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Weekly News Recap: August 9, 2019

Vincent Duckworth

Weekly News Recap: August 9, 2019

American novelist, essayist, editor, teacher and professor emeritus Toni Morrison is dead at the age of 88. (Mongrel Media)

You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down. -- Toni Morrison

This week's highlights

  • Saying goodbye to Toni Morrison #Icon
  • Celebrating an all women air ambulance crew #AnotherFirst
  • The little ball diamond that could #LangdonRocks
  • Remembering a beloved Golden Bears coach #Passages
  • A magazine celebrating donors, students as startups, and thanking an outgoing college president #TheNews
  • The idea machine and how to pick a great book #Hacks
  • Long live the semicolon #LongerPausePlease
  • Galas are NOT fundraisers #GladIGotThatOffMyChest
  • Fundraisers happy but only for two years #Turnover
  • £1.5M for Epistemic Insight Initiative #BigQuestionsAnswered
  • And so much more...

Photography

News

  • First all-woman crew makes Air Ambulance history (CBC) SASKATCHEWAN STORY We are seeing more and more of these stories and it makes me happy. "History has been made in Saskatchewan and it happened thousands of feet off the ground. Over the weekend Saskatchewan Air Ambulance responded to its first call with an all-woman flight crew. It's the first time in the organization's 73-year history that all four crew members on the plane were women." 8/7/19

  • Toni Morrison, Towering Novelist of the Black Experience, Dies at 88 (New York Times) Ms. Morrision, you taught and inspired us all. RIP. We will not see your like again. "Toni Morrison, the Nobel laureate in literature whose best-selling work explored black identity in America — and in particular the often crushing experience of black women — through luminous, incantatory prose resembling that of no other writer in English, died on Monday in the Bronx. She was 88." 8/6/19

  • Building on a 40-year foundation: Folk Fest has brought a world of music to our doorstep for four decades (Canada.com) EDMONTON STORY Congrats Edmonton. Your festival remains one of the best. "While it was the fourth major folk festival in Canada (after Mariposa, Winnipeg and Vancouver) Wickham argues Edmonton is now considered the best, a world-class event, and beyond any personal bias it does have the largest talent budget of any Canadian folk festival ($1.8 million this year)." 8/6/19

  • Langdon ball diamond project receives significant funding (Airdrie Today) LANGDON STORY Woot! Congrats! It is wonderful to see all your hard work paying off. "The Langdon Community Campus quad baseball diamond project received a huge boost [...] when Rocky View County (RVC) council surpassed a funding request and approved $2.25 million – covering the construction costs of all four diamonds." 8/6/19

  • Jim Donlevy remembered as great coach and education advocate (National Post) CANADIAN STORY RIP Mr. Donlevy. We will not see your like again. "Jim Donlevy will be remembered as a great coach, mentor and strong education advocate, benefitting thousands of athletes. The coach of the last University of Alberta Golden Bears team to win the national collegiate football championship died Sunday, succumbing to cancer. Donlevy was 82." 8/6/19

  • Nick Lees: New magazine highlights University of Alberta Hospital's many fine contributors (Edmonton Journal) EDMONTON STORY This is an inspired stewardship and communication idea. Well done UofA Hospital Foundation. "[Jim Brown, chair of the University Hospital Foundation’s board of trustees] spoke at the launch party of the foundation’s first edition of Here magazine, which is full of well-crafted human interest stories about the hospital’s physicians and their leading-edge practices and care [...]. The magazine was the dream of foundation president Joyce Mallman Law, this year’s winner of the Alberta Health Services Lifetime Achievement Award." 8/6/19

  • Prince George creates fund for future arts centre — but there's still no plan for what it'll look like (CBC) Prince George STORY Prince George is my home town. I hope this happens. "It's a project that would help support existing community groups, as well as attract a wider range of touring performers to the city, advocates say. But with an estimated price tag of more than $50 million, funding the project has proven difficult, leading to little progress over the past decade." 8/3/19

  • Treating students like startups: How a Calgary prof created an alternative to student loans (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY Interesting concept. I wonder when or if they might try it with Canadian students? "Successful applicants sign a contract called an income share agreement. Each contract is unique, but typically a student would agree to pay 10 per cent of their post-education income for a fixed term — usually five to seven years. That means for better or worse, richer or poorer, [the corporation] takes that share of the graduate’s paycheque until the end of the contract." 8/2/19

