Weekly News Recap: June 29, 2018

A current STARS Air Ambulance helicopter. DEAN PILLING / POSTMEDIA NETWORK

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing about. -- Benjamin Franklin

Lists of lists

News

  • 'A place of peace': $25M Aga Khan Garden is set to open (CBC) EDMONTON STORY Such a privilege to have worked on this project. #ViTreoIsProud. 'It's "a place of peace, a place open to all people, a place that welcomes different cultures and a place that gives a ... nod to the placement of humans in nature,' says Lee Foote, director of University of Alberta Botanic Garden." 6/27/18
  • 3 million school meals: Edmonton social entrepreneurs honoured by MacEwan University (CBC) EDMONTON STORY The world is actually full of good people. Here are two of them. Also Grant MacEwan's Social Entrepreneur in Residence program is brilliant. "Two Edmonton businessmen who started selling their products from their van and have gone on to build a thriving global enterprise are MacEwan University's first social entrepreneurs in residence. Kori Chilibeck and Matt Moreau started selling bottled water, coffee and tea from their van in 2005 to selling products in 700 locations worldwide." 6/26/18
  • New Emily Carr University president says she's aligned with school's 'creative energy' (CBC) VANCOUVER STORY Congrats. Welcome to the west Ms. Siddall. "After a year of searching, Emily Carr University has chosen the next president and vice-chancellor for the art and design institution in Vancouver. Gillian Siddall, who was last working as the vice-president academic and provost at the Ontario College of Art and Design University, will take the position in the fall." 6/26/18
  • University of Alberta gets $500K for automated vehicle research (Global News) EDMONTON STORY In case you were wondering, autonomous vehicles are becoming a thing. "The federal government has committed $500,000 towards the University of Alberta’s project to improve privacy of automated vehicle communications. The government said the funding will support research, studies and technology to help address technical, policy and regulatory issues related to connected and automated vehicles." 6/25/18
  • Resolve campaign a huge success (Regina Leader Post) CALGARY STORY From all of us at ViTreo to all of you at RESOLVE, congrats! What a fantastic achievement for Calgary's homeless. "It’s a known fact that providing homes for homeless people is the first step for them to change their lives. This philosophy, called Housing First, was the driving force behind the Resolve campaign, started six years ago in Calgary to provide homes for homeless and vulnerable Calgarians. Through the generous philanthropy of Calgarians and companies based in the city, the Resolve campaign raised enough money to build affordable rental housing for its goal of 3,000 people." 6/23/18
  • Calgary Drop-In Centre's board votes for status quo in chair (CBC) CALGARY STORY "The Calgary Drop-In Centre's board of directors has re-elected Ken Uzeloc as chair after going through what Uzeloc describes as a year of turmoil [...]. Uzeloc says there are two priorities for the next year. 'To make sure we get an executive director that is going to fit with what we are looking for and help the organization,' Uzeloc said. 'I think it's also about finishing off construction that's going on on the Centre 4800 building to get people housed. [We're] looking for that to open in the fall of 2019.'" 6/23/18
  • Huge collection of Johnny Cash artifacts acquired by UVic (CBC) VICTORIA STORY Man, this is cool. Another reason to visit Victoria. "The University of Victoria has become the new home for some very significant artifacts connected to legendary musician Johnny Cash. Thousands of gold records, photos and scrapbooks belonging to the late Saul Holliff — Cash's manager in the 1960s and '70s — are now in the special collection of the university's library." 6/23/18
  • Donation For Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (CJWW) SASKATOON STORY Woot! Nice gift. "A Saskatoon couple is honouring their grandchildren through a $250,000 donation to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation, for a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit twin room. Wayne and Debra Grund are owners of Visions Salon & Spa and Surface Hair." 6/22/18
  • B.C.'s largest dinosaur museum reopens for summer, but long-term future remains uncertain (CBC) TUMBLER RIDGE STORY "British Columbia's largest dinosaur museum has raised enough money to reopen for the summer season after funding shortages forced its closure in March 2018, but it's still searching for a permanent funding solution. The Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation's fundraising efforts reached its goal of $150,000, including $50,000 from the District of Tumbler Ridge for the 2018 season." 6/22/18
  • Local business legend and philanthropist Sam Switzer dies (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY Sam, you were amazing. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. RIP Mr. Switzer. "Calgary hospitality and philanthropic giant Sam Switzer has died. Switzer, who suffered from lung and kidney ailments, was surrounded by loved ones when he died Wednesday at the Rockyview Hospital at the age of 92. 'He was bigger than life, he was Mr. Hospitality and in his later years was very philanthropic,' said his daughter, Darlene Switzer-Foster. Switzer lived a life of adventures, pratfalls and triumphs, what he would call 'learning experiences,' said close friend and author Sydney Sharpe [...]." 6/20/18
  • University of Saskatchewan medical college gets full accreditation (CBC) SASKATOON STORY "The prognosis is good for the future health of Saskatchewan's medical school. The University of Saskatchewan's College of Medicine was put on probation in 2013 when an accreditation committee found the school's education standards were lacking in some areas. The probation was lifted in 2015, but the committee responsible for accrediting Canadian medical schools did more evaluations." 6/20/18
  • Successful year for OWC (Lethbridge Herald) LETHBRIDGE STORY ViTreo is proud to have helped the Oldman Watershed Council with its revenue devleopment. "The Oldman Watershed Council recently held its annual general meeting at the Enmax Centre, with officials calling it a time to reflect and celebrate past success and look to the future. 'Our greatest accomplishment is the thousands of people that we engage in our work,' said Shannon Frank, OWC’s executive director. She said water testing done over the past three years shows overall the quality of the Oldman River is good, but there were a few times when the river exceeded guidelines." Thanks to Mick Mulloy for sharing this story. 6/19/18

