Weekly News Recap: June 22, 2018

Murray McCann, founder of the Field of Crosses memorial project, which started in 2009, stands amid the crosses in Calgary on October 24, 2015. CHRISTINA RYAN / CALGARY HERALD

You’ve got to serve somebody. -- Bob Dylan

Books to read

  • Philanthropy Is Not Charity (The University Bookman) I am not sure how I will feel about this author's assertions but I have ordered the book to find out. "In The Philanthropic Revolution, Jeremy Beer succeeds in his two-pronged effort to delineate charity from philanthropy, both in their actual practice and in their distinct origins, and to expose the long-ignored skeletons of philanthropy’s deep, historical closets. " Spring 2018

Analysis

  • Rising oil prices could push Alberta back into the black and reverse NDP's political fortunes (CBC) CALGARY STORY "You could almost hear the provincial NDP holding its breath as the price of West Texas Intermediate, the North American benchmark price, slowly edged up to around $65 per barrel, which is almost 50 per cent higher than where it was a year ago. It's easy to see why: the political survival of Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and her government could well depend on that rise." 6/14/18

News

  • Deal finally signed to turn old Calgary planetarium into contemporary art gallery (CBC) CALGARY STORY Woot! Can't wait. Calgary is finally getting a contemporary gallery. "Contemporary Calgary and city officials have reached a deal that will see the arts group realize its long-sought goal of creating a public gallery in the old planetarium building on the west end of downtown. [The] city will spend $24.5 million on renovations to the building to bring it up to date with current building codes — to be complete by December — allowing the arts group to open the gallery in 2019." 6/19/18

  • RDC and Olds College to open joint campus in Ponoka (Red Deer Advocate) RED DEER STORY Congrats! Nice move. "Red Deer College and Olds College are preparing to open a joint campus this fall in Ponoka. This partnership will be similar to other Campus Alberta Central sites the two institutions run in Rocky Mountain House, Stettler and Drumheller." 6/19/18

  • Big names in technology gather in Calgary for WestJet’s first ever Hackathon (Global News) CALGARY STORY Cool idea. Nice work Westjet. "Digital innovators and technology experts filled the Russ White Hangar at the Calgary International Airport for WestJet’s first Hackathon on Monday. According to Dictionary.com, a Hackathon is a competitive and collaborative event where participants, usually from the digital technology industry, gather in teams with the hope of producing a functioning project at the end." 6/18/18

  • B.C. spending millions to upgrade Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (CBC) VICTORIA STORY "B.C. is going to spend $6 million to help upgrade the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. A statement said the Next Gallery Project will bring more multi-purpose presentation space, a community auditorium, enhanced education centres and a sculpture garden." 6/17/18

  • Haskayne School honouree exemplifies leadership, long-term thinking (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY Congratulations Guy! A well deserved honour. "Each year, the Haskayne School of Business and Calgary Chamber of Commerce recognize a community leader who’s made a difference in both the private and not-for-profit sectors. This year’s Distinguished Business Leader Award recipient is Guy Turcotte, an important player in the evolution of Canada’s oilpatch." 6/16/18

  • Trico Homes founder to receive the Alberta Order of Excellence (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY Congratulations Wayne! So well deserved. "After being appointed Member of the Order of Canada in 2015, the founder and CEO of Trico Homes is being recognized for his social responsibility once again. Wayne Chiu, a Calgary-based homebuilder and philanthropist, is one of eight people who will become members of the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2018. A release from the provincial government calls this 'the province’s highest honour a citizen can receive.'" 6/15/18

  • Gymnastics club closes after almost 4 decades, leaving father hoping to raise $100K (CBC) CALGARY STORY "The Stampede City Gymnastics Club has shut its doors after helping youth athletes for 38 years, but a Calgary dad is doing flips to get funding in place to reverse the decision." 6/15/18

  • Chrissy Teigen and John Legend Have a Message and a Donation for Trump's Birthday (Time) "[Teigen] detailed that she and Legend find the policies of the Trump Administration as it affects immigrant families in the U.S., to be 'cruel, anti-family and go against everything we believe this country should represent.' She then announced that each member of their family would be donating $72,000 because of Trump’s 72nd birthday, encouraging her followers to make donations of their own, of any amount to the ACLU [...]." 6/14/18