  • P.A. company gives big boost to Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital (Laronge Now) PRINCE ALBERT STORY Thanks B&B Construction! "A generous gift from a Prince Albert company will make a substantial difference for Saskatchewan Children [...]. B&B Construction has gifted $250,000 to support the Pediatric Occupational Therapy Treatment and Splinting Room at Saskatchewan’s first dedicated maternal and children’s hospital." 8/2/19

  • Why earnings in Alberta have been stagnant for years (CBC) ALBERTA STORY :-( "Alberta's recent recession was long and deep. Five years later, we're still recovering. Between 2014 and 2016, total incomes of workers, business, and government combined fell by nearly 20 per cent. That's 75 billion fewer dollars per year in Alberta's economy. That's not even the worst of it. Relative to our growth path prior to the recession, we're down $100 billion per year, compared to where we thought we'd be." 7/31/19

  • Event planned to honour longest serving GPRC President Don Gnatiuk (My Grande Prairie Now) GRANDE PRAIRIE STORY Congrats Don and thanks for your years of service and leadership. "Don Gnatiuk is being honoured for the 12 years he devoted to Grande Prairie Regional College. A tribute to the retiring college president and CEO called Mark On You: A Vital Tribute To Don Gnatiuk will be held on September 12th." 7/30/19

Seven life and career hacks -- one for each day of the week

  1. How to get rid of long brainstorming meetings with this facilitation method (UX Collective) Facilitation nerds rejoice. Oh, and don't forget to time box. 8/1/19

  2. How To Never Run Out of Ideas, Stay Creative, and Become Prolific (BetterMarketing) I love the thought of an 'idea machine'. After all, isn't that what we all are? 7/23/19

  3. Five Management Lessons From the Apollo Moon Landing (BusinessWeek) Yes, I am still milking the anniversary of the moon landing. And by milking, I mean, of course, bringing you great content themed around the Apollo 11 mission. You're welcome. 7/19/19

  4. 59 Conversation Starters to Get the Most Out of Networking Events (BetterMarketing) Even extroverts can learn a thing or two from this list. If you ever have trouble starting a conversation, these are great tips. 7/9/19

  5. The Case for Generalists (Forge) I have had a successful career being (mostly) a generalist. Also, this author has a book that looks more than little interesting. 6/26/19

  6. A Guide to Choosing Which Books to Read (Books) Some tried and true. Some interesting and new. If you like to read or want to read more, this...is worth reading. 2/26/19

  7. This is My Exact Schedule For a Perfectly Productive Day (The Startup) I am a sucker for reading about other people's routines. I find them all interesting. This one included. 2/22/19

Uncommon knowledge

  • The Science of Laughter (Elemental+) I like making people laugh. In a different life, I might have tried stand-up or sketch or improv. Instead, I often like to throw a laugh bomb into my professional proceedings. Turns out, I might be helping to lubricate a healthy social life. Who knew? 8/6/19

  • The Birth of the Semicolon (the Paris Review) Grammar nerds, this one's for you; well, for all of us really. "The semicolon was born in Venice in 1494. It was meant to signify a pause of a length somewhere between that of the comma and that of the colon, and this heritage was reflected in its form, which combines half of each of those marks. " 8/1/19

  • Your Smart Toaster Can’t Hold a Candle to the Apollo Computer (The Atlantic) I have never liked hearing that tired refrain that our iPhones are smarter than the computer on the moon landing. In terms of computational power, it's true. In every other respect, it's not. "Of course, any contemporary device has vastly more raw computational ability than the early machine, but the Apollo computer was remarkably capable, reliable, and up to the task it was given. You could not actually guide a spaceship to the moon with a smart doorbell." 7/16/19

Opinion

  • A Gala Is Not Philanthropy (NonProfit PRO) I heart this so much. "A gala is not major gift fundraising, nor does it really have anything to do with philanthropy. A gala is a way that nonprofits bring in cash—and in rare cases, enough net revenue to justify having one. A gala is almost 100% transactional in nature. In other words, it’s not about connecting a donor’s specific passion and interests with the need you are addressing. To be honest, it’s creating an avenue for you to invite donors and their friends to, for one night, feel good about what you do. That’s not philanthropy." 7/29/19

