Weekly News Recap: July 5, 2019
Canada captain Hayley Wickenheiser, pictured here celebrating her gold medal at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in her first year of [eligibility]. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images/File)
Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them — that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. -- Lao Tzu
July 5, 2019 is Stampede Parade Day in Calgary, the kickoff to ten days of fun at the "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth". On behalf of ViTreo, our associates and partners, we wish all of our readers happy stampeding. #YAHOO
This week's highlights
- Don't mess with these rangers #WomenRock
- Susan Story is our new AFP Canada Foundation for Philanthropy chair #SoGreat
- Mr. PG is feted, and a community centre disguised as a deli turns 60 #Vignettes
- A bookstore owner and a college president retire #ThankYou
- A new CEO at the Calgary Public Library Foundation #Woot!
- Andrea McManus speaks about ethics in the Globe and Mail #PartnerTime
- 83 new appointments to the Order of Canada and Hayley joins the Hockey Hall of Fame #CongratsToAll
- O Canada is sung in Cree and the Métis Nation gets long overdue recognition #CreeAsThirdOfficialLanguage
- When it comes to ethics, it is your fault #Truth
- Why we need better meetings #FewerLoudMeetings
- An encyclopedia of milk and why hot water freezes faster than cold water #TooMuchTimeOnTheirHands
- A $25 million gift and a breach of confidentiality #AnonymousMeansAnonymous
- The good, the bad, and the ugly of GoFundMe
- The Walkman turns 40, TikTok is (apparently) a thing, and why it is so hard to get an audiobook from your Library #OldTownRoad
- Canadian social justice charity gets $2.5 million gift and Sheryl Sandberg drops $1 million on Planned Parenthood...again #PhilanthropyCrush
- ...And so much more
Brilliant!
- Why Zimbabwe’s female rangers are better at stopping poaching (National Geographic) We get gifted a hard-copy subscription to National Geographic annually. I graze the articles throughout the year. When I came across this one, I was transfixed. This is such a great idea. Such a great story. And, much of the story was funded through philanthropic support of National Geographic. "The Akashinga, or 'brave ones,' survived abuse and exploitation. Now, armed and trained like special forces, they're protecting the country’s most iconic wildlife." June 2019
Events
- Faith, Fundraising and Communication Symposium (FFC Symposium) EDMONTON STORY I am thrilled to be speaking at this event along with many other great colleagues including my friends Ray Marshall and Fran Ross. I hope you can join us. "After a successful first year in 2017, the Faith, Fundraising and Communication Symposium is returning for its second year. Mark your calendar for Monday, October 21, 2019, and look forward to gaining insight and building connections with fundraisers and communicators from faith-based organizations across Canada." Register here June 2019
AFP Global
AFP Foundation for Philanthropy - Canada Update: Susan Storey Is Our New Chair (AFP Global) CANADIAN STORY I have known Susan almost my entire professional career. We are thrilled to have her chair our national granting body. I have joined her team as treasurer for 2019/2020. I feel blessed. "The AFP Foundation for Philanthropy - Canada has a new board for the 2019 - 2020 term, with members elected on June 3 and beginning their terms on July 1. Susan Storey, CFRE, partner at KCI (Ketchum Canada Inc.) will become chair on July 1. Please see Susan’s thoughts on the Foundation by clicking here." 6/27/19
Calgary Chapter Issues Report on Addressing Opportunity Gaps in the Profession (AFP Global) CALGARY STORY Nice work Calgary! "More than 70 fundraisers from Western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest gathered at the bi-annual Banff Compass conference on April 29 in a plenary workshop to tackle how the 'fundraising profession does not reflect the demographics of communities and donors.' [You] can download the Calgary and Area Chapter’s full #solveathon report here." 6/27/19
WHAT'S NEW ON AFP CONNECT? (AFP Global) These are great. Join the discussion. "Welcome to AFP Connect! We are excited to introduce new Topic-Specific Interest Communities as well as Affinity Group Communities you can now join! Below are the new communities - to join, simply click on a community link below, or go to the 'Communities' tab, select 'All Communities' and then search or filter for 'Special Interest Communities' or (for the Affinity Groups) 'AFP Task Force & Working Groups' to find and join them!" June 2019
