Weekly News Recap: May 4, 2018

Longtime Calgary business commentator Deborah Yedlin has been named the University of Calgary's next chancellor. (University of Calgary)

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. — Marcel Proust

Humour

Innovation

  • Vital Signs: A New Way for Hospital Fundraisers to See How They're Doing (Inside Phillanthropy) Woot! Nice work June Bradham! Nice work Blackbaud! "American nonprofit hospitals and medical centers can now compare their fundraising returns with others that have a similar number of beds and are located in regions of comparable wealth [...]. The Healthcare Philanthropic Index, as the new tool is called, is the result of a year-long partnership between Blackbaud, the software company, and June Bradham, vice president of strategic consulting in the company’s Healthcare Solutions Group." 4/28/18

Lists of lists

News

  • New name could be in the works for Edmonton's Shaw Conference Centre (CBC) EDMONTON STORY "The Shaw Conference Centre, one of the most distinctive buildings in downtown Edmonton, could get a new name. The naming rights for the convention facility expire Dec. 31 and the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation is accepting submissions until May 25 for a new naming deal." 5/1/18

  • One-in-Five Canadians Have Used a Food Bank in Their Life, New Study Finds (BusinessWire) CANADIAN STORY "To launch its Feed the Hope campaign this year, Catelli recently commissioned a new study to uncover Canadians’ thoughts and perceptions of those who use food banks. The research, which aims to shed light on the face of hunger in Canada, found that one-in-five Canadians have used a food bank in their life." 4/30/18

  • Millions of scholarship dollars go unclaimed each year in Canada (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "You don't have to be a genius or a sports superstar to qualify for a university scholarship. That's the message from financial expert Lesley-Anne Scorgie as students enter the final stretch of the school year and have to start thinking about tuition fees before heading out for summer vacation. 'What we have, unfortunately, is millions of scholarship dollars being left on the table because students are not bothering to apply' [...]." 4/30/18

  • Dartmouth aims to raise $3 billion (CBS) "The 'Call to Lead' campaign, according to Dartmouth President Phil Hanlon, aims to fuel research to improve the human condition around the world. The college is already halfway toward its fundraising target, with gifts from 78,000 donors, totaling $1.5 billion. Officials are now targeting female philanthropy. The goal is to have 100 women make a donation of $1 million or more". Yes, you are reading it right...next goal is to have 100 women make gifts of $1 million or more. I love the confidence. The audacious confidence. I have no doubt they will do it. 4/28/18

  • Calgary food banks seeing a rise in need — four years after oil downturn (The Star - Calgary) CALGARY STORY "The city’s economy is slowly perking up, but the issue of food insecurity is still a reality for many Calgarians. Local groups are pitching in to try to fill the gap." 4/28/18

  • Calgary Benefits from Significant Investments in Cultural Infrastructure (Markets Insider) CALGARY STORY Thanks! "The Government of Canada has provided $2.38 million to eight creative organizations in Calgary, including $1.6 million to the Calgary Stampede Foundation for the construction of Walton Hall, a new flexible multipurpose space located in the heart of the foundation's youth campus. When complete, Walton Hall will provide affordable and accessible performance and rehearsal spaces, with room for audiences of up to 150 people." 4/27/18

  • Deborah Yedlin named University of Calgary's next chancellor (CBC) CALGARY STORY Congrats to you Deborah and congrats to the UoC! "Calgary business journalist Deborah Yedlin has been selected as the next chancellor of the University of Calgary." 4/27/18

  • Minister impressed with progress of U of L’s Destination Project (Lethbridge Herald) LETHBRIDGE STORY "The provincial minister of advanced education is impressed with what he sees of the new Destination Project building under construction at the University of Lethbridge." 4/27/18

  • Calgary Stampede gets $1.6M from feds for re-creation of historic church (CBC) CALGARY STORY "[The] Calgary Stampede Foundation, [...] is getting $1.6 million for its new performance and rehearsal space, Walton Hall [which will pay] homage to the 110-year old Westbourne Church in Victoria Park, which was damaged beyond repair by the 2013 flood [...]." 4/27/18

  • Nenshi says collaborating is key for Calgary's non-profit community (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY "Even though Calgary is rebounding from the economic downturn, Mayor Naheed Nenshi says non-profit groups need to get creative and become more social media savvy to keep much-needed dollars coming through the door." 4/26/18

  • Olds College receives $7.8 million to upgrade infrastructure (Red Deer Advocate) OLDS STORY "Olds College will upgrade its aging infrastructure to become more reliable and environmentally sustainable thanks to a $7.8 million investment from the provincial government." 4/26/18

  • LAKELAND’S PRESIDENT’S GALA RAISES OVER $72,000 (My Lloydminster Now) LLOYDMINSTER STORY Congrats! ViTreo is proud to be working with Lakeland College. "The President’s Gala hosted by Lakeland College has raised well over last year’s amount of $56,000 to fund student bursaries." 4/26/18

