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Veronica Murphy, owner of STASH yarns, accessories, and classes, poses with the hundreds of spools of yarn she collected in a donation call out to help lift the spirits of Fort McMurray citizens. CRYSTAL SCHICK / CALGARY HERALD

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News

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• Calgary wants to explore simplified application process for estimated 12,000 affordable housing units The Calgary Housing Company wait list currently has about 4,000 applicants seeking an affordable place to live. CALGARY STORY (8/10/16)

• Knitting to raise Fort Mac's spirits Philanthropy is about more than money. "The point of the party isn’t so much to donate the products being knitted, but rather to give some Fort McMurray residents a space to relax and unwind amid an unsettling time in their lives." ALBERTA STORY(8/10/16)

• Alberta Children's Hospital lottery ticket sales slow in tough economy Charity lotteries are having a tough time in Calgary this year due to the state of the economy. CALGARY STORY (8/10/16)

• Alberta Ballet looking for help from supporters with ambitious $1-million fundraising campaign "Alberta Ballet will be asking supporters across the province to each donate $50 to the organization over the next seven months to help weather the financial hardships the company has suffered over the last few years." CALGARY STORY(8/9/16)

• Restoring Old Churches Inspires a New Philanthropy in Russia Russia is not just about hackers, ransomware, and incursions into Ukraine; it is also about trying to build community, just like here. (8/9/16)

• Companies try out micro-donations, in lieu of one big cheque Goodpin. The jury is out on this one. Curious to hear your thoughts on this concept. CALGARY STORY (8/9/16)

• Ride to Conquer Cancer raises spirits, emotions and $6.35M Talk about an emotional ride. Collectively, the 1,400 riders have raised these funds for the Alberta Cancer Foundation. That is pretty spectacular. (8/8/16)

• Weapons not an ideal donation to Kamloops charities You think? CANADIAN STORY (8/5/16)

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Important issues

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• Pay-What-It-Takes Philanthropy Fantastic article on overhead costs out of the Stanford Social Innovation Review. President Darren Walker is among the most outspoken funders calling for a new grantmaking approach. “All of us in the nonprofit ecosystem are party to a charade with terrible consequences—what we might call the ‘overhead fiction,’” says Walker. (Summer 2016)

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Philanthropic controversies

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• Documents Show Big Think Tanks Courting Corporate Donors I thought think tanks were in place to research and advise on big policy ideas. Sounds like some are experiencing some mission drift into lobbying. Too bad. (8/8/16)

• Shutdown of Minn. Foundation Draws State Scrutiny Hmmm...smells dodgy to me. The windup of Caroline Amplatz's foundation had the proceeds, $1.66 million, flow to a medical technology start-up led by her father. The Minnesota attorney general’s office has asked Ms. Amplatz to return the money to her Caroline’s Kids Foundation for a 45-day waiting period while it determines the legality of shifting charitable funds to a private company. (8/8/16)

• Watch Donald Trump say ‘thank you’ as a crowd cheers him for a $20 million gift to charity. Does that gift even exist? We have tried to stay out of this fray but this is a story that we feel you should hear about. You can decide if he made the gift or not. (8/8/16)

• Ex-Fox News head Roger Ailes withdraws $500G donation to senior center after Putnam County taxpayers petition: 'His money is an insult to all women' Money can't buy love. This is especially true if you are are accused of multiple sexual harassment charges. (8/4/16)

• Donald Trump's Campaign Website Won't Let You Cancel Recurring Donations Not cool. It's not cool in philanthropy and it's also not cool in political fundraising. (8/4/16)

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Innovation

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• Giving my images for free A professional photographer gives 95% of his images away for free. Find out why (and how to access his and many other incredible photos for free). (7/31/16)

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Life and career hacks

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• 3 Minutes, That’s All It Takes to Get Better At Writing These short hacks are actually very useful. Quick to read, easy to implement, and smart. (8/5/16)

• How to Write Clearly If You Are an Intuitive Thinker “First draft is for you, Second for the reader, Third for the hater.” (8/5/16)

• Design Better Data Tables Nirvana for data table nerds. Seriously though, this is excellent reading for anyone who works in the information age. (8/3/16)

• The 6 Simple Habits Fueling My Creativity Fuel your creativity. My favourite: "Find a nemesis." (8/3/16)

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Large gifts

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• Jordan pledges $5 million donation to African-American museum Jordan indicated that his gift was made possible due in part to athletes, including Jesse Owens, who broke racial barriers. The Smithsonian’s new African-American history museum is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and will open on September 24. (8/9/16)

• Autodesk leads donation of 750 3D printed prosthesis to kids Very cool story. Autodesk and Voodoo manufacturing have come together to help 3D print prosthetic hands for 750 kids. (8/8/16)

• Jewelry Customers and the Public Aid in Historic $2 Million Donation to Nonprofits Cool approach. "Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company’s $2 million donation campaign, “Band Together,” came to an end on July 31. The company, which is the leading insurer dedicated exclusively to jewelry and the jewelry industry, invited its policyholders and the general public to vote online at its website for their favorite cause." St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® received the Jewelers Mutual $1 million top donation. Habitat for Humanity® will receive a donation of $700,000 followed by Feeding America®/Food Banks Canada to share $300,000. CANADIAN STORY (8/8/16)

• Couple leaves $2.2M donation to Rideout The estate of Douglass (Doug) and Sybil (known as Jean) Goss has given a historic $2.25 million donation to Rideout Health Foundation. The Foundation is located in Yuba City, California.. (8/6/16)

• UCSD Receives $4.3 Million Donation from Late Philanthropist The University of California at San Diego has received an estate gift from the late Mary Andrews Haag. The gift will be used to pay for merit-based scholarships. (8/5/16)

• AIDB foundation receives anonymous $1 million donation The Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind Foundation has received a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor. The gift will be used to develop a new agriculture center. The center will focus on giving students hands-on training to help them develop skills related to agriculture. The AIDB is located in Talladega, Alabama. (August 2016)

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