2019 AFP Global Ethics Survey (AFP Global) AFP is conducting a Global Ethics Survey. They want your input. Oh, and BTW, October has now been designated at AFP Global Ethics Month. How. Great. Is. That. "Please provide the best possible answers based on your experience and thoughts regarding ethics and AFP." June 2019
News
The Calgary Public Library Foundation Announces Tracy Johnson as new Chief Executive Officer (Calgary Public Library Foundation) CALGARY STORY Congrats to Tracy. We look forward to working alongside you and your team. "In her new role, Johnson will oversee all strategic initiatives and provide direction for the next chapter in the evolution of the Foundation. In light of the abundantly successful Add in Campaign, Johnson will collaborate with the Board to determine short- and long- term goals for the Foundation, as well as establish processes for reaching those goals." 7/2/19
Owner of Edmonton's longest-standing independent bookstore retires (CBC) EDMONTON STORY I adore Audrey's. Thank you Sharon for stewarding one of my personal top bookstores. "After 50 years in the book business, the co-owner of Audreys Books is turning a page. Sharon Budnarchuk retired on Sunday from her work with the downtown independent bookstore. Audreys Books, which set up on Jasper Avenue in 1975, is now Edmonton's oldest independent bookstore, and the only one still standing that exclusively sells new releases." 7/2/19
Sask. Lt.-Gov. dead after battle with cancer (CBC) SASKATCHEWAN STORY RIP Your Honour. We offer our condolences to your family and to the people of Saskatchewan. Thank you for your service. "W. Thomas Molloy, Saskatchewan's lieutenant-governor, died Tuesday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 78." 7/2/19
Exhibit celebrates Prince George's iconic Mr. PG mascot (CBC) PRINCE GEORGE STORY Prince George is my home town and, so I have a very soft spot for Mr. PG. This, of course, is AWESOME. "When you drive into Prince George, it's hard to miss Mr. PG's big, welcoming smile. A new exhibit at The Exploration Place Museum and Science Centre is detailing the nearly 60-year history of the city's iconic mascot." 7/2/19
Canadian F-86 Sabre fighter jet will continue to fly high at aviation museum through $10,000 donation (Edmonton Journal) EDMONTON STORY Nice. A great Canada Day story. Thank you 700 Wing! "Edmonton’s 700 Wing Royal Canadian Air Force Association had donated $10,000 to restore the prototype Canadair Sabre fighter jet housed at the Alberta Aviation Museum." 7/1/19
Edmontonians turn out in droves for last day at the Muttart until early 2021 (CBC) EDMONTON STORY A spectacular (and very zen) attraction. Can't wait for it to re-open. Two years! Wow! "More than 1000 Edmontonians visited the Muttart Conservatory on Canada Day, taking advantage of their last chance to see the iconic gardens until at least 2021. The horticultural pyramids and Culina restaurant, located in the North Saskatchewan river valley, will be closed while the facility undergoes upgrades to 30-year-old mechanical and electrical systems." 7/1/19
Advancing social justice, education and health (Globe and Mail) ViTreo's own Andrea McManus features heavily in this article. Nice work! "To be clear: the vast majority of charities work tremendously hard on behalf of their cause in an ethical manner, and most donors act respectfully and are committed to the charities they support. Philanthropy is a critical and vibrant part of Canada’s social fabric, and we should all celebrate its impact in our country. -- Andrea McManus." 6/29/19
‘My whole life has changed,’ says retiring RDC president (Red Deer Advocate) RED DEER STORY President Ward, you have made a mark on all of Alberta. Thank you for everything that you have done and best wishes on your next adventures. "Retiring Red Deer College president Joel Ward has left his mark on central Alberta by helping start the school on the road to becoming a university. But Red Deer also left an indelible impression on him: 'My whole life has changed in the 10 years I’ve lived here,' said Ward." 6/28/19
Fort Saskatchewan Food Bank looking for help during slow summer (Fort Saskatchewan Online) FORT SASKATCHEWAN STORY Good reminder Kass! ViTreo is proud to be working with the Fort Saskatchewan Food Bank. "The shelves at the Fort Saskatchewan Food Bank are starting to look a little bare. According to Kassandra Gartner, president of the food bank, this time of year is when their reserves start to run low and people get busy with summer plans and donate less. Right now, the charity is mainly low on cereal, canned fruit, canned meat and dry pasta. Those are all essentials that are put into every food hamper." 6/28/19
