Weekly News Recap: June 5, 2020
Weekly News Recap: Friday, June 5, 2020
Falcon 9 lifts off from historic Launch Complex 39A and sends Crew Dragon to orbit on its first flight with NASA astronauts @SpaceX
Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science -- Edwin Hubble
VITREO FUNDRAISING ASK ANYTHING ZOOM CHATS
We have hosted seven Ask Anything Zoom chats over the last few weeks. The feedback on these sessions has been tremendous. We are coming up on our last of a five-part series on June 12. The topic will be: Why fundraising right now is the only viable strategy.* 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
+ 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.
+ Here is ViTreo's most recent blog post: THE FUTURE OF PHILANTHROPY AND FUNDRAISING: THE NONPROFIT NARRATIVE THAT SHOULD BE TOLD DURING COVID AND BEYOND My hopes for Coronavirus-induced charitable sector change
+ And a freshly updated (as at June 6, 2020) set of resources: Fundraising In The Time Of COVID-19
SOME GOOD NEWS
- Virtual citizenship ceremonies coming for new Canadians whose dreams were crushed by COVID-19 (CBC) CANADIAN STORY New Canadians tell us that becoming a Canadian citizen is one of the milestone events in their lives. I am very happy that the Government of Canada is making this happen going forward. "In a statement to CBC, the department said the citizenship ceremony represents 'the culmination of years of hard work for new Canadians and their families.' It said it will begin scheduling virtual ceremonies, starting with those who already had ceremonies scheduled and have a pressing need for Canadian citizenship."
TOP TEN ARTICLES OF THE WEEK
NASA astronauts blast off into space on SpaceX rocket (CBC) Extraordinary achievement for all of us. Congratulations to NASA, SpaceX, Elon Musk, their teams and, most especially, to those two brave souls who sat on a bomb and asked for it to be lit. Bravo Zulu to astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley (aka Bob and Doug)! "A rocket ship built by Elon Musk's SpaceX company thundered away from Earth with two Americans [...] ushering in a new era in commercial space travel and putting the U.S. back in the business of launching astronauts into orbit from U.S. soil for the first time in nearly a decade."
The long and winding road during pandemic brings new CEO to Arts Commons (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY Welcome to Calgary Sarian. It is going to be a wild ride but we are there for you. "[The] prospect of what was waiting for him in Calgary must have been daunting. It’s hard to imagine a more challenging time to take over an arts organization than in the middle of a global pandemic that has shut down all live performances."
Boston Marathon cancelled for 1st time in 124-year history because of pandemic (CBC) For me, running the Boston Marathon is one of my bucket list items. Like many things we thought were unthinkable before COVID-19, never again will we say, 'It can't happen.' "The Boston Marathon has been cancelled for the first time in its 124-year history. Organizers said [...] that they instead will have a virtual event in which participants who verify that they ran 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometres) on their own will receive their finisher's medal. The race had originally been scheduled for April 20 before being postponed for five months because of the coronavirus pandemic."
Chika Oriuwa named valedictorian of U of T's faculty of medicine (CBC) TORONTO STORY Congrats Ms. Oriuwa. This is awesome on every level. "Chika Stacy Oriuwa has wanted to be a doctor since she was a small child. When she started medical school at the University of Toronto four years ago, she was the only black person in a class of 259 students. [This week] she graduates as valedictorian. In doing so, she becomes just the second black woman valedictorian and the first woman in 14 years to receive the honour."
Drumheller's giant dinosaur is getting a $300,000 makeover (CBC) DRUMHELLER STORY I have been to Drumheller. I have sat in the Dinosaur. I am happy to see that it is getting a makeover because, as 'cheesy' as it is, it is also an iconic rite of passage for all who pass through. "The World's Largest Dinosaur — a 26-metre-tall, fibreglass and steel Tyrannosaurus rex — has been a popular attraction for almost 20 years in the Drumheller Valley [...]. Now, after seven years without any exterior work, the dino will be getting a little TLC, including a paint job."
NO IMMUNITY: Impact of COVID-19 on BC Nonprofits (vantage point) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY This sector is important to all of Canada. An excellent visual microcosm of what is going on across Canada and, indeed, the world. "British Columbia’s non-profit sector is vast in size, scope, and impact. It contributes $6.4 billion to BC’s GDP and employs 86,000 people across the province. It makes a significant and meaningful impact on the economy and lives of people across British Columbia."
Top addictions expert calls for Calgary health centre to retract alcoholic cider campaign (CBC) CALGARY STORY I can't say whether they should or should not be doing this campaign but I do love The Alex and I do love the Sunnycider cider. #Torn "Alex says cider ads attracted more donors. The Alex's leadership team is getting ready to release a video advertisement to promote the cider and the Courage message. CEO Joy Bowen-Eyre said the cidery approached the clinic during the pandemic, looking to help. The company came up with the campaign, she said, and also made T-shirts and bandanas with the campaign's slogan."
