Weekly News Recap: May 15, 2020

Weekly News Recap: May 15, 2020

Da Mao, an adult male, and Er Shun, an adult female, will be headed back to China due to bamboo supply issues. (Calgary Zoo)

It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything. -- Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club

We have hosted five Ask Anything* Zoom chats over the last few weeks. The feedback on these sessions has been tremendous. So much so that we are coming up on our fourth of a five-part series. Our next session is all about the role of the board during a financial and existential crisis. And, we always have special guests. Registration is free. Seating is limited. Visit our Ask Anything page to see times and dates. Register today.

FUNDRAISING IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

+ ViTreo's most recent podcast: Healthcare Philanthropy in the Time of Coronavirus. We were joined by Ken Mayhew, President & CEO at William Osler Health System Foundation; Jessica Veitch, Manager, Donor Recognition at Sinai Health Foundation; and Judy Neiser, CEO at Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation. It is a great episode.

+ ViTreo's most recent blog post: THE FUTURE OF PHILANTHROPY AND FUNDRAISING: FACING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONAL EXTINCTION BECAUSE OF THE CORONAVIRUS? How partnering, collaborating, or merging can save you and your mission

+ And an updated (as at May 15, 2020) set of resources: Fundraising In The Time Of COVID-19

+ We are here to help. We are all in this together. If you would like to chat, reach out and schedule some time to talk. You can also call us at 403.210.3157 or, if this is still your thing, you can send us an e-mail. Stay safe. Stay sane.

SOME GOOD NEWS

  • The Office Cast Reunites for Zoom Wedding: Some Good News with John Krasinski Ep. 7 (YouTube) We have a rule at the recap. SGN has to make us cry or it can't be in. Seven episodes in and I am still crying. John Krasinski, you are one of my Covid heroes. "John Krasinski highlights some good news around the world (including weather from Emma Stone) and has his friends from The Office join in to surprise a newly married couple. Special thanks to Emily Blunt for the intro and Zac Brown for the live performance!"

  • NHL releases powerful ad of players and fans applauding for nurses (RMNB) Ah....for hockey fans everywhere. A nice move. "The NHL posted an ad to thank health care workers on National Nurses Day [...]. Nurses are on the front lines of the world’s war against the coronavirus, which has hit the NHL’s home base of New York City especially hard."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. Calgary Zoo to ship giant pandas back to China early due to difficulty getting bamboo during pandemic (CBC) CALGARY STORY This was a body blow for Calgarians. We love our pandas. "The Calgary Zoo is shipping two giant pandas back to China years ahead of schedule due to difficulty obtaining bamboo amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Zoo staff have struggled to import enough bamboo to feed giant pandas Er Shun and Da Mao — who are on loan to Canada from China until 2023 — due to flights being disrupted by the pandemic."

  2. Alberta to relaunch Thursday but COVID-19 restrictions to remain for Calgary, Brooks: Kenney (CBC) ALBERTA STORY A welcome move towards our new normal. "Alberta will proceed to the first phase of its relaunch plan [...] though Calgary and Brooks will reopen more slowly than the rest of the province, says Premier Jason Kenney. Citing a litany of encouraging statistics about case numbers and hospitalization rates, Kenney announced at a news conference [...] that the first stage of the relaunch will go ahead as planned in most parts of the province."

  3. High school students to get the 'pomp and circumstance' of graduation with drive-thru celebrations (CBC) CALGARY STORY Cool idea. "Some Calgary high school students will be able to celebrate their Grade 12 graduation, despite the ongoing pandemic restrictions banning large gatherings. A local company — run by parents of soon-to-be grads — has organized a drive-thru graduation at Stampede Park [...]."

  4. City council approves more than $22M for Calgary non-profits, partners (CBC) CALGARY STORY Nice and very necessary move. "City council approved two relief packages [...] directing $6 million to community associations and community recreational groups struggling with fixed operational costs, and $15 million for non-profit partners including social agencies and organizations such as the Calgary Zoo and Heritage Park."

  5. COVID-19 forces Canadian National Exhibition to cancel 2020 fair (CBC) TORONTO STORY The Calgary Stampede is the largest 'Outdoor Show on Earth' with 1 million visitors per year but the CNE is the largest exhibition in Canada at 1.5 million visitors. Like our loss with the Stampede, I am sad for the people of Ontario and Toronto. "The Canadian National Exhibition has cancelled its 2020 event, marking the first time since the Second World War that Canada's largest fair will not be held."

  6. How the 'horrible trade-off' to contain COVID-19 blew up Alberta's economy and its finances (Edmonton Journal) ALBERTA STORY "Just over two months ago the Alberta government predicted near US$60 per barrel of oil for several years to come, a revived Alberta economy and a budget surplus by 2022-23."