Canada's First Peoples

  • 'He's a natural': Dancing toddler steals the show at Camrose powwow (CBC) ALBERTA STORY Strictly speaking, this is not 'news' but this kid is talented (and adorable). "A video of a pint-sized powwow dancer has gone viral after the two year old stole the show on National Indigenous Day in Camrose. Albert (A.J.) Apsassin may just be a toddler, but he didn't hesitate to jump in on a dance in front of 3,000 people on June 21." 6/25/18
  • Blood Tribe seeks massive land claim in Federal Court (CBC) ALBERTA STORY "The band occupies the largest reserve in Canada, stretching 1,400 square kilometres across the Alberta prairie. It's bigger than the cities of Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal combined. But the band believes its territory should be far bigger — and it has been fighting the federal government for decades, over lines drawn on a map roughly 140 years ago. Those lines have massive implications today." 6/24/18
  • Piikani First Nation woman helping build bridges between business and Indigenous communities (CBC) CALGARY STORY Congrats to Shawna Morning Bull. "Chief David Crowchild was considered a trailblazer for his work bringing Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities together. On Wednesday, an award named in his honour was given to Shawna Morning Bull of the Piikani First Nation for her dedication to improving the lives and the economy of Indigenous people." 6/21/18
  • Future of AFN, promised Indigenous rights bill flashpoints in national chief election (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "The Assembly of First Nations race for national chief began officially on Wednesday and at stake for some candidates is the very future of the largest Indigenous organization in the country. Five candidates, including incumbent National Chief Perry Bellegarde, are vying to lead the AFN at a time when it faces a flurry of legislative activity from the Justin Trudeau Liberal government, including a proposed bill to recognize Indigenous rights." 6/20/18
  • Red Deer College team tackles lack of Indigenous inclusion in research projects (Red Deer Advocate) RED DEER STORY "The Walking Together: Applying OCAP (Ownership, control, access, possession) to College Research in Central Alberta, was taken on by Dr. Krista Robson, Red Deer College’s Research Ethics Board Chair; Michelle Edwards Thomson, librarian; Vickie Cardinal-Widmark, Indigenous Student Services Coordinator; and Lloyd Desjarlais, Indigenous Student Services generalist. Funded through the social sciences and humanities research council, the project analyzed information on the research ethics board observing OCAP principles for research involving Indigenous individuals and communities." 6/20/18

