Weekly News Recap: March 3, 2017
Repsol Sport Centre CEO Jeff Booke says 1.5 million people use the facility every year and it needs some major upgrades, but it's going to take funding from all levels of government to make it happen. (Scott Dippel/CBC)
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.— Chinese Proverb
News
ATP makes urgent call for donations after 77% dip in corporate funding (CBC) CALGARY STORY "Alberta Theatre Projects says its future is in jeopardy if it doesn't come up with $200,000 in new donations by May 1. The 45-year old Calgary theatre company has launched what it calls an urgent fundraising campaign to make up for a 77 per cent drop in corporate sponsorships. 'Ultimately, the economic downturn has affected us,' said ATP executive director Vicki Stroich[.]" 3/1/17
Remai Modern Art Gallery receives $3M from federal government (CBC) SASKATOON STORY Nice, and well deserved. "Ottawa gave Saskatoon's Remai Modern Art Gallery a $3.1-million boost this morning. [T]he one-time grant will go toward finishing construction on the "Marquee" and "Feature" galleries. A portion of it will also be used to buy specialized equipment for handling art. The money brings Ottawa's contribution to the project to $16 million, and comes from the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund." 3/1/17
Alberta economy will grow modestly in 2017 — and energy sector won't fuel it, analysts say (CBC) ALBERTA STORY "Alberta's economy will return to modest growth in 2017, but it won't be fueled by the energy sector, according to ATB Financial's latest outlook. The report forecasts GDP growth of 2.2 per cent this year — led by agriculture, agri-food and tourism — after a 2.7-per cent contraction in 2016." 3/1/17
Neuroscientist named president of MacEwan University (CBC) EDMONTON STORY Welcome to Edmonton Dr. Saucier. "Neuroscientist and university administrator Deborah Saucier has been named the next president of MacEwan University in Edmonton. Saucier starts her new position July 1. Saucier comes to MacEwan from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Oshawa, where she is the provost and vice-president, academic and the former dean of science." 3/1/17
Non-profit aims to preserve the hidden history of video games (engadget) Makes sense. Video games are part of our culture. "It's relatively easy for developers to preserve classic video games through emulators, museums, remasters and retro consoles. But what about the culture that surrounded it, such as ads, boxes, magazines and gamers' own experiences?" Enter the Video Game History Foundation. 2/28/17
Repsol Sports Centre needs $120M to fund expansion (CBC) CALGARY STORY "The Repsol Sports Centre is planning a major expansion that could top $100 million, but one major hitch is whether it can get government money for the plan. The complex, formerly the Talisman Centre and Lindsay Park before that, has been a key Calgary athletic facility since the early 1980s." 2/26/17
Honours and awards
- MEET OUR FIRST 10 HONOUREES AND VOTE NOW FOR THE NATIONAL HONOUREE (L’Oréal Paris) One of Calgary's own and a young philanthropist in her own right, Sheliza Kassam, is in the running. The National Honouree will be announced on International Women's Day (March 8, 2017). VOTE FOR SHELIZA (ONCE EVERY 24 HOURS) February 2017
Trends and shifts
The charity that wants video game karts in every hospital (engadget) Cool idea. Gamers helping sick kids. 2/27/17
Millennials Are Influencing The Future Of Philanthropy (Forbes) "In the last year, Millennials surpassed Baby Boomers as the nation’s largest living generation. They are also the most diverse generation to date, which is significantly impacting the world of philanthropy." 2/25/17
COMMENTARY: Food banks invest in ways to become more self-sufficient (LocalExpress.ca) Nutrition security. Just one of the new terms related to food banks. "They're no longer just about making people food-secure. [...] They're no longer apologizing for existing, with the aim of being redundant over the long term. Food banks are here to stay because people will continue to experience changes in their situation and food banks simply respond faster than any government program." 2/24/17
Philanthropic controversy
PayPal's donation tools stiff some charities, new class action lawsuit alleges (CNBC) It appears this is the PayPal not giving fund. "When charitable accounts are not set up correctly, PayPal continues to accept donations on their behalf, the suit alleges. Instead of notifying donors and nonprofits of the error, PayPal takes the money after six months and redirects it to another charity." 2/28/17