  7. Edmonton aims to innovate to diversify economy post COVID-19 (CBC) EDMONTON STORY This a bold and cool move. "The City of Edmonton will create a new authority to help diversify the economy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, city council agreed [...]. Council unanimously approved the initiative called the innovation entity — estimated to cost $5 million a year. The project started several months ago after council voted to scale back the role of the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation."

  8. Calgary's performing arts organizations determined to hit the stage again (CBC) CALGARY STORY "'We're looking at scenarios where we're starting in September and offering a season that we have online. We're looking at scenarios where we could start some point in the fall or start in January — and we really don't know,' [Paul Dornian, the president and CEO of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra] said. 'We're looking at, how big an audience you can get, how much time it takes to get in and out of this theatre. How you handle things if you're trying to maintain social distancing in the theatre,' he said."

  9. Days of high oil prices are over: analyst (660News) ALBERTA STORY "The oil and gas sector may rebound, but the era of high prices is now over. That’s according to one analyst with the Jamestown Foundation and the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy. Sergey Sukhankin believes the prices we are seeing right now, which devastated the industry in the province, won’t last."

  10. I Have Seen the Future—And It’s Not the Life We Knew (The Atlantic) An interesting look at what life in cities of the near futures might be like. "Cities around the world might slowly be coming back to life, but there’s no going back to 'normal.'"

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. Workers aren’t the only ones feeling anxious during pandemic: doctor (The Standard) This is a time of self-compassion. For all of us but especially the leaders who need to model good mental health behaviours.

  2. The Impact of Covid on the Sector (Alberta Nonprofit Network) Excellent report of the current effects. Unsurprisingly, most nonprofits in Alberta expect the impacts of the covid crisis to last three to six months. "As the challenges from COVID-19 continue, governments, organizations and funders need information about the impacts of the pandemic and what is most needed by the nonprofit sector at this time."

  3. Dear Diary: Transitioning to 'adulthood' during a pandemic? It's not great. (CBC) CALGARY STORY A first-person account of what it is like for Rheya Patel, a Grade 12 student in Calgary. As a father of two teenagers including one in Grade 12, this hits home.

  4. Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on postsecondary students (Statistics Canada) CANADIAN STORY When statisticians use words like 'unprecedented' and 'profound', you know this is a BIG deal. And a great set of data for anyone who works, lives with, or cares about students in Canada's postsecondary sector.

  5. TRUST-BASED PHILANTHROPY: WHAT HAS CHANGED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC? (Boston College Centre for Corporate Citizenship) Corporations are more than doing there part during this crisis. And, for that we are grateful. Here is a report that might help understand just what they are doing. "More than 70% of respondents reported that during this time they are proactively reaching out to nonprofit partners to see what funding they need. Especially by working with community foundations and other organizations with knowledge of local issues, firms have been able to identify unmet needs that may have been hidden otherwise, such as the crisis in food security affecting millions of children suddenly without access to school meals. As much as they can, corporate givers should keep an open line of communication with nonprofits and maintain relationships—not only to inquire about their needs for funding, but also to reassure them if or when the funding will continue."

  6. 20% of Donors On Sideline Waiting For End Of COVID (Nonprofit Times) "Donors will be more careful about giving in light of the pandemic and will even stop giving for now, according to new data in a Dunham+Company survey conducted in April by Campbell Rinker. More than half of donors surveyed said they plan to continue giving — but more carefully in light of the COVID-19 pandemic — while 20 percent of donors said they would stop giving until the economy rebounds, according to the responses."

  7. How One National Nonprofit Is Adapting to COVID-19 (Stanford Social Innovation Review) Useful lessons learned from a national poverty non-profit in the U.S. and a thought or two on the post-covid future.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson match to include $10M donation for COVID-19 relief efforts (NBC) I might even watch and I rarely watch golf. "The next match involving Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson involves a $10 million donation for COVID-19 relief efforts, along with plenty of bragging rights in a star-powered foursome [...] at Medalist Golf Club. Turner Sports announced more details [...] for 'The Match: Champions for Charity,' a televised match between Woods and Peyton Manning against Mickelson and Tom Brady."

  2. Elton John has $1 MILLION donation to his AIDS foundation 'COVID emergency fund' MATCHED by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey amid the ongoing pandemic (Daily Mail) Nice move Jack! "Elton John has had his $1 million donation to his AIDS foundation's COVID emergency fund matched by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. The music icon, 73, pledged to donate to the cause due to the 'overwhelming need in the communities' they support."

  3. UNC business school will put record donation toward expansion (Triangle Business Journal) Gifts are still being made. "In the midst of a global economic shutdown, UNC-Chapel Hill has a reason to celebrate: an $11 million donation to finance a new building for its business school. [The] university announced the donation from Steve and Jackie Bell of Bell Partners in Greensboro, which deals in apartment investments and management."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

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