Philanthropic controversy

  • Parents and students fret as all Alberta scholarship applications put on hold (CBC) ALBERTA STORY I hope this gets sorted out soon. For everybody's sake. "Students heading to university in Alberta in September may not be able to rely on provincially funded scholarships to pay tuition or housing, as the entire scholarship application system has been put on hold until late fall. Lisa Young, a political scientist at the University of Calgary and mother to a recent high school graduate, drew attention to the issue on Twitter. She wrote that applications for one provincially funded scholarship, the Rutherford Scholarship, had been set to open Aug. 1." 8/5/19

Trends and shifts

  • UK charities can now use Instagram donation stickers (Digital Agenda) "The new Instagram donation sticker will be available to both charities and their supporters to create a 24-hour fundraising campaign, as the Stories on Instagram themselves only are available for 24 hours before they disappear. The Facebook-owned social media platform confirms that 100% of all donations will go to the non-profit supported." 7/31/19

  • Fundraisers Satisfied With Many Aspects of Their Job, But Half Likely to Leave Current Position in Two Years (AFP Global) This is a real problem in the nonprofit sector. "More than 80 percent of fundraisers are satisfied with many key aspects of their current job, yet half are likely to leave their position by 2021, according to a new survey by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and The Chronicle of Philanthropy conducted independently online by the Harris Poll." 8/6/19

Large gifts

  • Lynda and Stewart Resnick Donate $10 Million for Establishment of Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies on Aspen Institute Campus (Global Newswire) "The Aspen Institute announced today a significant donation by Lynda and Stewart Resnick for the creation of a new center on the Aspen Institute campus in Aspen, Colorado dedicated to the work of Herbert Bayer. The new Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies will allow the Institute to preserve and honor the art of Bayer, who designed the Institute’s historic campus and whose prolific work represents the fullest expression of the Bauhaus movement in America." 8/3/19

  • St. Bonaventure receives largest single donation in school’s history (WIVB) "Finishing up the fiscal year, St. Bonaventure received the largest single gift the university has ever received [...]. $5 million was gifted by an anonymous donor. It was given in support of St. Bonaventure’s School of Health Professions." 8/2/19

  • CK not-for-profit part of $2.6M donation to combat violence against women (Blackburn News) BRITISH COLUMBIA STORY I love that a United Way in Ontario is giving money to a university in British Columbia. More please. "The United Way of Chatham-Kent is partnering with various organizations to send roughly $2.5 million to the University of British Columbia. The School of Nursing’s capacity research unit is receiving $2,499,946 over seven years to implement and test a trauma and violence-informed outreach intervention for women and girls affected by violence." 8/2/19

  • San Diego Philanthropist Makes Major Donation to UCSD for New Foundation (San Diego Entertainer) This guy, Denny Sanford, is a serious serial philanthropist. We have highlighted his significant gifts in more than a few recaps. Thank you Mr. Sanford. "San Diego philanthropist, Denny Sanford made a major gift donation to UC San Diego for a rather unique area of study: research into the biology of compassion. The donation, totaling in excess of $100 million, will aim to help provide medical students the resources necessary to better study empathy, in hopes of cultivating the future physicians of this country with such qualities." 8/1/19

  • Children's Hospital of Los Angeles gets $50M donation (Becker's) Boom! "Children's Hospital of Los Angeles has received a $50 million donation from Marion and John Anderson, who are now the greatest single benefactor in the hospital's history. The donation will the hospital's provide care for the most critically ill patients and ensure physicians, researchers and other staff members have the resources they need to do it." 8/1/19

  • Work of Glasgow-based charity leads to £900,000 donation for Crohn’s disease research (Edinburgh Press) Good work always gets noticed. Nice. "The work of a Glasgow-based charity has led to a £900,000 [$1.5 million CAD] donation to a Scots university to continue research on an innovative diet for adults and children with Crohn’s disease." 8/1/19

  • Berry Billingsley Awarded £1.5M for Epistemic Insight Initiative (Yahoo Finance) I love this! The entire goal of this initiative is to bring insights to those questions that are often asked but not addressed like: 'Can a robot fall in love? Does space go on forever? Why does the universe exist?' "As part of its Big Questions in Classrooms initiative (BQiC), the Templeton World Charity Foundation awarded Billingsley £1M. The project will receive additional funding from other sources, including the Royal Academy of Engineering, the National Collaborative Outreach Programme, and All Saints Education Trust. With this support, the project will bring together eight institutions of higher learning." 8/1/19

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