Weekly News Recap: February 3, 2017
A boy scout carried a rainbow flag during gay pride parade in San Francisco in 2015. Nosh Berger/Reuters
Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. — Charles R. Swindoll
Events and conferences
- Complexity, unpacked. How can we work together to meet the needs of our community today and in the future? (CCVO) REGISTER TODAY The Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (CCVO) is having their annual conference on April 4, 2017. 2/2/17
Philanthropy in the era of Trump
Eye on the Trump Cabinet: EXPLORING PUBLIC SERVICE & THE PUBLIC GOOD (Foundation Center) This is a non-partisan transparency initiative of The Foundation Center that highlights the philanthropy of President Trump and the Trump Cabinet. January 2017
The ACLU’s Huge Weekend Donations Haul Shows Twitter Activism Can Work (Wired) Boom! "In under 48 hours, the ACLU had received $24 million in online donations, far more even than the $7.2 million the organization received five days following Trump’s election, and around six times the organization’s average intake—per year." 1/30/17
News
MyHo renovation schematics complete, cost projections on the rise (Gateway) EDMONTON STORY While renovations for the Myer Horowitz Theatre were estimated at $11 million in the summer, new projections are now as high as $14 million. The Students' Union at the University of Alberta is a ViTrēo client. 1/31/17
ACLU signs on with Y Combinator after $24 million donation (Engadget) Startup accelerator Y Combinator announced that the ACLU is enrolling as part of its Winter 2017 class to figure out how to best utilize this monetary windfall. YC will also provide a degree of financing to the civil liberties group, though it will not take an equity stake as it normally would since the ACLU is a nonprofit. 1/31/17
Children's charity sues former treasurer for taking money (CBC) EDMONTON STORY Children's Heart Society alleges Asa Wedman of Edmonton took more than $200,000. 1/31/17
RDC Meets with Utah Valley University President in Push for Polytechnic Status (Lacombe Online) RED DEER STORY Red Deer College says becoming a Polytechnic University is their number one priority this year. 1/31/17
Boy Scouts, Reversing Century-Old Stance, Will Allow Transgender Boys (New York Times) This, amongst everything else, is a lovely little trinket of goodness. 1/30/17
Regina Sexual Assault Centre ex-administrator charged with fraud (CBC) REGINA STORY Charges laid against Debra Lynn House after investigation spanning 7 months. 1/30/17
$5M to tear down your only curling rink: rural B.C. community faces tough choice (CBC) MACKENZIE STORY "[...W]alking away from $5 million would be tough for any community, and in the meantime the grant will give Mackenzie a new community hall and expanded recreation centre that includes a children's play area. [The curling club president] isn't convinced it's worth $5 million to lose a popular family sport. He worries it could be years or even decades before a new rink would be built." 1/29/17
Promoter and Rotarians fight over Stampede Roundup name (Calgary Sun) CALGARY STORY When you are trying to raise awareness, your name matters. 1/27/17
Trends and shifts
Power shift marks a new age of philanthropy (Alliance Magazine) Some facts, figures, and opinion out of the U.K. "Philanthropy – private wealth for public good – has never been more important than it is now. Local authority budgets have been slashed, and demand for charitable services is increasing. While philanthropy will never be a substitute for government, it must now play a leading role for community provision, just as London’s philanthropists have done for centuries, providing hospitals, schools, housing, infrastructure and other services." 2/1/17
Donation drop forces merger of Canada's largest cancer charities (Globe and Mail) CANADIAN STORY This is not new news but this article goes into more detail than when we first shared this story in our November 4, 2016 recap. 2/1/17
As India's millionaire club grows by 11%, the nature of philanthropy in India is changing (India Times) Each year, India's millionaire club grows by 11%, almost double the numbers from a decade ago. A key contributing factor to this occurrence has been the development of an ecosystem that is conducive to entrepreneurship. 1/29/17
Top 10 Hot Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies (Forbes) Industries and technologies where AI is most likely to have the largest impact in the next five to ten years. 1/23/17
Opinion
- Our Supreme Meme Leader (The Ringer) The dangers of 'laughing along' ."#SeanSpicerSays. 'Alternative facts.' Week 1 of the Trump administration has already been fertile ground for social media humor. But what if all of the internet jokes are actually helping his cause?" 1/27/17
Life and career hacks