Life and career hacks

  • 35 Tech Podcasts Worth Listening To (The Mission) Oh my, so many to choose from. I have only listened to one of these (This Week in Google) but there are lots that are going in my feed now. Happy listening. 6/22/18

Uncommon knowledge

Opinion

  • Does It Matter What Motivates Business Philanthropy? (Entrepreneur.Com) "When businesses give to nonprofits or volunteer their time, I often hear grumblings from other business leaders in that community. It's usually comments like: 'X company is only supporting Y initiative because there’s something in it for them.' or 'Oh, they are just giving money to that nonprofit because it makes them look good.' or 'They’re just trying to hide the fact that the company has a bad reputation.' Do businesses give back because they care, or because it helps their business grow? And if the answer is the latter, should it matter?" 6/22/18

Philanthropic personalities

  • Funding a "Leadership Laboratory." Behind Another Higher Ed Mega-gift (Inside Philanthropy) "DePauw University, a private liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,300 students, recently received a $20 million gift from former chairman and chief executive officer of General Mills Steve Sanger and his wife Karen, who are alumni of the school. The gift will fund the school's new Sanger Leadership Initiative and supports the university's Campaign for DePauw, which has exceeded its $300 million goal and now stands at $354 million." 6/24/18
  • "Investment Ready." A New Venture Philanthropy Fund Gets Up and Running (Inside Philanthropy) "[A profile of] the New Coast Foundation, which was founded in 2016 but [...] just launched publicly. Alex Ross, co-founder of a boutique venture capital fund called New Coast Ventures, is behind the fund, which is operating as a philanthropic venture fund solely dedicated to Chicago." 6/19/18

Philanthropic controversy

  • Taliesin School: Frank Lloyd Wright House Donation Called Off (Fronteras) Too bad. "The School of Architecture at Taliesin said it will no longer receive a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Phoenix that the famous architect designed for his son. Last year, house owner Zach Rawling said he would give it to the architecture school if $7 million could be raised to restore and manage the 1952 property. Rawling purchased the Wright home in 2012 with plans to turn it into a museum." 6/22/18