‘My dad created a real gathering place, a place where everyone was welcome’: For 60 years, community involvement has been central to The Italian Centre’s success (Calgary Herald) ALBERTA STORY The Italian Centre is part of the landscape of my life. As important to Calgary as it is to Edmonton, it helped ease the move to both city. Or, at least, it did for me. Congrats to the Spinelli family. "In 1959, Frank Spinelli started importing Italian newspapers to Edmonton to help his customers feel connected to their distant homeland. Frank’s business has grown and changed a lot since then. Now celebrating its 60th anniversary, the Italian Centre Shop has not just survived but thrived as an independent grocer." 6/28/19
2019 Order of Canada appointees have made their mark on all aspects of Canadian society (Globe and Mail) CANADIAN STORY Congrats to all. Special recognition to the following, all of of whom I have the pleasure of working with: Elizabeth Cannon, Brian Sykes, Keith MacPhail, and Allan Wachowich. "Scientists, teachers, filmmakers, philanthropists, beer brewers and even puppeteers – this year’s cast of appointees to the Order of Canada have made their mark on all aspects of Canadian society." 6/27/19
Lethbridge population hits 100K, overtakes Red Deer as 3rd largest city in Alberta (CBC) LETHBRIDGE STORY "Lethbridge has overtaken Red Deer — by about 500 residents — to become the third largest city in Alberta. The southern city has surpassed the 100,000 population mark." 6/27/19
Canadian Olympic Foundation make five-figure donation towards new LGBTQ+ role (Inside the Games) CANADIAN STORY Nice work Canadian Olympic Foundation! "A donation of CAD$10,000 [...] has been made by the Canadian Olympic Foundation towards the hiring of a sports inclusion officer and facilitator." 6/26/19
4-time Olympic champ Hayley Wickenheiser headlines Hockey Hall of Fame 2019 class (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Congratulations Ms. Wickenheiser! So well deserved. "Hayley Wickenheiser's accolades have a hard time keeping up with her. The Hockey Hall of Fame wasted no time hustling Wickenheiser into its gallery of heroes in her first year of eligibility. But when board chairman Lanny McDonald phoned her [...] to relay the joyful news, Wickenheiser was sequestered doing mandatory medical school course work at the University of Calgary. 'I knew my phone was blowing up. I couldn't answer it,' Wickenheiser said. 'My first call was back to Lanny.'" 6/25/19
First Peoples of Canada
Two-thirds of Indigenous people don't feel respected in Canada, according to pre-election survey (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Are we surprised? I'm not. We, non-Indigenous Canadians, can and must do better. "Two-thirds of Indigenous people feel that the federal government does not respect their community and identity, according to a recent poll. It's one of the many findings from the poll commissioned by CBC News as the October federal election approaches." 7/1/19
'It's priceless': Indigenous teen sings O Canada in Cree at Toronto Blue Jays game (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Brilliant and beautiful. One of my friends asked the question: "Why isn't Cree one of Canada's Official languages?" Good question. "Thirteen-year-old Kiya Bruno performed on her biggest stage ever on Saturday afternoon. Bruno, from the Samson Cree Nation in Alberta, sang O Canada in Cree and English in front of thousands of baseball fans at the Rogers Centre in Toronto." 6/29/19
Ottawa signs self-government agreements with Métis Nation in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan (CBC) CANADIAN STORY How great is this! Congrats to the Métis Nation. Long time coming. "The federal Liberal government signed self-government agreements with the Métis Nation of Ontario, Métis Nation of Alberta and Métis Nation-Saskatchewan on Thursday — the first-ever such agreements with Métis governments." 6/27/19
University formalizing territorial statements acknowledging its place on traditional territory (University of Lethbridge) Good on you UofL! LETHBRIDGE STORY "The University of Lethbridge is furthering its commitment to honouring the traditional territories of Aboriginal peoples for both its Lethbridge and Calgary campuses by officially adopting territorial acknowledgment statements. The statements, in both long and short form, will become a part of the University’s official Indigenous Protocol Handbook and will be used at the onset of major ceremonies and events such as convocation, installations and conferences, as well as governance meetings and even classes at the beginning of term." 6/25/19
Books to read
- Books for the ages (The Washington Post) Unique approach to a reading list. Apparently, at my age, I should think about reading “The Denial of Death” by Ernest Becker. Something, literally, for everyone here. 6/26/19