Do These Things After Work Everyday And You Will Achieve Anything You Want In Life (The Mission) Those precious hours after work and into the evening really are golden. "Spend an hour a day to learn about a topic." 2/1/17
The 100:10:1 Method for Creativity on Demand (Personal Growth) "To find a good idea, have a lot of ideas, and go past obvious ones by forcing ideas after you feel “all out”. It takes practice because we’re used to stopping when we feel our ideas are exhausted." 1/30/17
The best resume template based on my 15 years experience sharing resume advice (The Mission) Fantastic resource for resume writing and review. 01/30/17
22 Life Lessons I Learned From My Mentors That Every Person Should Know (Art of Practicality) A compendium of goodness. One of my favourites: "I hate fabricated fun. It’s not fun." 1/30/17
Looking for inspiration? 18 quick quotes about attitude (The Mission) At a loss for inspiration? These can help. 1/30/17
How Students Can Prepare for a Nonprofit Career (Chronicle of Philanthropy) Good article for those interested in a career in the sector. 1/30/17
Gets you right in the feels
- MILCK - "Quiet" [Official Music Video] (YouTube) Thanks to the folks at NPR's All Songs Considered Podcast I have been tuned into this powerful anthem. This song debuted during the recent Women's Marches. Here you have the full studio version. Listen in headphones. Tell me you are not spurred to act. 1/27/17
Philathropic personalities
- Salesforce’s mission to revolutionize corporate philanthropy (Information Age) I would say they are very much succeeding. "[W]e give every non-profit ten Salesforce licenses as a donation – but also the Salesforce technology, ecosystem and knowledge. That equates to about a $250 million technology donation each year." 02/01/17
Large gifts
Donation Enrichs Wildlife Ecology Program (The Pointer) Gerald and Helen Stephens have donated $1 million to create an endowed professorship at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. 2/2/17
Pencils of Promise Receives $1 Million Donation to Support School Builds and Innovation Pipeline (Yahoo Finance) Pencils of Promise (PoP), a global education organization, announced a $1 million dollar grant from American entrepreneur, Timothy Sykes through The Timothy Sykes Foundation. The donation will help PoP implement change on a transformative level and change the fact that 250 million children around the world lack basic reading and writing skills. 2/1/17
Museum of the City of New York Gets Record $10 Million Donation (dna info) The Thompson Family Foundation gave $10 million to the institution. The Museum is located in East Harlem. The Thompson Family Foundation is the foundation of Wade Thompson, now deceased, who revived and brought all of us the iconic Airstream trailers. 2/1/17
Sheryl Sandberg Just Made a Massive Donation to Planned Parenthood (Forward) Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, has been an outspoken opponent of President Trump’s fight against reproductive rights, including his reinstatement of the global gag rule, which blocks funding for overseas nongovernmental organizations that provide abortion services. 2/1/17
$5 million donation to University of West Florida (Pensacola News Journal) Dr. Usha Kundu and her husband Mahadeb Kundu have made a $5 million to the University of West Florida in Pensacola. The donation renames the UWF College of Health to the Usha Kundu, MD College of Health. 2/1/17
Francona gives back via $1 million donation to Arizona Wildcats baseball program (Tuscon.Com) Terry Francona has made a gift of $1 million to the Arizona Wildcats baseball program. The donation will go toward the baseball capital projects fund, including an indoor hitting facility that will be named after Francona. 1/31/17
$1M Donation for Arkansas Children's Northwest (Arkansas Matters) Grateful grandparents Joanie and Jon Dyer are giving $1 million to the construction of Arkansas Children’s Hospital Northwest expansion campaign. The gift was inspired by the excellent care their grandson received at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH). The ACH is located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 1/31/17
Mizzou announces another seven-figure donation for football facility (Kansas City Star) The anonymous $1 million gift is the eighth seven-figure gift the program has received during the fiscal year, a record for Mizzou Athletics. 1/31/17
Google donates $4 million to refugee causes after Donald Trump's travel ban, revealing 200 employees are affected (The Telegraph) The CEO of Google has donated $2 million to refugee causes, and asked his staff to match the donation, meaning the organisation will have donated $4 million to charity after President Trump's travel ban. Sundar Pichai said Google will give the funds to the American Civil Liberties Union, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, the International Rescue Committee and the UNHCR. 1/31/17
