees Alberta begin to reduce its capital spending but the province’s NDP government is still planning for $26.6 billion in capital spending over five years. Many of those dollars will be spent on projects and initiatives in Edmonton and the surrounding areas." 3/22/18

  • Advanced Education Minister apologizes to President Turpin (Gateway) EDMONTON STORY We first mentioned this item in our March 23rd recap. "Turpin came under criticism from Minister Schmidt following the passing of the university’s budget on March 16 [...]. Following Turpin’s interview on CBC radio where he expressed his shock at the personal criticisms directed to him from the minister, Schmidt said he called Turpin to apologize for his comments. '(Turpin) and I both agree that we need to continue to work together to make sure that the students at the University of Alberta are well served by the institution and by the government.'" 3/22/18

  • Post-secondary receives more funding than expected in Provincial Budget 2018 (Gateway) ALBERTA STORY "In its budget passed on March 16, the University of Alberta conservatively estimated they would not receive any increased funding from the provincial government. In reality, their funding has been raised by two per cent." 3/22/18

  • Downtown Edmonton Galleria project suspended (CBC) EDMONTON STORY "The Galleria Project, a sprawling arts district proposed for downtown Edmonton, has been suspended by its board of directors. The Edmonton Galleria Foundation released a statement Wednesday night confirming the $850-million project is no longer considered viable." 3/22/18

  • Edmonton non-profit distributes leftover food from businesses to agencies in need (CBC) EDMONTON STORY I love this idea. More please. "Originally started in Calgary, Leftovers is now expanding to Edmonton in an official capacity. Edmonton non-profit distributes leftover food from businesses to agencies in need." 3/22/18

  • Wynne pledges $2.1-billion in funding for mental health in Ontario ahead of election (Globe and Mail) ONTARIO STORY Nice work Ontario! "Premier Kathleen Wynne is promising $2.1-billion to rebuild Ontario’s mental-health system over the next four years as her long-governing Liberals face a tough re-election fight." 3/21/18

Schadenfreude

  • The Flight of the Zuckerberg (Medium) 20 quick thoughts about the Facebook scandal by one of my favourite writers, Dave Pell, the unofficial editor of the Internet. I recommend subscribing to his daily newsletter, NextDraft. 3/22/18

Philanthropic advising

Life and career hacks

Philanthropic personalities

  • Rubenstein Discusses Philanthropy, Failure at Business School (The Crimson) "David M. Rubenstein, a member of the Harvard Corporation, discussed his non-linear path to private equity, outlined his philanthropic vision, and ruminated on past failures at a Harvard Business School event Monday." 3/27/18

  • Youth and Conservation: The Holy Grails of a Young Billionaire Couple's Giving (Inside Philanthropy) "Well, with a $2 billion net worth, [Brian Sheth], the 42-year old and his wife Adria are making donations through their Sangreal Foundation. The couple's giving appears to be on the rise, too. Earlier this decade, the foundation's grantmaking was in the half-million range. In the most recent fiscal year available, around $1.6 million went out the door." 3/23/18

  • Thoma: Meet an Art-Collecting Couple Committed to Visual Arts (Inside Philanthropy) "Bruce Rauner and his wife Diana. Rauner, a private equity veteran and former chairman of Chicago-based GTCR, is currently the governor of Illinois. The Rauners are strongly interested in education philanthropy, pumping millions into charters, advocacy organizations and more, in Chicagoland and beyond." 3/21/18

Philanthropic controversy

Trends and shifts

Large gifts

  • Southwest library renamed after $1.5M donation from Giuffre family (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY Congrats to the Calgary Public Library Foundation and thank you to the Giuffre Family. "The Calgary Public Library has renamed one of its branches in honour of a $1.5-million donation from a local family. What was formerly the Alexander Calhoun Library in southwest Calgary is now the Giuffre Family Library, following the family’s generous gift [...]." 3/25/18

  • MetroWest Jewish Day School receives donation for special education (Boston Globe) "The Alfred and Gilda Slifka Foundation announced [...] that it will donate $5 million to MetroWest Jewish Day School in Framingham." MetroWest Jewish Day School is a pre-K to grade 8 community Jewish day school located in Framingham, Massachusetts. 3/27/18