Seven life and career hacks -- one for each day of the week
Six Principles for Designing Any Chart (Google Design) Be honest, aid, delight, clarify, make scaleable, and provide structure. Sounds like parenting. Hmmm... 6/27/19
Bad Work Is Always Your Fault (Modus) I am seriously considering pulling together an ethics presentation called "Bad Fundraising Is Always Your Fault". This article is over-the-top excellent and should be required reading by all professionals. 6/26/19
How a Productivity Purge Can Help You Build an Efficient Daily Schedule (Kaizen Habits) I revisit my routines at least once per quarter. I feel very little remorse at purging anti-productive habits. I did not say no remorse. Just very little. 6/20/19
Outcome Independence: The Secret to True Confidence (The Ascent) The title becomes much much deeper once you read this. If you don't put it out there, your resistance is likely related to outcome dependence. 6/20/19
How I Beat Procrastination By Doing This 1 Thing (The Startup) Darius is a smart guy and a crisp writer. This article demonstrates both. 6/6/19
The Silent Meeting Manifesto v1: Making meeting suck a little less (The Startup) Settle in. This is a 20-minute read. It might just be the most productive 20 minutes of your working life. Honestly, I can't believe I have not seen this hack before. I am going to adopt in as many situations as I can. 6/5/19
Change Is Not Difficult. We Make it Difficult. (Liberationist) Excellent short read on one of the most confounding aspects of human behaviour. 3/27/19
Uncommon knowledge
University of Alberta researchers create ‘encyclopedia of milk’ (Mirage News) CANADIAN CONTENT Milk moustache lovers everywhere...rejoice! "What’s in that glass of milk you’re drinking? Now you can find out, thanks to a new database created by University of Alberta researchers. The newly launched, one-of-a-kind Milk Composition Database (MCDB) lists more than 2,000 compounds found in one of the world’s most popular drinks." 7/2/19
Objects of registered charities in Canada are sometimes not charitable (Global Philanthropy) Our friend and très cool Canadian charity lawyer Mark Blumberg shares with us a "not so well-hidden secret" within the Canada Revenue Agency. Thanks Mark. Great article. "Here is our article on 'Objects of registered charities in Canada are sometimes not charitable'. Objects are very important and often Canadian charities don't understand that even though they are a registered charity their objects may not actually be charitable." 6/27/19
Why Hot Water Freezes Faster Than Cold—Physicists Solve the Mpemba Effect (The Physics arXiv Blog) I always fill up my ice cube tray with hot water. Why? Because it makes ice faster. I never knew why, I just observed that it works. Now, I know why. And so do you. You're welcome. 10/29/13
Opinion
- The Boomers Ruined Everything (The Atlantic) I love my mom but this article is not far off..."The Baby Boomers ruined America. That sounds like a hyperbolic claim, but it’s one way to state what I found as I tried to solve a riddle. American society is going through a strange set of shifts: Even as cultural values are in rapid flux, political institutions seem frozen in time." 6/24/19
Philanthropic personalities
- Bill Gates Honors Paul Allen, Recipient Of The 2019 Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award For Philanthropy, At Eighth Annual Forbes 400 Summit On Philanthropy (Forbes) "Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, [...] delivered a touching tribute and shared rarely seen photos of his friend and professional business partner, Paul Allen, during Forbes’ eighth-annual Forbes 400 Summit Philanthropy at the United Nations, where Allen was posthumously presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy." 6/28/19
Philanthropic controversy
The unbearable whiteness of American charities (Vox) It's true. "You’ve probably heard of the racial wealth gap: White Americans control nearly seven times as much wealth per household as black Americans do. That discrepancy, argues Edgar Villanueva, translates directly into a racial philanthropy gap: a bias in how that wealth is dispersed, which keeps control away from people of color, and minimizes donations to groups run by people of color for the benefit of communities of color." 7/1/19