Trends and shifts

  • Make Daily Micro Donations to Charity Using This 'Netflix For Giving' (Lifehacker) "Often one of the biggest barriers for people to make charitable donations is that they don’t have the budget to do so. That, or they’re not sure where their money would make the biggest impact. When you’re making a huge salary, donating a set amount each month is easy. When you’re struggling to get by, a large regular donation might just not be in the cards. Good Street is a site that allows users to make donations as little as $.25 a day (roughly $7.50 a month) and help a new charity a day." 6/23/18
  • Big Gifts Flow to These Legacy Nonprofits. What Are the Takeaways? (Inside Philanthropy) "It's always interesting to watch how big legacy nonprofits try to stay in step with key trends in philanthropy. Surprisingly, many institutions that were founded over a century ago do a better job than you might think at moving with the times." 6/22/18
  • Now is the time for social justice philanthropy to invest in emerging media (Ford Foundation) Note who is pushing this agenda. Go Ford Foundation! "Advances in emerging media are swiftly reshaping the landscape of storytelling, at a level and pace unseen since the invention of the moving image. Emerging media is already generating story forms that re-invent the way we experience narratives. With such disruption of existing moving image practices comes an opportunity to contribute to a new generation of narrative approaches that reflect the full plurality of the human experience." 6/22/18
  • Why are charity shops in decline and what can be done about it? (nfpSynergy) "Charity shops are in decline. 271 closed in 2017- a net loss of 69- according to a study by PwC. And yet, evidence suggests that they remain popular with the public. nfpSynergy’s Charity Awareness Monitor found that over three quarters of respondents agreed that charity shops were a good place to find a bargain (77%), while 60% agreed that they sell good quality items." Thanks to Mick Mulloy for sharing this story from the U.K. 6/20/18
  • "Ready to Make Our Mark." An Immigrant Group Becomes a Powerful Force in Philanthropy (Inside Philanthropy) "Between 300,000 and a half-million Iranian-Americans now call Southern California home, more than any other region in the U.S. And while they've always had a formidable philanthropic presence in the region, anecdotal evidence finds them ramping up their giving across areas like the arts, education, and Jewish causes." 6/20/18
  • "Elites Supporting Elites." What's Wrong (and Right) With Foundation Support of Journalism (Inside Philanthropy) "To understand just how much work is needed to shore up what's left of the newspaper industry, consider the following data points: In 2000, print advertising revenue for newspapers was $67 billion. By 2014, that total had fallen to $20 billion, adjusted for inflation. During this same period, the number of people working in newspaper newsrooms dropped from 56,000 to 37,000. What has philanthropy done to offset these devastating losses? What can it do? And what are the risks that emerge as journalism leans more heavily on private support? These questions inform a new study, 'Funding the News,' by the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy and Northeastern University." 6/19/18
  • In an age of disruption, community–university collaboration is a must (Univesities Canada.) CANADIAN STORY "Resilient communities are the bedrock of prosperous, stable societies. So what makes for resilient communities? First and foremost, it’s knowledge: the insight to recognize disruptive change, face challenges and seize emerging opportunities. By working together, communities and universities have terrific power to generate and leverage that knowledge together." 5/30/18
  • When Philanthropy Meets Advocacy (Stanford Social Innovation Review) "As the United States moves deeper into the 21st century, our democracy’s most fundamental principles are under challenge. Headlines proclaim the widening divide between Republicans and Democrats over immigration, the environment, race, and other critical issues. The gap has more than doubled since the Pew Research Center began tracking political values in 1994." Summer 2018
  • Rise of Subscriptions and the Fall of Advertising (The Graph) Note: This article is from last year but...it is still relevent. "The hottest topic in the media business right now is the unexpected growth in paid subscriptions. Newspapers — left for dead many times in the past few years — are now seeing a resurgence thanks to direct sales. The New York Times gained 130,000 subscribers in November and the WSJ is up 300%. Netflix and Amazon Prime continue torrid growth with their ad-free experiences, and Hulu and YouTube are racing to launch their own subscription models. Spotify and SiriusXM have proven that people will pay for ad-free radio, and Pandora recently bragged that it will rapidly erase last year’s $343MM net loss thanks to the launch of $9.99 monthly subscriptions." 3/19/17

Large gifts

  • USM received donation of maps valued at $100 million (ABC) I love maps but this is a LOT of maps. Cool gift. "Dr. Harold Osher donated $100 million worth of maps to the University of Southern Maine on Friday. It is the latest gift in the University of Maine System's history." 6/22/18
  • Trinchero’s $1Million Gift (BreakThu Beverage Group) "In March, the storied California winemaker announced at $1million donation to a local educational non-profit, NapaLearns [...]. This program will be used to address needs in math, computer science and career readiness in area schools." 6/22/18
  • NorQuest College receives $1-million donation (Edmonton Journal) EDMONTON JOURNAL Nice gift. Thank you Ann! "NorQuest College received a $1-million donation this week to promote diversity and inclusion. The gift was made by S. Ann Colbourne, chairwoman of the college board of governors." 6/21/18
  • Dying With Dignity Canada gets $7-million donation from late Vancouver businessman (Vancouver Sun) VANCOUVER STORY Wow! Such and important gift. "Dying With Dignity Canada announced Tuesday that the organization is preparing to receive the largest donation in the organization’s 38-year history, a contribution CEO Shanaaz Gokool has called 'nothing short of transformational.' The donation, valued at approximately $7 million, comes from the late David Jackson, a retired Vancouver entrepreneur and ardent supporter of assisted dying." 6/20/18

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