  • Arts Commons gets $1M from province to upgrade boilers to high efficiency energy system (CBC) CALGARY STORY "Calgary's Arts Commons is set to receive $1 million from the province to upgrade its boilers to thermal energy. The money is being provided through the government's Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP), which the province says will make the arts hub more energy efficient and cost effective — reducing greenhouse gases by 25,950 metric tonnes over the 25-year life span of the new heating system." 4/26/18

Canada's First Peoples

  • Wood Buffalo Housing signs housing agreement with McKay Métis (Fort McMurray Today) WOOD BUFFALO STORY "Wood Buffalo Housing and Development Corporation (WBHDC) has signed an agreement with Fort McKay Métis to bring affordable housing to the community, making it the third housing memorandum the group has signed with Métis communities in Wood Buffalo." 4/30/18

  • Edmonton's 1st Indigenous police officer honoured as Valley Line LRT stops named (CBC) EDMONTON STORY "Now that the route for the west extension of the Valley Line LRT is approved, the city is giving names to each of the 16 stops. The downtown stop at 102nd Avenue and 106th Street will be named the Alex Decoteau Stop, in tribute to the Cree track-and-field athlete and soldier who joined the Edmonton police in 1911." 4/25/18

Books to read

Life and career hacks

Philanthropic personalities

  • Russian community to recognise Roman Abramovich for Jewish philanthropy (The JC) 'Russian businessman and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich is to be recognised for his philanthropy by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FJCR). The award follows his donations to Jewish causes in Israel, Russia and around the world totalling more than £360 million." 5/1/18

  • Ahead of the Curve: The Patron Who Helped Kickstart the Activist Art Boom (Inside Philanthropy) A profile of cultural leader and philanthropist Shelley Frost Rubin. 4/28/18

  • Philanthropy 50: Australia's most generous givers (Financial Review) "The once discreet business of giving away a slice of one's wealth is gaining scale, making networking more important than ever. Knowing who's who in the zoo makes all the difference in finding the right person to fill that spare seat on the foundation board, or how to go direct to the potential donor who's most interested in the fight against muscular dystrophy, or baroque opera." 4/25/18

Philanthropic controversy

Trends and shifts

  • Where Philanthropy Dollars Are Concentrated Around The World [Infographic] (Forbes) "Last week, a landmark study analyzing global philanthropy foundations worldwide was released by the Harvard Kennedy School with support from UBS." 5/1/18

  • "Without Shackles." Behind an Exceedingly Rare Unrestricted Museum Mega-Gift (Inside Philanthropy) "It's no secret that the large majority of grants that flow from foundations are for restricted project support [...]. Still, after years of pleas by nonprofit leaders for more general support, we're finally seeing signs that more mega-donors embrace "no strings attached" giving across the broader world of philanthropy." 4/30/18

  • VATICAN MAKES CHANGES TO DONATION LAWS TO HELP FIGHT TERRORISM AND MONEY LAUNDERING (World Religion News) About time, I have to say. "The Financial Information Authority, the de-facto financial watchdog of the Vatican, has assumed responsibility for examining all suspicious donations made to charities in the name of the Vatican. The AIF will also investigate foundations [...]. The AIF annual report showed progressive consolidation of all reports with the aim to import the Vatican into international norms compliance for terrorist financing and money laundering." 4/30/18

  • Millennials are struggling. Is it the fault of the baby boomers? (The Guardian) "The postwar generation, now retiring in luxury, stands accused of a wilful failure to safeguard young people’s interests." Thanks to Ron Bailey for sharing this story. 4/29/18

  • Generation X Poised to be the Next Big Giver in Philanthropy (eJewishPhilanthropy) "Blackbaud, Inc. has released findings from its Next Generation of American Giving study that explores charitable habits and multichannel preferences of Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, Matures, and includes a first look at the charitable perspective of up-and-coming Generation Z. In the latest installment of this series, last published in 2013, the Blackbaud Institute for Philanthropic Impact™ shares insight into each age group’s giving practices and potential, top giving channels by generation, and evolving donor expectations, attitudes, and habits." 4/29/18

  • Facebook adds features to donation tool and eliminates fee for personal causes (Neowin) Welcome change. Thanks Facebook. Also, note matching feature. for now, only in the U.S. but soon to expand internationally. "Facebook has announced several changes and improvements to its Fundraisers tool, probably the most welcome change is that Facebook is eliminating the platform fee for all fundraisers for personal causes, which will mean they’ll be able to keep more of the money they’ve managed to raise instead of handing a portion over to Facebook." 4/28/18

  • Global Philanthropy Sector Is Growing Fast: Harvard Study (Think Advisor) "New research funded by UBS shows that three-quarters of the world’s private foundations were established in the last 25 years, but their resources are highly concentrated in certain sectors and coordination between foundations is limited." 4/27/18