OPINION: Dismantling Racism Might Require Philanthropy to Dismantle Itself (Dispatches) (Chronicle of Philanthropy) "American philanthropy sits very comfortably in the master’s house. We may have repainted the walls or updated the Wi-Fi, but we are part and parcel of a system where the rich tell the middle class how to care for the poor. And it isn’t working. It has never worked. If we are serious about bringing about change, about equity, about dismantling racism, and promoting economic equity, then we may need to dismantle ourselves along with the house. If we had governments that truly cared about their citizens and an economy that worked for all — wouldn’t foundations be out of business?"
Public Relations Firm Says It Was Hired To Promote A Celebrity-Studded Philanthropy Conference “Built On Lies” (Forbes) Ugh, talk about a complete lack of due diligence. #CautionaryTale "A virtual summit on philanthropy is advertising a star-studded event that will feature celebrities like George and Amal Clooney, Charlize Theron, Stephen and Ayesha Curry among others as attendees. But that was not true, according to a public relations firm that was hired to promote the event."
Trump says U.S. terminating relationship with WHO as rift with China grows (CBC) Double ugh! "U.S. President Donald Trump announced [...] he would withdraw funding from the World Health Organization, end Hong Kong's special trade status and suspend visas of Chinese graduate students suspected of conducting research on behalf of their government."
SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS
Your Philanthropy Career: Coming Into Fundraising From Another Profession (Inside Philanthropy) Oh, this will be fun to go through at your next fundraising Zoomtail hour. Nice look behind the curtain of how many "fall" into fundraising.
5 Steps to Designing Donation Tiers to Raise More Money (Soapbox Engage) Is it an art or a science? Yes.
How to spot fake health information and root out charlatans, according to health experts (CNBC) I remember Tim from my UofA days. His books are the bomb. I encourage you to give them a read.
C.D.C. Recommends Sweeping Changes to American Offices (New York Times) As draconian as some of these sound, I expect that some of them might actually become pretty common. Until we have a vaccine for COVID-19, we are all at risk. And then...the next pandemic...#Cheery.
Dear Diary: The connections this Calgary student is missing because of COVID-19 (CBC) CALGARY STORY As the parent of three young adults, I feel for them. #DefiningTimes. "In this instalment of our series, Dear Diary: In a Time of COVID-19, Sydney Horrocks tells us about how she's spending her time, and the connections she's missing while not being at school every day."
Covid-19 expert Karl Friston: 'Germany may have more immunological “dark matter”' (The Guardian) *The smartest thing I have read in months. Truly. #IndependentSage
Dear Diary: Maternity leave during the pandemic, finding joy through dress-up (CBC) CALGARY STORY Every mother but especially new mothers can relate. "In this instalment of our series Dear Diary: In a Time of COVID-19, Diane Serani tells us about being on maternity leave during a pandemic, changed plans, and finding joy in her own personal tickle trunk. This submission has been edited for clarity and length."
TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK
"Enough is Enough." J.J. Abrams (Star Wars director) pledges $10M donation to anti-racist organizations (resetera) Love this! Go JJ! "Star Wars director JJ Abrams, his wife Katie McGrath, and the entire team at Bad Robot productions are donating $10 million to a series of charities to help fight racism amid the protests and unrest surrounding the death of George Floyd. The Bad Robot Instagram page released a statement, confirming the money will go to 'organizations and efforts committed to anti-racist agendas that close the gaps, lift the poor, and build a just America for all.'"
George Floyd Family GoFundMe Campaign Hits $10.5 Mil with New Donation from Jay Penske, Publisher of Variety (Showbiz411) Wow! And how great is this. As of this writing, they have raised over $12 million (against a goal of $1.5 million) from almost 500,000 donors. RIP Mr. Floyd. "The George Floyd Gofundme campaign is up to $10.5 million as of 7:15pm Eastern. The latest donation is $25,000 from Jay Penske, publisher of Variety, Rolling Stone, Deadline and other websites and magazines."
Cisco delays virtual conference, makes $5 million donation to social justice groups (Marketwatch) Nice move Cisco. Thank you! "Cisco Systems Inc. [...] postponed its Cisco Live 2020 online conference scheduled for this week due to the ongoing nationwide protests. The conference had already been canceled as a live event due to the coronavirus pandemic."
LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES
NorQuest welcomes new President and CEO (NorQuest)
The long tail for fundraising and philanthropy (Arts Professional)
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