Weekly News Recap: September 27, 2019

Weekly News Recap: September 27, 2019

Alberta photographer Jenna Hobbs is one of 11 finalists competing for the Luxembourg Art Prize. The winner will be announced Sept. 28, 2019. (Jenna Hobbs)

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. — Annie Dillard

This week's highlights

  • Saying goodbye to our panda babies \@Sniff
  • Beer + vitality = fundraising #WhoKnew
  • A new school at Olds #Werklund
  • Manitoba Metis gift to cancer #FirstNations
  • Canadians losing confidence in science #Sad
  • Long live the typewriter #IAmGettingOne
  • And so much more...

AFP Global

  • Events in Canada (AFP Global) CANADIAN CONTENT This is a great resource for Canadian fundraisers. "AFP Chapters: Have an event you'd like promoted on the AFP Calendar? Complete the Event Form!" September 2019

News

  • Motherhood inspires Alberta photographer's entry into Luxembourg Art Prize (CBC) STONY PLAIN STORY Awesome. This artist's photography makes me want to call my mother. Jenna, we will be rooting for you September 28th. "Profiling her personal art photography that focuses on motherhood has now gained Jenna Hobbs international recognition. One of 11 finalists of the Luxembourg Art Prize, Hobbs, who lives on a farm west of Stony Plain with her husband and five children, is the only Canadian entry in this year's awards. The winner will be announced Sept. 28, 2019." 9/23/19

  • Calgary Zoo Is Throwing An Epic Weekend-Long Send-Off For Twin Panda Cubs (Narcity) CALGARY STORY I am going to miss them #sniff. "You may not know this, but The Calgary Zoo is home to a pair of twin giant panda cubs. They’re big, they’re cute, and they’re leaving soon so you need to see them ASAP. The cubs, Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue, will be moving to the Giant Panda Research Base in Chengdu, China next month and the Calgary Zoo Panda Cub Farewell is being held in their honour." 9/23/19

  • UCalgary announces three-year research partnership to transform Calgary’s downtown (UCalgary) CALGARY STORY This is terrific. Architecture can save cities. Here's how. "Alleyways have the potential to be the backbone for a dynamic, multi-layered city experience, and a new pilot project aims to transform Calgary’s downtown back alleys." 9/23/19

  • Q and A: New dean of Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the U of A (Edmonton Journal) EDMONTON STORY Congrats Dr. Hemmelgaarm. "Dr. Brenda Hemmelgarn, born in St. Walburg, Sask., has over 35 years of experience in the health-care field and the next part of her journey will be as the new dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry for the University of Alberta, starting Jan. 1, 2020." 9/23/19

  • Edmonton-based Jobber ranked 7th fastest growing company in Canada (Edmonton Sun) EDMONTON STORY Congrats. And...cool. "Local tech start-up Jobber, recently named one of the fastest growing businesses in the country, sells its software to customers around the world, but its success could have a long-term impact on Edmonton’s technology sector." 9/22/19

  • Viral 'beer money' request reportedly generates $1 million in donations for children's hospital (ABC) Be careful what you ask for. "A college football fan who made a social media plea for 'beer money' and turned the humorous request into a fundraising effort for a children's hospital has now reportedly reached $1 million in donations." 9/22/19

  • City pays $3.5M to bring company to Calgary to create advanced tech centre, 200 jobs (CBC) CALGARY STORY Nice. More please. "The city has paid $3.5 million to bring a B.C. tech company to Calgary in exchange for the promise of about 200 new jobs. Finger Food Advanced Technology Group is a tech solution provider that was founded in Port Coquitlam, B.C., in 2009." 9/21/19

  • Olds College announces Werklund School of Agriculture Technology (Red Deer Advocate) OLDS STORY So great. "Olds College has announced the launch of the Werklund School of Agriculture Technology. Through the school, students will have access to new programs to prepare them for careers requiring an understanding of the connectedness between agronomy, technology and data sciences." 9/20/19

  • 'A sandbox for innovation': City, U of A join international research hub (Edmonton Journal) EDMONTON STORY Good. About time. "The city and the University of Alberta have joined forces to 'take our expertise to the world' as the first Canadian partners in a major international research hub focused on solving municipal challenges." 9/19/19

  • St. Albert Food Bank sets a table for 1,000 hungry families (St. Albert Today) ST. ALBERT STORY ViTreo is proud to be working with the St. Albert Food Bank. "Imagine your extended family of 1,000 has come over for supper and they’re all hungry. Now imagine that this city is your extended family and each of those hungry relatives is itself an individual family with parents and children of their own. That’s what it’s like for the St. Albert Food Bank. The organization recently announced it now has more than 1,000 families who are registered to receive its services and support." 9/18/19