  • Murray McCann, founder of Field of Crosses, named Citizen of the Year (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY Our sincere congratulations and thanks to Mr. McCann. Your gift to honour the memories of those who have fallen is beautifully inspiring. "Calgary entrepreneur and philanthropist Murray McCann was honoured for his humanitarian efforts, which notably includes the Field of Crosses Memorial Project launched in 2009. The project honours southern Alberta soldiers who died in the line of duty by erecting thousands of white crosses along Memorial Drive from Nov. 1 to 11 each year." Thanks to Scott Decksheimer for sharing this story. 6/14/18

  • NorQuest College to run ATB branch, keep the profits (Edmonton Journal) EDMONTON STORY Very innovative. Good for ATB for being open to this. "The new location opened [recently]. It will be fully operated by the college, and all of its profits will be kept by the college to fund scholarships, academic programming and student supports." 6/13/18

Canada's First Peoples

  • How 5 Alberta First Nations are helping shape the future of Indigenous education in Canada (CBC) ALBERTA STORY "A new northern Alberta school district is blazing a trail for Indigenous-led education in Alberta and the rest of Canada. The Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council Education Authority was formed for the current school year by five First Nations which are home to six schools. Up to this year, the nations involved — Loon River First Nation, Lubicon Lake Band, Peerless Trout First Nation, Whitefish Lake First Nation and Woodland Cree First Nation — each had their own curriculum in their schools." 6/18/18

  • 'It's our mountain, it's not just his': Grade 3 class petitions for name change back to ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY "'My class wants to make a change, and I hope you do too.' That's how Anthony George expressed his frustration in a letter to Green Party MLA Adam Olsen. George is a Grade 3 student at the ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ Tribal School on the Saanich Peninsula. He and his classmates wrote letters to Olsen after a recent trip to an area they traditionally know as ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱, the same name as their school. The students were concerned and confused to see the signs marking the area as John Dean Provincial Park and Mount Newton." 6/15/18

  • Newly Named U Of A Residences Honour Indigenous Culture And History (Public.) EDMONTON STORY "The University of Alberta announced the names of its two newest residences [...]. Thelma Chalifoux Hall, named in honour of the Métis activist and former Canadian senator, and Nîpisîy Hall, based on the Cree word for willow, are the names of the buildings that were referred to as Lister 5 and East Campus Village 9, respectively, during their construction. Both names honour Indigenous history and the university's location on Treaty 6 territory." 6/15/18

  • Watch: Maskwacis rainbow crosswalk first on Canadian reserve, officials say (Red Deer Advocate) ALBERTA STORY "A rainbow crosswalk in Maskwacis might be the first one on a First Nations reserve in Canada [...]. At the unveiling, Samson Cree Nation Chief Vernon Saddleback said he wants the community to be a safe haven for everyone – regardless of religious beliefs or sexual orientation." 6/14/18

  • Students from Calgary and Tsuut’ina create mural for Fort Calgary (The Star) CALGARY STORY "Students from Calgary and the Tsuut’ina Nation gathered at Fort Calgary on Wednesday to witness the unveiling of a tiled mural celebrating Indigenous culture, vibrancy, and resiliency. The colourful work — called Many Hands — was crafted by the many hands of children from Calgary Arts Academy, Chiila Elementary School and Connect Charter School." 6/13/18

  • Tsuut'ina green thumbs gather to create community garden for food bank (CBC) CALGARY STORY "A dozen volunteers on the Tsuut'ina First Nation are getting their hands dirty for the good of the community. With a little help from Grow Calgary, members of the band have been digging, tilling and planting all week to create a community garden. Everything grown will ultimately go to the Tsuut'ina Nation Food Bank." 6/13/18

Life and career hacks

Uncommon knowledge

  • Using Design Thinking to Help Nonprofits Fundraise (Harvard Business Review) Very interesting...looks like diversification of funding sources is not the secret to sustainability. Thanks to Andrea McManus for sharing this story."William Foster and his team at The Bridgespan Group conducted a study that revealed that, of the 144 nonprofit organizations created since 1970 that have grown in size to $50 million a year or more, each has relied particularly heavily on one particular source: something Foster and his coauthors call the “natural match.” For example, the Sierra Club relies primarily on membership fees, while Susan G. Komen has concentrated its fundraising intensively on its race events." 6/7/18