RJ story revealing $25M donation brings investigation at UNLV (Las Vegas Review Journal) Donor confidentiality is one of the central tenets of professional fundraising ethics. "UNLV has hired a law firm to conduct a leak investigation into a Las Vegas Review-Journal story about a $25 million anonymous donation to the school [...]. In 2017, the UNLV Foundation announced a $25 million anonymous donation to help pay for a new medical school building. The Review-Journal reported in April that foundation officials failed to take measures to limit who knew that the donor’s identity was the late billionaire Kirk Kerkorian. The unredacted check was apparently given to support staff who made dozens of copies, according to a source familiar with the matter." 6/28/19
Dawn Cardinal, head of Palmer animal rescue, sued for allegedly spending donation money on vaping purchases, online dating (Mass Live) To use a phrase coined by my daughter, "What-a-Heck!" "The president of a Palmer animal rescue allegedly used money donated to the rescue to pay for personal expenses, including online dating apps, hair and nail salon visits and purchases at vaping stores, Attorney General Maura Healey wrote in a lawsuit filed [recently]." 6/28/19
Ticketmaster to pay $4.5M for misleading consumers on prices (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Not exactly in our wheelhouse but honestly, we all buy tickets. What Ticketmaster did was reprehensible. "The Competition Bureau says Ticketmaster will pay $4.5 million in penalties and associated costs to settle a case investigating misleading pricing claims for its online ticket sales. The bureau said Thursday that Ticketmaster LLC, TNow Entertainment Group Inc. and Ticketmaster Canada LP will pay a $4-million penalty and $500,000 for the bureau's investigation costs." 6/27/19
The Nonprofit Hospital That Makes Millions, Owns a Collection Agency and Relentlessly Sues the Poor (ProPublica) Yuck. "Nonprofit hospitals pay virtually no local, state or federal income tax. In return, they provide community benefits, including charity care to low-income patients. In Memphis, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has brought 8,300 lawsuits for unpaid medical bills in just five years." 6/27/19
The Hidden Cost of GoFundMe Health Care (The New Yorker) Personally, I have had good results with GoFundMe. That said, there is a lot of truth in this article. "When patients turn to crowdfunding for medical costs, whoever has the most heartrending story wins." 6/24/19
Trends and shifts
How cryptocurrency has become a force in philanthropy (The Daily Dot) A thoughtful and evenhanded overview of this important trend. "When people think of cryptocurrency, they don’t typically think of philanthropy. While people often have diverse views on cryptocurrencies—some see them as the new frontier while others focus on the money laundering and security concerns—donating to charity isn’t something often considered. " 7/2/19
The Walkman just turned 40 — here's how listening to music has changed over the years (Business Insider) Hands up! Who had one? I did! I am pretty sure it was a huge part of why I love music so much today. "Though it was first invented 40 years ago, in 1979, the iconic cassette tape player defined the decade when legwarmers weren't part of costumes and Reaganomics ruled the land. It was the first device that allowed listeners to take music with them on the go (hence, the name)." 7/1/19
Why e-books, e-audiobooks could be harder to snag at your local library (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT It seems like publishers might be shooting themselves in the foot here. "In the last three years [...] use of e-audiobooks at six of Canada's largest public libraries grew by 82 per cent, the council said. But what isn't widely known is that publishers charge libraries a significantly higher price for digital books than print versions — both of which are loaned out to customers on a one-to-one basis. For example, one physical copy of Linwood Barclay's 2018 thriller A Noise Downstairs costs a Canadian library $19.20, while a single digital copy costs $65, the council says." 7/1/19
Social media merely the latest way of managing one's brand, says The Works artist (CBC) EDMONTON STORY Turns out, we have been ego-centric curators for a long time. "Camp's examination of social media began in an unlikely place with a box of old-time, black-and-white Victorian portrait cards she came across in an antique store in Invermere, B.C., recalling she paid $3 a card. 'I've had these portrait cards for about 10 years now and I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with them, but I finally decided I wanted to superimpose modern fashion on these Victoria portrait cards.' These 19th century cartes-de-visites, as they were known, were traded by celebrities and common folk as an early form of self promotion. 'This carefully calibrated image was going out into the world, so it's very much like social media of today.'" 6/29/19