  • Scotiabank supports young Canadians with a $500,000 donation to the Terry Fox PROFYLE program Français (Newswire) CANADIAN STORY Woot! "Scotiabank has donated $500,000 to the Terry Fox Foundation PROFYLE program, to help give young Canadians with hard-to-treat cancers access to potentially life-saving treatment." 9/18/19

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

  1. 7 Words and Phrases to Ban from Your Vocabulary for More Confidence (The Startup) I use too many of these. 4/4/19

  2. Want a Happier, More Fulfilling Life? 75-Year Harvard Study Says Focus on This 1 Thing (Better Humans) We could all use more of this in our lives. 4/25/19

  3. Your Productivity Hinges on How You Arrange Your Desk (The Forge) More green. More photos. 3/26/19

  4. Leadership Essentials: Six Key Habits to Living and Leading at Your Best (Better Humans) The long march leading to the clarity vision. 3/13/19

  5. A Beginner’s Guide to Giving Performance Reviews (Marker) Why did they not tell me this stuff when I first became a manager? 2/21/19

  6. Choose your priorities and ruthlessly eliminate the rest (The Startup) I have a real problem with urgency v. importance. And, it hurts me. 2/1/19

  7. Forget Time Management, This is the Real Key to Productivity (Productivity) Being busy is not the same as being productive. 6/16/18

Opinion

  • Letter to the editor: Why we need student journalism in spite of angry redditors (The Gateway) EDMONTON STORY I love journalism. "Journalism is the one thing that empowers the student body to act; without journalism we would not know of any reason to take up a fight. Every call to defund a student newspaper is not a call to stop an independent publication from making jokes that aren’t always funny, it is a call to shoot ourselves in the foot. It is a blindingly appealing call that unintentionally deprives you and your fellow students of good, important journalism." 9/20/19*

Philanthropic controversy

  • What Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy filing means for Canada (CBC) CANADIAN CONTENT "Last year, the B.C. government launched a similar class-action lawsuit against Purdue Pharma and more than 40 other companies on behalf of all provincial, territorial and federal governments over the marketing of opioids in Canada. The suit aims to recover the health care costs of the crisis. The concern in Canada is that because of the U.S. bankruptcy filing, the assets at the centre of the lawsuit could be in jeopardy [...]." 9/21/19

  • Papa John's increases donation to Simmons College following controversy (WDRB) "Simmons College of Kentucky will now get more than the $20,000 in scholarship money it was expecting from Papa John's International. Papa John's and Simmons College blamed each other for the breakdown of an agreement earlier this month between the pizza company to give the historically black college scholarship money." 9/19/19

  • AMID EPSTEIN SCANDAL, FUNDRAISING GROUP PUTS FOCUS ON ETHICS IN PHILANTHROPY (Associations Now) Good. About time. "With major universities facing criticism for taking donations from Jeffrey Epstein, the Association of Fundraising Professionals is urging organizations to ensure they have ethics policies in place to guide their fundraising activities." 9/18/19

  • Billionaire’s Oxford donation sparks protest (Cherwell) "Students, staff and councillors have raised concern with the University over its receipt of £150 million from Stephen Schwarzman, co-founder and chair of the controversial Blackstone Group. Oxford plans to use the donation to build the ‘Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities’. The open letter, signed by a forty-two locals, students, staff, councillors and activist groups, academics and councillors, warns that the Centre will 'be built with the proceeds of the exploitation and disenfranchisement of vulnerable people across the world.'" 9/18/19

  • Sackler Money Complicates Donation Policies for Museums (U.S. News) It's really all about the policy. "For museums in the U.S. especially, where private funding can account for more than three quarters of an annual budget, the decision to cut off a wealthy contributor such as the Sacklers or Jeffrey Epstein is sometimes a choice between upholding their stated values and being able to communicate those values through the art they champion." 9/18/19

  • You’re trapped. They’re cashing in. (Tampa Bay Times) OMG. "More than two thousand people arrive each year at North Tampa Behavioral Health in extreme crisis. They are checked in under a state law that lets mental health centers keep people who might hurt themselves or others for up to 72 hours. But when that time is over, some patients find themselves held captive by the place that is supposed to protect them." 9/18/19

Trends and shifts

  • Canadians' trust in science falling, poll suggests (CBC) This makes me very sad. "A survey suggests that the trust Canadians place in science may be eroding.The survey, by the polling firm Ipsos for the multinational 3M company, also found that nearly half of those surveyed thought scientists are elitist and that a significant number of respondents discounted findings that don't accord with their personal beliefs." 9/23/19

  • Next frontier in medical fundraising? Toronto man turns to boot camp to help raise $3M for son's rare disorder (CBC) CANADIAN STORY When it comes to family, you do whatever it takes. "The Pirovolakis, who live in Toronto, have already become adept in community fundraising. Michael was diagnosed with SPG50 in April, and since then, the family has raised thousands by liquidating their savings, as well as through public events and donations via GoFundMe." 9/22/19

