Weekly News Recap: June 21, 2019

A model poses in a dress from the fashion line Devotion Designs created by Wendy Schindler, a graduate of the Wilson School of Design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. (Submitted/Wendy Schindler)

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. -- King Solomon

This week's highlights

  • Two great opportunities to participate; first in an Alzheimer's research study and second, as part of the national conversation on fundraising in Vancouver #JoinIn
  • A collage of absolutely fabulous and inspiring women, all over 50 #DeferredDreamsFulfilled
  • A new president at Red Deer College, freedom by law for whales and dolphins, and big changes at CRA #Changes
  • Calgary lost a university icon and the world lost a fashion icon #Passages
  • We are soon going to see a huge bump in the number of Indigenous films #GoNetflix
  • Passion exploitation, human-centred change, and story behind the #WeTheNorth campaign
  • A Canadian university apologizes for one of its convocation speakers #ToneDeaf
  • Philanthropic giving is now trending the wrong way #Yikes
  • Oxford University is getting £150m ($250 million CAD) and Vaughan's hospital is getting $40 million #NewRenaissance
  • Three $1 million+ gifts in Canada: Olds College, Saskatoon Hospice, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery #GoodWeek!
  • ...And so much more!

Research study participant opportunity

  • Are you a caregiver? (Gordie Howe CARES) At ViTreo we love research and we love our clients. This helps both. If you want to participate in this study, you need to sign up by July 8. "Gordie Howe Center for Alzheimer’s Research and Education Society is taking the next step of realizing our vision to build a Centre of Excellence for Dementia CARE. To identify and prioritize the unmet needs of family caregivers, we are seeking volunteers to provide us with a one week glimpse into their daily lives. Caring for somebody with dementia is different every day. There are powerful moments of joy and connection but it’s also a 24/7 job that can sometimes be exhausting & overwhelming. We want to know how dementia impacts YOU. To participate in this research project, please take 5 minutes to complete this online questionnaire." 6/20/19

AFP Global

  • Time to Say Goodbye... (AFP Toronto) CANADIAN STORY I have known Cynthia almost my entire fundraising career. I have had the privilege of working alongside her in many roles throughout the years. Truly a great partner and a friend. Congratulations on your retirement Cynthia. We will miss you. June 2019

  • Canadian Leadership Retreat July 25-27, 2019, Vancouver (AFP Global) CANADIAN STORY I am going. All the cool kids are going. Are you going? "Who should attend this event? Chapter Presidents, President-Elects, any other chapter board member representing your chapter, Board members of AFP Canada and the Canada Foundation and national committee members. Local chapter members are always welcome. REGISTER" June 2019

Photography

Inspiration

  • Changing channels (Washington Post) This is a terrific article. "Millions of women wait years to fulfill their dreams — or to figure out what their dreams are. Here are some of their stories." 6/9/19

  • This carpenter builds crutches for kids. Now it’s his turn to walk. (National Geographic) "WHILE ON ASSIGNMENT for National Geographic at a children’s hospital in Zambia I saw David Miti, a man without legs, sitting on a bench making crutches. The poetry of the moment hit me and I asked if he would share his story. Miti built a career as a truck driver and a carpenter. Then, at age 34, his life changed forever." 6/7/19

News

  • RDC welcomes in new President (Lacombe Online) RED DEER STORY Congrats to all. Welcome to Alberta Dr. Nunoda. "Red Deer College’s Board of Governors introduced Dr. Peter Nunoda to the College community as the institution’s incoming President & CEO, succeeding Joel Ward after ten years." 6/18/19

  • Edmonton man wins $1M in contest that encouraged people to save money (Global News) EDMONTON STORY It pays to save they say. "Andrew Buchner, 24, is the winner of the Servus Credit Union Big Share Contest, which saw Albertans compete to save money. The more members saved, the more contest entries they earned." 6/18/19

  • Historic French community in Calgary to get bilingual stop signs (CBC) CALGARY STORY Merci! "A neighbourhood that was once home to hundreds of French-speaking Calgarians is getting bilingual stop signs. Rouleauville, now Mission, was originally named for Charles and Edward Rouleau — brothers who moved to Calgary from Quebec in the late 1800s. The village had been founded by French Canadian priests." 6/17/19

  • Heiress, designer Gloria Vanderbilt dead at 95 (CBC) RIP Ms. Vanderbilt. "Gloria Vanderbilt, the intrepid heiress, artist and romantic who began her extraordinary life as the 'poor little rich girl' of the Great Depression, survived family tragedy and multiple marriages and reigned during the 1970s and '80s as a designer jeans pioneer, died Monday at the age of 95." 6/17/19