Three Shifts Philanthropy Needs to Make to Better Design and Evaluate Social Change (Philanthropy News Digest) I like the thinking here. "Good strategy-making and evaluation sit at the heart of philanthropy. Yet as a sector, we continue to struggle with how to design strategies, how to understand our impact, and how to use that understanding to drive stronger strategies. While we've made progress in using theories of change, logic models, indicators, and various types of evaluations in our work, we are often still stuck in more traditional, linear paradigms of thinking that do not lend themselves to the complex, ever-changing contexts in which we work." 6/28/19
Philanthropy: An adaptable and nuanced approach to humanitarian aid (The Muslim Times) Excellent piece! "Philanthropic support has demonstrated it can provide innovative solutions to humanitarian and development challenges while remaining flexible, fast and financially able to cover areas not traditionally supported by institutional funding. Due to their willingness to take greater risks, philanthropies are often leading drivers of innovation in the sector. They can support local actors to build their resilience and ability to respond while simultaneously supporting local initiatives to be more sustainable and proactive by investing in their capacity building and knowledge sharing, as they offer a different expertise and background than humanitarian actors." 6/28/19
Memes Are the New Pop Stars: How TikTok Became the Future of the Music Industry (The Ringer) June was pretty much defined by "Old Town Road" in our house. "But [his] true ah-ha moment came in April of this year, when he watched Lil Nas X vault to overnight success with his joyful country trap song 'Old Town Road' using the challenge-driven social media platform TikTok. The song’s Wild West imagery struck a chord among its young users, inspiring them to include it in 15-second challenge videos where they cosplayed as cowboys. The groundswell of enthusiasm on the social network bled out into the public and eventually launched the song to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart." 6/27/19
A Crystal Ball in Greensboro: Five Ways Millennials May Approach Philanthropy (Inside Philanthropy) "Much has been said about the coming wealth transfer to millennials, and how it will impact conventional practices of philanthropy. It’s certainly worth watching. Investment News projects that $30 trillion in assets will move from baby boomers to millennials and Gen Xers in the coming decades, the largest intergenerational transfer of wealth in history." 6/27/19
English Towns Are Installing ‘Chat Benches’ to Combat Loneliness (Mental Floss) I hear Calgary might be getting these...just sayin' ;-) "Loneliness is a serious health condition: One AARP study found that prolonged social isolation can have the same risks as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. But unlike other ailments, the symptoms of loneliness can be hard to detect to everyone but the person having them. A new initiative in the UK aims to combat the problem by making it easier for people who feel alone to socialize with strangers." 6/26/19
'The priorities have shifted': Nearly half of Canadian firms plan to spend on employee training, satisfaction (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Investing in training and education continues to pay off. "Nearly half of Canadian business leaders surveyed for a new report said they plan to boost spending on skills training for their staff in the next two years. The bi-annual survey released Wednesday found that 47 per cent of Canadian respondents said their companies planned to spend more on training employees, and 42 per cent said they'd spend more on employee satisfaction and well-being." 6/26/19
HOW CITIES ACROSS THE U.S. ARE USING PHILANTHROPY TO COMBAT INEQUALITY (Pacific Standard) I heart this. "[Newark's] anti-eviction program is getting a boost that [Newark's mayor, Ras Baraka] hopes will help the city aim even higher: The city is one of 10 in the United States that will participate in an 18-month national economic mobility initiative funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Ballmer Group." 6/26/19
Is F-2-F Acquisition a Sustainer Oasis or a Mirage? (The Agitator) CANADIAN CONTENT F-2-F acquisition is where street fundraisers engage you in conversation and work to persuade you to become a monthly donor to the charity they are representing. "Face-to-Face fundraising in the United States holds great promise if for no other reason than it isn’t a grossly oversaturated channel and we’re a big, populous country. This likely explains the Paul Revere feeling some have as the Brits (and Canadians and Australians) 'invade' to setup shop on U.S. shores. Why? Because in those countries F2F is their direct mail equivalent– grossly oversaturated with declining yields, increasing costs, media scrutiny and regulatory burden. By comparison the US market, is the F2F wild west, the opportunity to plant your flag and claim territory." 6/24/19