Lyft donates $1M to the ACLU, condemns Trump’s immigration actions (TechCrunch) Finally, someone in tech responded with something other than "yes sir!". 1/29/17
Rasmuson Foundation Awards $5 Million to Expand Philanthropy Program (PND Philanthropy News Digest) The Anchorage-based Rasmuson Foundation has announced a four-year, $5 million grant to the Alaska Community Foundation to expand a statewide effort to create, support, and sustain locally driven philanthropy. 1/28/17
Garff children honor parents through $12 million gift to U. business school (KSL) The well-known Garff children are using a generous donation to the University of Utah to pay homage to their parents while continuing their legacy of supporting education. The University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business announced a $12 million donation from the Garff family to develop a state-of-the-art facility to elevate the profile of the U.’s business programs, officials said. 1/28/17
MEGA DONATION: SC Johnson gifts $150 million to Cornell (Ithaca Journal) What is so interesting is that Cornell is renaming its College of Business for a corporation. This is very rarely done especially for an Ivy League school. I would love to have a transcript of the board discussion on this one. The gift will go to the newly named Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. 1/28/17
$8 million gallery gift (CBD News) An $8 million donation from the John and Myriam Wylie Foundation is enabling the State Library of Victoria in Australia to build a new gallery. 1/27/17
Glens Falls Hospital receives $1 million donation for Snuggery renovation (The Post Star) Bill Stock, who grew up in Glens Falls and went on to a career as an engineer and entrepreneur, returned to his hometown Friday to announce a $1 million contribution to Glens Falls Hospital. Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York. 1/27/17
Interfaith receives $3.2 million donation (The Coast News) Interfaith Community Services in Escondido, California received a donation from the late Joan and W. Lee James Jr. The San Marcos couple’s estate donated $3.2 million to Interfaith. 1/27/17
Marblehead Jewish Academy Receives $5M Donation (Patch) Around 1985, the Lynn Hebrew Day School, located in Marblehead, Massachusetts, was renamed to acknowledge Eli and Bessie Cohen. This summer, Cohen Hillel Academy will be renamed again to honor the school's longtime volunteer, Arthur J. Epstein, who recently donated $5 million to the school. 1/27/17
Michigan State Athletics Get $1M Donation (The Game 730 AM) Michigan State received a $1 million donation from MSU alumni Craig Crooks and Mary Helen. The money will go towards football and men’s basketball, according to a press release. 1/27/17
Derby HS clubhouse, baseball field saved by $2 million donation (CT Post) Joan A. Payden, chief executive officer of Payden & Rygel is donating $2 million to help fund the construction of a clubhouse and keep the Derby High School’s baseball field at the Leo F. Ryan Sports Complex. Derby High School is located in Derby, Connecticut. 1/26/17
Ackland receives $17 million in works of art, largest donation in museum's history (Daily Tarheel) Leena and her husband Sheldon Peck gave 134 works of art valued at $17 million and an $8 million endowment to the Ackland Art Museum for the Sheldon Peck curator of European and American art and for future acquisitions. The Ackland Art Museum is a museum and academic unit of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 1/26/17
Wake alumnus Mit Shah makes $5 million donation to Wake Forest basketball (Winston-Salem Journal) Wake Forest University announced Friday that Mit Shah has donated an additional $5 million in support of Wake Forest basketball and the basketball player development facility currently under construction. Shah, an alumnus, and member of Wake’s board of trustees, previously donated about $2.5 million to the university for investments in academic resources, university facilities and student financial aid. He is also the chief executive of Noble Investment Group and part-owner of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. Wake Forest University is a private, independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 1/26/17
H-E-B CEO announces $100 million legacy gift to create educational leadership institute (San Antonio Express-News) H-E-B Chairman and CEO Charles Butt will invest more than $100 million to create a nonprofit leadership institute for Texas public school administrators. The institute will be named the Holdsworth Center after Butt’s mother, Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth Butt, who was a teacher in the Hill Country before her marriage. 1/17/17
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