  • University of Calgary mourns passing of Dinos pioneer Dennis Kadatz (UToday) CALGARY STORY A University of Calgary icon. RIP Dr. Kadatz. We will not see your like again. "The University of Calgary is mourning the passing of a visionary leader, a pioneering coach and sports administrator, and the father of the Dinos athletic program. Dr. Dennis Kadatz, PhD, passed away Tuesday, June 11 at the age of 80." 6/14/19

  • B.C. fashion school named best in Canada, among top in the world (CBC) RICHMOND STORY Nice work Kwantlen. I bet Mr. Chip Wilson is pleased as well. "The Wilson School of Design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Richmond, B.C., has been named the best fashion school in the country and among the top undergraduate programs in the world by Business of Fashion (BOF) magazine." 6/13/19

  • Parker: Red Arrow celebrates 40 years of connecting Albertans (Calgary Herald) ALBERTA STORY I have not kept an accurate account but I have likely taken 500 or more trips on this bus. I love Red Arrow. Congrats! "July will mark the 40th anniversary of Red Arrow’s luxury inter-city passenger coach service that has done such an outstanding job in connecting the people and communities of Alberta." 6/13/19

  • Regina YMCA to update members on 'challenging year,' with debt rising to $5.1M in 2018 (CBC) REGINA STORY :-( "Downtown YMCA needed roofing repairs, while maintenance and membership contributed to debt." 6/12/19

  • Ariana Grande Makes $250,000 Planned Parenthood Donation (Yahoo) Nice work. "Ariana Grande is donating $250,000 of proceeds from her June 8 concert in Atlanta, Ga., to Planned Parenthood, a representative for the Planned Parenthood Action [Fund]." 6/12/19

  • Ground breaks on memorial garden honouring Brentwood Five (660 News) CALGARY STORY A lovely and fitting legacy garden. "Lawrence Hong, Jordan Segura, Joshua Hunter, Zackariah Rathwell and Kaiti Perras were killed at a house party celebrating the end of the university semester on April 15th, 2014. To ensure their memories and legacies live on, ground has broken on a memorial garden in South Glenmore Park." 6/12/19

  • Canada passes 'Free Willy' bill banning whale and dolphin captivity (CNN) CANADIAN STORY This is fantastic! "Canada's House of Commons passed a bill [...] to make it illegal to hold a whale, dolphin or porpoise captive, punishable by fines up to $150,000 USD. It's known colloquially as the 'Free Willy' bill, named after the 1993 movie in which a young boy frees a killer whale from a US amusement park." 6/10/19

  • Dramatic changes to the CRA Charities Listing (Blumbergs) CANADIAN STORY This is not cool. Boo. "CRA has recently updated its Charities Listing and the most notable change is the fact that they have reduced the amount of information available on each Canadian registered charity. The Charities Listing used to have up to 15 years of data for each charity, but now that has been reduced to only the last 5 years of data for each charity. There are concerns that this change reduces transparency and accountability within the charitable sector. While the information is still technically publicly available, now anyone who would like to review older data must first submit a request form to CRA and wait a few weeks instead of that information being instantly available." 5/24/19

First Peoples of Canada

  • Saskatchewan's artifact laws 'perpetuate colonization': Indigenous archeologist (CBC) SASKATCHEWAN STORY "'When you have non-Indigenous people making decisions about what happens with Indigenous history, you're continuing to perpetuate colonization.' Saskatchewan's heritage legislation has come under scrutiny after ancient artifacts were discovered along the proposed route for a gravel road 150 kilometres west of Saskatoon, near the town of Dodsland." 6/13/19

  • Netflix announces partnerships with 3 Indigenous cultural organizations in Canada (Global News) CANADIAN STORY Nice work Netflix! "The partnerships with imagineNATIVE, the Indigenous Screen Office, and Wapikoni Mobile were revealed Tuesday night at the Banff World Media Festival. The initiative is part of a $25-million commitment Netflix made in September 2017 to invest in market development activities aimed at supporting the next generation of Canadian creators over five years." 6/11/19

Books to read

  • The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, Revised Edition Kindle Edition (Amazon.com) "Whether we're buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long-distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions—both big and small—have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented." 2019

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

  1. Your Focus Is Priceless. Stop Giving It Away. (Forge) An interesting new term (or at least new to me): the eyeball economy. And, he's right of course. 6/19/19

  2. 7 Ways to Prevent Passion Exploitation At Your Nonprofit (Bloomerang) Have you been exploited because of your passion? Read on. "According to 8 different studies with over 2,400 participants, (Understanding Contemporary Forms of Exploitation: Attributions of Passion Serve to Legitimize the Poor Treatment of Workers, forthcoming in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, a study by Jay Kim and Aaron Kay), people who are passionate about their work are more easily exploited and less likely to take a break, on a personal level. 6/14/19*