  • Old typewriters see 'tremendous resurgence' as writers unplug (CBC) SASKATOON STORY "People are rediscovering it. I am selling them to writers. I am selling them to children who are saving up. I am selling them to legal offices. I am selling them to senior citizens' homes. People from all over North America." 9/22/19

  • How a wealth tax could totally remake charity in the United States (Vox) "The two authors had previously helped design Elizabeth Warren’s signature wealth tax proposal, which calls for a 2 percent annual levy on wealth between $50 million and $1 billion and a 3 percent levy on wealth in excess of $1 billion. Those are high rates by international standards, but not enough to make very wealthy people no longer wealthy. The taxes would eat up most of the returns to investments in stocks (which average something like 6 to 8 percent in the long run) and all of the returns and then some to safer investments like bonds. But for the most part, the rich would grow richer at a slightly more modest pace or become only mildly less rich." 9/20/19

  • For first time in history of Canada's National Ballet School, more boys than girls will graduate (CBC) CANADIAN STORY "Benjamin Alexander performs routine barre exercises in his afternoon class in a large bright studio within Canada's National Ballet School (NBS). The set syllabus is taught by a male instructor, and Alexander, 16, is also surrounded by nine other boys — something that's now completely normal. In Alexander's Grade 12 class, there are 16 boys and 11 girls, marking the first time in the institution's illustrious 60-year history that female ballet dancers are outnumbered." 9/19/19

  • Nonprofit news outlets aren’t relying as heavily on foundations — but journalism philanthropy continues to grow (NiemanLab) "Nonprofit news does not mean news without a business model. As more and more 501(c)(3) status–granted outlets emerge in the last decade of journalism, more and more are building out ways to make money beyond foundation grants — though with less impact from membership than their commercial counterparts." 9/18/19

  • Edmonton social enterprise Earth Group unveils new aluminum bottled water product (Global News) EDMONTON STORY "The world is shifting away from single-use plastics and as Margeaux Maron tells us, an Alberta-based bottled water company is riding that wave with a big product change." 9/13/19

Large gifts

  • University receives $7M donation for new athletic facility, Israel Studies fellowship (The Eagle) "[American University alumnus] and Board of Trustees member Alan Meltzer and his wife Amy donated the $7 million to be allotted to two University departments: $5 million will go toward the Center for Athletic Performance and the remaining $2 million will go toward the Center for Israel Studies. " 9/24/19

  • Third Giving Day Raises $5.7 Million Despite Steep Drop in Number of Donors (The Commentator) "YU’s third Giving Day raised over $5.7 million from 1156 donors, exceeding its $5 million goal even while the total number of donors fell 61% from last year’s campaign [...]. Several large donations were primarily responsible for the campaign raising $5.7 million, which surpassed 2018’s $4.5 million total, though still falling short of 2016’s $6 million." 9/22/19

  • Manitoba Metis Federation donates $1M to CancerCare Manitoba (CBC) MANITOBA STORY Nice gift. Thank you First Nations. "The Manitoba Metis Federation handed over a $1-million cheque [...] to help in the fight against cancer. MMF President David Chartrand made the presentation to the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation during his state of the nation address at the federation's annual general assembly, being held Saturday at Assiniboia Downs." 9/25/19

  • Spokane area business owner makes $5 million donation to EWU stadium renovation project (News Break) "A project to renovate Eastern Washington University's Roos Field has just taken a big financial step forward, courtesy of one Spokane area business owner. In fact, it's the largest individual private gift ever made to EWU. Jack Gillingham, a Cheney resident who owns several businesses on the West Plains and in Spokane, made a $5 million donation to the project." 9/20/19

  • Arkansas Children’s Foundation receives $5 million anonymous donation (KNWA) "The Arkansas Children’s Foundation recently received an anonymous, $5 million donation, the organization announced [...]. The monumental gift will go towards the expansion of the Arkansas Children’s Northwest Hospital in Springdale." 9/20/19

  • College of Arts & Sciences receives anonymous $25 million donation (The Daily Tar Heel) Wow! "The UNC College of Arts & Sciences received a $25 million gift from an anonymous donor meant to benefit graduate students across the school's many departments in upcoming years, the school announced [recently]." 9/19/19

  • John and Laura Lally commit to transformational $25 million donation to Syracuse University athletics (Clarence Bee) "During halftime of the Syracuse University vs. Western Michigan football game, Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud and Director of Athletics John Wildhack presented a commemorative football to the Lallys in recognition of a gift commitment of $25 million to support Syracuse University athletics. The donation is among the single largest that the school has ever received." 9/17/19

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