  • Sandusky Central Catholic gets $1M donation (Sandusky Register) "The school’s education foundation, which helps fund teaching programs, recently received almost $1 million from the Arthur and Mildred Link Trust fund [...]." St. Mary Central Catholic High School is a Catholic, private high school in Sandusky, Ohio. 3/27/18

  • Cisco pledges $50 million to fight Silicon Valley homelessness, in record-breaking donation (The Mercury News) "Cisco [...] pledged $50 million to fight homelessness in Silicon Valley in what appears to be the largest donation ever made by a local company in response to the growing crisis. The money, to be distributed over five years, will go toward building extremely low-income and supportive housing in Santa Clara County, funding homelessness prevention programs such as skills training and rent assistance, and improving the technology and data collection used by homeless organizations, according to the company." 3/27/18

  • belairdirect announces $1.5 million donation to Breakfast Club of Canada (Newswire) CANADIAN STORY "belairdirect is proud to announce a new partnership with Breakfast Club of Canada and a donation of $1.5 million over the next three years. With this contribution, Breakfast Club of Canada will open new breakfast programs in three Canadian schools in areas of greatest need." Founded in Quebec in 1955, belairdirect provides car and home insurance products directly to consumers. 3/26/18

  • Meals on Wheels Group Receives $5 Million Donation (U.S. News) "The central Ohio Meals on Wheels Program has received an anonymous $5 million donation." 3/26/18

  • School of Engineering receives $3 million donation (Daily Lobo) "A University of New Mexico alum posthumously gifted the School of Engineering with the largest lump sum cash gift in the school’s history — $3 million. Dana C. Wood, a former civil engineering major, died in 2013 after battling cancer." 3/25/18

  • Winnipeg philanthropist donates more than $10M to help disadvantaged students (CBC) WINNIPEG STORY What a magnificent gift! We do not typically see large gifts going to K-12 in Canada. Terrific. Thank you Mr. Schroeder. "One of Winnipeg's poorest schools is getting a break thanks to a multimillion-dollar private donation. Philanthropist Walter Schroeder is donating more than $10 million to help underprivileged students at three high schools in Winnipeg." 3/23/18

  • The Big Give SA tops last year's totals as donation blitz ends overnight (ABC) "The overall donation total of $5,075,000 beat last year's total of $4.7 million, but fell far short of the organizer's goal." 3/23/18

  • $1.8M Donation Supports Custer State Park Fire Rehab (ABC) "A charitable group has given $1.8 million to support rehabilitation following a wildfire in South Dakota's Custer State Park. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks announced the donation from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust [...]." Yes, that Leona Helmsley. 3/22/18

  • $18 million gift to benefit LLCC agriculture program (State Journal-Register) Remember, be nice to farmers. What a great gift. "An $18 million endowment is headed to Lincoln Land Community College’s agriculture program thanks to two Macon County farmers. The donation comes from the estate of the late Charles and Irene Kreher. The trust also directs the LLCC ag program to implement an education program on their farm near Blue Mound." 3/22/18

  • UM Health And Medicine Initiative Receives $1 Million Donation (Montana Public Radio) "The University of Montana announced today it has received a $1 million donation that the school says will jumpstart its burgeoning health education program [...]. The $1 million gift comes from the Oregon-based Madrona Hill Foundation. Its president is UM Grad Cheryl Burnham." 3/22/18

  • Gucci Steps Up With $1 Million Donation for Beyoncé's Clean Water Initiative (Complex) Nice! "Gucci is marking World Water Day with a million-dollar donation to Beyoncé's BeyGood4Burundi initiative." 3/22/18

  • Million-dollar donation secures scholarships for Indigenous architecture students (ArchitectureAU) "A million-dollar donation will see a new scholarship established to fund Indigenous students study architecture at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) [...]. The scholarship is a partnership between UTS, the Droga Family Foundation and is supported by the NSW Architects Registration Board (NSWARB) and Government Architect NSW." March 2018

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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