  • What’s Inspiring Anti-Trump Charity Donations? Hope, Not Anger (Fast Company) "The term “rage philanthropy” was coined after the 2016 election, describing the surge in donations to causes that seemed threatened by the president’s isolationist and ethnocentric viewpoint. As time has gone on, however, the rage-inspired name is becoming somewhat misplaced. The theory has proven too reductive: A new survey found that the people inspired by political events to give to charity this year are more motivated by hope than rage, and it’s fueling a smaller, but more sustainable push toward charitable giving." Thanks to Scott Decksheimer for sharing this story. 4/26/18

  • As the rich get richer, we’re witnessing a ‘global age of philanthropy’ (Globe and Mail) "As the wealthy become even wealthier, the world has entered an “age of philanthropy,” with education the most popular focus of some 260,000 foundations globally, researchers said on Thursday." 4/26/18

  • UBI is Inevitable (hackernoon) Universal Basic Income may or may not be inevitable but I do love the idea of calling it a Human Stipend instead. 3/26/18

Reports and studies

Large gifts

  • $100 Million Donation to Fox Valley Community Foundation (WeAreGreenbay.com) "Former media executive David L. Nelson and his wife, Rita, donated an estate gift of more than $100 million to the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region." 5/1/18

  • MEMORIAL PARK RECEIVES $70 MILLION DONATION FROM KINDER FOUNDATION (Houston) "[The] Memorial Park Conservancy announced it has received an eye-popping $70 million donation to help preserve Memorial Park [...]. The $70 million donation came from the Kinder Foundation, a Houston-based nonprofit organization founded by Rich Kinder whose mission is to 'enrich the lives of people in the Greater Houston area through transformational grants that impact urban green space, education and quality of life.'" 4/26/18

  • Bowes Foundation's Donation Boosts S.F. Conservatory Building Project (San Francisco Classical Voice) "[San Francisco Conservatory of Music] announced a $46.4 million donation from the William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation to the school for the building project. In recognition of what is believed to be the largest such contribution to a music school for a new facility, the building will be known as the Ute and William K. Bowes, Jr. Center for Performing Arts." 4/26/18

  • Multi-million dollar donation to help Montreal research into infection and immune threats (Radio Canada International) MONTREAL STORY "[McGill] University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation and McGill University announced a major financial donation of $15 million dollars to boost research into these diseases and develop treatments [...]. The donation by the Montreal-based Doggone Foundation will be used to launch the McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity." 4/26/18

  • Carroll College anthrozoology program gets $1.2M donation for a new building (KRTV) "[Anthrozoology] will have a dedicated home on the Carroll campus, thanks to a $1.25 million gift. The donation will pay for a new 'canine center,' housing all the offices for the anthrozoology faculty and providing space for dog training, research and veterinary treatment." 4/26/18

  • UC San Diego Receives Significant Medicinal Cannabis Research Donation (KPBS) "UC San Diego Wednesday announced what the university touted as the largest private medicinal cannabis research donation in U.S. history. The Ray and Tye Noorda Foundation's $4.7 million gift to UCSD's Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research will fund research on the potential of cannabidiol, a nonpsychoactive compound found in cannabis, as a severe autism treatment." 4/26/18

  • Arlington school district receives $1.85 million donation from Dallas Cowboys and NFL (Star-Telegram) "The Dallas Cowboys, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the Arlington school district announced its partnership on Wednesday at Workman Junior High School to ensure that the NFL draft in Dallas extends past 2018. The Gene and Jerry Jones Arlington Youth Foundation, NFL Foundation, and Hellas Construction donated $1.85 million to Arlington ISD to replace the grass at Workman Junior High School with a synthetic turf surface, and to replace lights and the scoreboard." 4/25/18

  • $1 million donation spurs action on stalled downtown park (Hamilton Spectator) HAMILTON STORY "In 2016, residents on King William rallied to call for action on the park, including a suggestion to expropriate Club Seventy Seven because of nearby violence, including the shooting death of doorman Vincent Lofaro. The project was still $2.5 million short [...] when downtown Coun. Jason Farr announced an 'incredible' $1-million gift from the Patrick J. McNally Charitable Foundation, which is focused on supporting parks, trails and public green space." 4/25/18

  • Central Washington University receives $1 million donation from Boeing to honor career of alumnus (Yakima Herald) "The Central Washington University Foundation announced [...] that it received a $1 million donation from The Boeing Company earlier this year to honor the career of an alumnus who retired from Boeing after 35 years." 4/25/18

  • Kohl’s announces $1M donation to Susan G. Komen Wisconsin (Radiology Business) "Kohl’s announced Wednesday, April 25, that it is donating $1 million over two years to Susan G. Komen Wisconsin. This is the latest donation in the ongoing partnership between Kohl’s, based in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, and the renowned breast cancer organization." 4/25/18

  • Pope Foundation gives UNC $10 million for cancer research and philosophy and politics program (News Observer) "Pope Foundation gives UNC $10 million for cancer research and philosophy and politics program." 4/23/18

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