Reports and studies
- 15 Reports Charting the Future of Content Marketing (Top Rank Blog) If you do marketing, this is a must read. Thank you to Denise Summers for sharing this excellent content. "How can you be as prepared and knowledgeable as possible for the complex and challenging future ahead for content marketing? Here are 15 insightful reports loaded with B2B data to help you define and chart your optimal content marketing future, and provide the best-answer and trust-building solutions clients expect today. The reports here, presented in random order, are all excellent sources of information to help you gain a clearer understanding of B2B content marketing, while keeping more than an eye open towards the future as marketers push onward to 2020." 6/26/19
Large gifts
Work of London-based anti-slavery group boosted by $2.5M donation (London Free Press) LONDON STORY This is terrific. Social justice causes in Canada do not typically garner gifts of this size. Well done all. "A London-based organization that battles human trafficking across the globe has received the largest donation in its 16-year history. A Canadian foundation that wishes to remain anonymous gifted $2.55 million to International Justice Mission Canada, a non-profit that helps local authorities in countries around the world rescue human trafficking victims, bring their perpetrators to justice and support survivors." 7/2/19
University of Guelph Receives $1-Million Donation for Food Laboratory (Food Service and Hospitality) GUELPH STORY Truth be told: I used to get this magazine when I worked in this industry. Great to see a gift like this announced here. "The donation comes from Michel Eric Fournelle — a successful real-estate developer, philanthropist and alumni of the former hotel and food-administration program — and helps kick off the university’s fundraising campaign, Legacy 50, which celebrates HFTM’s 50th anniversary by raising funds to help upgrade its learning facilities." 7/2/19
Warren Buffett will donate $3.6 billion in Berkshire Hathaway shares to Bill Gates' foundation, 4 others (Markets Insider) Ah Mr. Buffet, your annual gifts extravaganza. Amazing. As always. "Five foundations — including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — will receive $3.6 billion of Berkshire Hathaway shares, the company said in a statement Monday. Warren Buffett will convert 11,250 Class A shares into 16.875 million Class B shares, which will then be donated to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, Sherwood Foundation, Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and NoVo Foundation." 7/1/19
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg gives $1 million to Planned Parenthood… again (Live Action) I heart this human. So. Much. How much? I bent my rule about the size of gifts made in the U.S. to include this in this week's recap. That's how much. "As Big Tech is eyed with increasing scrutiny by pro-life groups for its apparently one-sided censorship efforts, Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg, is giving a $1 million donation to Planned Parenthood. And this isn’t the first time she’s done it." 7/1/19
RUSI secures $1 Million donation for New Research Fund (RUSI) "[RUSI] is delighted to announce the establishment of the Director-General’s Strategic Investment Fund. This new initiative will allow the Institute to pursue under-examined or unforeseen critical events. The Fund has been made possible by the generous contribution of an anonymous donor." Very interesting (and important) organization. "The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) is an independent think tank engaged in cutting edge defence and security research. A unique institution, founded in 1831 by the Duke of Wellington, RUSI embodies nearly two centuries of forward thinking, free discussion and careful reflection on defence and security matters." 6/27/19
Mayo Clinic Nets $5 Million Donation for Virtual Women’s Health Center (Twin Cities Business) We need more of this. "Backed by a $5 million donation from Penny and Bill George and the George Family Foundation, Mayo Clinic is establishing the Center for Women’s Health. The center is a virtual space dedicated to taking a more comprehensive and personalized approach to women’s healthcare." 6/28/19
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