  3. Tania Little: Using Human-Centered Design to Manage Change (AFP Global) CANADIAN CONTENT My dear friend and colleague gives us a lovely micro-learning video with some great resources. Thanks Tania! 6/13/19

  4. The Most Important Way to Measure Your Day (The Ascent) So great. Stop measuring your day by what you did. Instead... 6/13/19

  5. How To Get 10X The Value From Every Book You Read (Books) Great system. Ideal for nonfiction. Happy harvesting. 5/18/19

  6. Meet the marketer behind the Raptors’ #WeTheNorth campaign (Canadian Business) TORONTO STORY This is a great case study for all of us involved in marketing. "Hosford has overseen what is perhaps the largest rebranding effort in Canadian sports history. With one 60-second ad, the #WeTheNorth campaign took the first step in bringing the Raptors to international prominence, and a disenfranchised fan base back to the bleachers." 5/13/19

  7. Looking for a Breakthrough? Do What You Hate (The Startup) Interesting approach. A slightly different take on "do something that scares you." 4/24/19

Opinion

  • Breaking down the walls of scientific secrecy (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT "Getting scooped by a competing researcher is one of a scientist's biggest fears. And some of the most important discoveries in medical history have been tainted by competitive controversy. Back in 1952, before he co-discovered the structure of DNA, James Watson got access to Rosalind Franklin's revolutionary X-ray image of DNA without her knowledge. That image, known as Photo 51, was a major clue that helped Watson and Francis Crick complete their Nobel Prize-winning discovery. The lack of credit given to Franklin remains a stain on the story of their breakthrough. But what if Franklin had been informally publishing her research notes all along?" 6/15/19

  • What If We’re Wrong? (The Agitator) Always interesting, often provocative, we love The Agitator. "Let’s say things like knowing donor identity, increasing commitment, engaging our donors by seeking their feedback, and the like are the equivalent of a Michelin-star restaurant. There could be a place to compete in fundraising as McDonald’s with a focus on convenience, standardization, and low price." 6/14/19

Philanthropic controversy

  • Western University apologizes for musician's convocation speech that degraded women (The London Free Press) LONDON STORY "Stephan Moccio, a music composer, writer and pianist who has penned songs for Celine Dion and Miley Cyrus, addressed graduates and their families at Alumni Hall for Western University’s 313 convocation on Monday. Moccio, who received an honorary doctorate in music, started his 13-minute address by recalling a sign he saw upon arriving in London to begin his studies nearly three decades ago. 'My earliest memory of driving in off the 401 with a sign that said, ‘Thank you fathers for dropping off your virgin daughters,’” he said to muted laughter.'" 6/17/19

  • The charity donation websites that take a cut of your kindness: Beware hidden transaction and processing fees - and why you should tick the Gift Aid box (This is MONEY) "The websites allow fundraisers to advertise events they are participating in – for example a sponsored run – along with a link so that donations can be made instantly online. But what many people do not realise is that the majority of website providers, including JustGiving and Virgin Money Giving, siphon off some of the hard-earned donated money to pay for running the business or to make money." 6/15/19

Trends and shifts

  • Individual Giving in 2018 Drops to $292.1 Billion (Barrons) "Individual giving, which makes up the majority of charitable donations in the U.S., dropped 1.1% to an estimated $292.1 billion in 2018, shaped by a mixture of countervailing economic and policy factors throughout the year." 6/18/19

  • Donations to charity dropped last year despite a strong economy. Was the tax law to blame? (Washington Post) "Donations to charities dropped an inflation-adjusted 1.7 percent in the United States last year, despite a strong economy, according to a report highlighting changes to federal tax law and continuing trends in who makes charitable gifts." Thanks to Ron Bailey for sharing this story. 6/18/19

  • Annual Tally Shows Reduced U.S. Giving. But How Reliable is This Data? (Inside Philanthropy) "One reason Giving USA’s data raises questions is that the figures it releases each spring are far from final; they are calculated before the availability of tax data and some economic and demographic indicators. Final estimates on charitable giving are not released until two or three years after the figures’ initial release. And such final estimates have become even harder to determine with the tax reforms of 2017, which removed the incentive to itemize charitable giving in the tax returns filed by millions of Americans. As a result, tax data now provide a far less comprehensive paper trail of household giving. To further compound the challenge, the IRS has not yet released final 2017 tax deduction figures; preliminary charitable deduction totals will not be available until early 2020." 6/18/19

  • Charitable Giving Drops Again in First Quarter, Leading to Concerns for Rest of 2019 (AFP Global) "For the second consecutive year, almost every metric monitored by the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) has decreased in the first quarter (January through March) of 2019, leading to concerns about the growth of charitable giving for the rest of the year." 6/12/19

Large gifts

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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Katia AsomaningComment