Philanthropic personalities

  • A Partnership Making the Case for Supporting Grassroots Climate Work (Inside Philanthropy) "There’s a good argument to be made that communities on the frontlines of environmental protection—especially indigenous people, women and youth—ought to receive greater funding based on significant need and the small amount they currently receive [...]. One of a handful of emerging players trying to do so is the Grassroots Climate Solutions Fund, a partnership of four grantmakers that have been supporting indigenous rights, climate and economic justice, and women’s rights for more than 100 years combined." 6/18/18

  • How the “Oceans 8” Cast’s Philanthropy Is Changing the World (Borgen Magazine) Great film btw. "In the new film 'Oceans 8', Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Sarah Paulson lead audiences through a fantastic jewelry heist. While people know and love these women for their acting careers, few know of the incredible philanthropic work they do off-screen." 6/17/18

  • Jeff Bezos to announce his philanthropy plans this summer (cnet) And the 'Bezos-watch' begins... "One year ago [...] Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos tweeted a request for philanthropy ideas from the public, saying he wanted to find ways to give that provided an immediate impact. That tweet got about 49,000 responses. [Bezos] tweeted that he 'settled on two areas' and will announce what they are by the end of the summer." 6/13/18

Philanthropic controversy

  • Province finishes review of 'extremely concerning' allegations by Calgary Drop-In Centre staff (CBC) CALGARY STORY "The provincial government's review of allegations of workplace bullying and harassment at Calgary's largest homeless shelter has wrapped up, with the government saying it is satisfied with the steps the Drop-In centre is taking to better protect the 'health, safety and security' of its employees [...]. 'We found that the CDIC has recently implemented new policies and procedures to support the health, safety and security of staff and improve workplace culture,' [Community and Social Services spokesperson Samantha Power] said. She said recent changes in the staff and board level leadership are an 'encouraging development.'" 6/15/18

  • Trinity Western loses fight for Christian law school as court rules limits on religious freedom 'reasonable' (CBC) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY "A B.C.-based evangelical Christian university has lost its legal battle over accreditation for a planned new law school, with a Supreme Court of Canada ruling today saying it's 'proportionate and reasonable' to limit religious rights in order to ensure open access for LGBT students." 6/15/18

  • Harvard Rated Asian-American Applicants Lower on Personality Traits, Suit Says (New York Times) "Harvard consistently rated Asian-American applicants lower than others on traits like 'positive personality,' likability, courage, kindness and being 'widely respected,' according to an analysis of more than 160,000 student records filed Friday by a group representing Asian-American students in a lawsuit against the university." 6/15/18

  • St. John's alumnus sues university, wants donation back plus interest (MPR News) *"St. John's University in Collegeville, Minn., is being sued by one of its own graduates who wants his donation back. Roger Lindmark, a 1974 grad, gave $300,000 to St. John's with settlement money he won from lawsuits against big corporations. Lindmark wanted the money to fund two students each year to spend the summer researching and writing papers about corporate-business ethics. But Lindmark says that's not how the university used his money [...]. 'The papers that were produced were on topics totally outside corporate-business ethics,' Lindmark said. 'One paper was done on soil conservation. Another was done on romance in the workplace.'" 6/14/18

  • New York Attorney General Sues Trump Foundation After 2-Year Investigation (New York Times) "The New York State attorney general’s office filed a scathingly worded lawsuit on Thursday taking aim at the Donald J. Trump Foundation, accusing the charity and the Trump family of sweeping violations of campaign finance laws, self-dealing and illegal coordination with the presidential campaign." 6/14/18

Trends and shifts

  • No money United Way target will continue: president (Cornwall News) CORNWALL STORY "The new president of the [Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry] United Way says the campaign’s target, focusing on lives changed instead of a dollar amount, will continue. Last fall was the first time the United Way focused its campaign on the number of lives changed instead of picking a dollar figure that was usually unveiled with fanfare during a breakfast at the Royal Canadian Legion." 6/19/18

  • Alberta stays on upward swing in interprovincial population gains (CBC) ALBERTA STORY "Alberta's recent return to the positive side of the ledger in interprovincial migration after years of losses is getting more pronounced, according to the latest population figures from Statistics Canada. Alberta had a net interprovincial migration gain of 1,862 in the first three months of this year, with 15,203 out-migrants compared with 17,065 people arriving from other provinces." 6/14/18