Second security breach at Full House Lottery has organization concerned about sales (CBC) EDMONTON STORY "Lottery officials learned on Jan. 29, 2017, that hackers had accessed an email list of people who had supported the lottery in the past. Those people were sent emails that directed them to a fake website, where they were told they could buy tickets for this year's lottery." 2/27/17
Ivy League Slavery Links Expose Dangerous History of Corporate “Philanthropy” (Nonprofit Quarterly) "Quartz India examines this link through the lens of MIT professor Craig Steven Wilder. Wilder’s book Ebony and Ivy exposed how the very foundations of major American universities are deeply 'rooted in the barbaric slave trade.' As Quartz puts it, 'Wilder calls the 18th-century American academy the third pillar of a civilization based on bondage, along with the church and state.' Wilder observes that many presidents of schools like Harvard, Yale, and Brown 'were sons or sons-in-law of merchant traders and themselves owned slaves.'" 2/24/17
Georgia Charities Risk Losing Millions to One Philanthropy’s Risky Investment Strategy (Nonprofit Quarterly) This is nuts. Foundation boards be warned. "If a friend told you to put 85 percent of your retirement savings in the stock of one corporation, you would probably think he or she was crazy. [...] Unfortunately, the charitable organizations of Georgia are going to lose out on millions of dollars in donations this year—and possibly every year for the foreseeable future—because the trustees of the region’s largest private foundation have chosen a foolhardy investment strategy. They have more than 85 percent of the foundation’s assets invested in Coca-Cola stock, according to the tax documents they file with the IRS every year." 2/23/17
Life and career hacks
Spending 10 Minutes a Day on Mindfulness Subtly Changes the Way You React to Everything (Harvard Business Review) "If you read your email as you get up, your mind will get sidetracked and you’ll begin the slide toward reactive leadership. Making email your first task of the day wastes the opportunity to use your mind at its highest potential." 3/1/17
The Real Reason Your Marketing Plan Isn’t Bringing In Business (Fast Company) Credibility or leads? Read on. 3/1/17
How To Manage Somebody You Just Don’t Like (Fast Company) Great article on your role (and tips) as a leader in working with someone you might not like. 3/1/17
The Surprising History of Canada’s Most Iconic Designs (Wired) CANADIAN STORY Nice piece on a group of designers who do not normally get accolades (but should). Filmmaker Gary Hustwit, director of acclaimed design documentary Helvetica and a forthcoming film on Dieter Rams, has co-produced Design Canada, a film celebrating the nation’s contributions to the design world. 3/1/17
This Video Explains Why "I Don't Have Time" Is a Poor Excuse (Lifehacker) This video by Laura Vanderkam is from a TEDWoman event. It's just over 11 minutes long. If you take what Laura says to heart, it might just be the best 11 minutes you spend in years. 2/28/17
Seven Methods to Help You Stay Focused (Lifehacker) "How many things are vying for your attention right now? Your phone? Email? Slack? Twitter? That nagging to-do list that just seems to keep growing? Modern technology has given us so many amazing things, but one of the awkward side effects has always been its ability to get in our face whether we want it to or not." 2/28/17
Why Typography Matters — Especially At The Oscars (Medium) Topical and informative. Typography might not have changed the outcome but it might have made the error much easier to spot. 2/27/17
How I Tricked Myself Into Reading More Books (Lifehacker) Whatever works. "When I sit down to read, I always aim to complete the cycle. And “the cycle” can be whatever I determine before my reading session. It could be setting a timer for 20 minutes and doing a reading sprint without distraction for the entire duration." 2/27/17
2 Quotes That Will Reshape Your Approach To Life (The Mission) “When you want wisdom and insight as badly as you desired that breath of air, then you shall have it.” 2/24/17
Uncommon knowledge
One billion hours of YouTube are watched every day (engadget) "That’s a lot of bottle flipping videos." Indeed. For reference, Netflix usage is estimated at approximately 20% of that (and rising). 2/28/17
Why Nova Scotia museums are turning down most artifact donation offers (CBC) NOVA SCOTIA STORY Grandma's collection of hairpins might be historical but they also might not be collection-grade. Museums are regularly inundated with "offers" from well-meaning citizens. Items have to meet the collection mandate and they have to be stored and they cost money to take care of -- all considerations made by modern museums. 2/26/17
Opinion
Opinion: Artists need more than applause and appreciation (Edmonton Journal) ALBERTA STORY Nicely said Larry. Could not agree more. Larry Clausen is chair of the Alberta Ballet and vice-chair Alberta College of Art and Design. 2/25/17