Large gifts

  • With a $1M anonymous donation, a shuttered historic mansion in Villanova will come back to life (The Inquirer) "The Willows Mansion, a century-old property owned by Radnor Township that has fallen into disrepair, will be preserved, renovated, and kept as a public space after the township and a newly created private preservation organization recently signed a 10-year lease." Radnor Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, 6/18/18

  • Meijer LPGA Classic raises more than $1 million for food pantries (ABC) "After a hot weekend, the fifth Meijer LPGA Classic wrapped up on Sunday afternoon with a win by So Yeon Ryu from South Korea. There was also a record donation total of $1.1 million, which will be given to Simply Give's program that stocks food pantries across the Midwest." 6/17/18

  • Grand Island school board OKs provision for $10M donation (ABC) "The Grand Island school board has approved provisions for a $10 million donation for a renovation of the district's Memorial Stadium [...]. Martin initially agreed to donate $5 million. He increased his commitment to $10 million as the project scope broadened." 6/15/18

  • North Bay hospital receives $1 million donation (Sudbury Star) NORTH BAY STORY "The North Bay Regional Health Centre Foundation has received a hefty donation from a local couple. Well-known businessman and former owner of Voyageur Airways, Max Shapiro and his wife Lorraine, announced a $1 million donation for the health centre's critical care unit [...]." 6/16/18

  • Smiths' $1.8 Million Donation to Fund New Bird Garden at the Arboretum (StateCollege.com) "The Arboretum at Penn State will add a new bird garden, thanks to a donation from a Penn State alumnus and his family. State College resident Charles 'Skip' Smith, who has been instrumental in funding the creation and development of the Arboretum, along with his sons David, Jeffry and John, committed $1.8 million to launch construction of the garden, which will be designed to attract birds year-round and help to educate Arboretum visitors." 6/15/18

  • $2.1 Million In Donations Raised By Kimbal Musk’s Tesla Model 3, And $10 Raffle Donation Wins Car! (Cleantechnica) Yes, this is Elon's brother. "It seems fitting that Kimbal Musk’s all-electric environmentally friendly car fundraiser brought in a little over two million dollars for his environmental nonprofit Big Green. The Colorado-based organization he founded teaches children about healthy and sustainable food through school gardening programs." 6/15/18

  • $1M donation boosts environmental research at Western (London Free Press) LONDON STORY "A $1-million endowment from the Salamander Foundation was announced [recently] for Western Engineering, with the London school matching the gift. The money will be added to the endowed fund that supports the Salamander chair in environmental engineering, who oversees research activities focusing on water quality, wastewater treatment, resource recovery and organic waste treatment." 6/14/18

  • College of Business receives $1.25 million donation for women’s leadership program (University Press) "The Fortune 500 are the top profitable companies in the U.S., and last year the number of women in charge of them was at a historic high — 32. This year, however, there are only 24, something that FAU alumna Kathleen Brush wants to change. That’s why she donated $1.25 million to the College of Business [...]. Starting in September, the money will establish the Kathleen Brush Program for Women in Leadership." Florida Atlantic University (FAU) is a public university in Boca Raton, Florida. 6/14/18

  • Conservatoire renames concert hall after £1m donation (Birmingham Post) "A new concert hall in Birmingham has been renamed in honour of a local entrepreneur who donated £1 million to the venue. The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, which opened in September, has named its performance venue The Bradshaw Hall after Keith Bradshaw, the co-founder of car dealership group Listers." The photo refers to Julian Lloyd Webber who is Andrew Lloyd Webber's son. 6/14/18

  • U of L gallery gets massive $5M art collection from iconic estate (CBC) LETHBRIDGE STORY Dr. Marmie Hess touched the lives of countless individuals and organizations throughout her life. Those of us who's lives intersected with hers, know what a blessing she was. This gift is so Marmie. And it makes me so very happy. "Officials are calling it the largest ever donation in the University of Lethbridge's half-century history. The University of Lethbridge Art Gallery just unpacked more than 1,000 pieces of art from the estate of Dr. Margaret (Marmie) Perkins Hess, worth between $4 million and $5 million." 6/13/18

  • St. Luke's Health System enhances spine care with $25M donation: 5 things to know (Becker's Spine Review) "Overland Park, Kan.-based St. Luke's Health System received a $25 million donation, according to The Kansas City Star. Here are [some] things to know: [the] Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation gifted the money [and] St. Luke's will use the donation to expand its spine care services and create a new rehabilitation center [...]." 6/13/18

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