Alberta private schools need to pay their own way, education and labour groups say (CBC) ALBERTA STORY Strong feelings on both sides. 2/23/17
Large gifts
Student Association pledges $1M for future students services (Metro) EDMONTON STORY "The students' association at NorQuest college is pledging $1 million to improve student experiences at the school. The pledge is part of a larger campaign called Maximizing Opportunities[.]" 3/1/17
College of Saint Elizabeth receives $5M donation (NJ.com) "The College of Saint Elizabeth, in Florham Park, New Jersey, recently received a $5 million bequest from the estate of an alumna [Antoinette M. Anastasia] who died in early December." 3/1/17
CMU receives $10 million donation from businessman to support scholarships (Pittsburgh Post Gazette) "Businessman Frank Brunckhorst, a member of Carnegie Mellon University’s Board of Trustees, has donated $10 million to support scholarships for undergraduate students." 2/28/17
Gifts Roundup: $12 Million Donation Boosts Denver Art Museum Renovation (Chronicle of Philanthropy) Regular roundup from our friends at the Chronicle. 2/27/17
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) has received a $10 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. towards the planned Education Centre at The Wall in Washington DC. (blooloop) This gift warms my heart. "The 25,000-square-foot Education Centre has been envisioned as an interactive learning facility. It is intended to explain the context, share the stories and honour the sacrifices of those involved in the war." 2/27/17
Wanuskewin Heritage Park gets $500K boost towards $40M revitalization plan (CBC) SASKATOON STORY "TD Bank Group announced [...] it was donating $500,000 to the park and interpretive centre near Saskatoon." 2/25/17
Chapman receives $45 million donation for engineering school (The Panther) "Chapman received a $45 million donation for the construction of a new engineering school, which will be part of the new Center for Science and Technology [...]. The donation, which comes from Dale and Sarah Ann Fowler, makes the Fowlers the university’s largest donors at $100 million total [...]. The couple also donated $55 million toward the Dale E. Fowler School of Law in 2013." Chapman University is a private, non-profit university located in Orange, California. It is affiliated with the Christian Church. 2/25/17
HudsonAlpha receives 2.5M anonymous donation for research (WHNT News) "The project will focus on research of neurodegenerative diseases like, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease and ALS." Located in the Huntsville, Alabama, the HudsonAlpha Institute is a nonprofit institute where scientists, educators, and entrepreneurs translate the power of genomics into real world results. 2/25/17
Federated Co-op makes million-dollar donation to Wanuskewin fundraising campaign (Saskatoon Star Phoenix) SASKATOON STORY "Wanuskewin Heritage Park is one step closer to reaching its $40-million fundraising goal after a million-dollar donation from Federated Co-op." Thanks Federated Co-op. 2/23/17
Museum of Nature receives largest-ever donation for species research (Globe and Mail) CANADIAN STORY "The Canadian Museum of Nature [...] has received a $4-million donation to help advance its biodiversity research [...]. The donation, from mining entrepreneur Ross Beaty of Vancouver and his wife, Trisha, a physician, is the largest in the Ottawa museum’s history. It is also directed entirely behind the scenes rather than toward display galleries or other visible spaces that are more typical focal points of museum philanthropy." 2/23/17
Muscular donation funds new Colby College fitness center (NBC) Joe and Sheri Boulos have given $10 million to the College. "Colby College [...] say[s] the money would help build a facility that would let students pursue a healthier lifestyle and provide training to make athletes more competitive nationally. In appreciation for the donation, Colby said it will name its new building the Boulos Family Fitness Center." Colby College is a private liberal arts college located near Waterville, Maine. 2/23/17
Google is donating $11.5 million to racial justice causes (Engadget) Good on ya Google! "Google will invest $11.5 million to support racial justice, the company announced in a blog post today. The funds are split between 10 different causes, with $5 million going to the Center for Policing Equality." 2/23/17
FGCU College of Health & Human Services Receives $10 Million Donation (Gulfshore Life) "Florida Gulf Coast University announced [...] that it has renamed its health professions school the Elaine Nicpon Marieb College of Health & Human Services following her donation of $10 million." February 2017
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