Weekly News Recap: April 10, 2020

Weekly News Recap: April 10, 2020

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney addressed Albertans about COVID-19 during a televised address on Tuesday. (CBC)

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. -- Marie Curie

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FUNDRAISING IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

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TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

  1. VIDEO: Zoom Surprise: Some Good News with John Krasinski Ep. 2 (YouTube) We shared John's first instalment with you last week (see popular links at the bottom of this post). It was fantastic. This one will blow your mind. I won't spoil the surprise but it is #PrettyGreat "Your host John Krasinski returns to highlight some good news from around the world... and unveil the perfect #Zoom surprise for his new friend Aubrey. Episode 2 of SGN!"

  2. OPINION | Kenney delivers a stark but necessary message to Albertans (CBC) ALBERTA STORY Mr. Kenney rose to the greatest challenge of his career. The personal health and the fiscal future of his fellow Albertans were first and foremost on his mind and in his actions. He shared some scary stuff. 800,000 infections, 3,000 dead. $20 billion deficit. And he did it all with care, with a bit of emotion, with Canadian pragmatism, and with the inspiration we expect from a leader. Mr. Kenney. Keep it up. We need leaders like you right now. "Premier Jason Kenney's address to Albertans [...] was perhaps the most sombre and downright bleak speech ever delivered by an Alberta premier, certainly the darkest among the televised 'fireside chats' that began with Peter Lougheed in the early 1980s."

  3. Winnipeg family builds Lego video of Trudeau's COVID-19 message to kids (CBC) WINNIPEG STORY This is lovely on many levels. I recommend sharing this with your children. It takes a scary deal and makes it practical, real, and a bit fun. "A Winnipeg family has hit the bricks to share Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's message to children in a video that features little Lego versions of him and reporters, as well as a cameo appearance by Manitoba's top public health officials."

  4. VIDEO: Lady Gaga announces $35M raised to fight COVID-19 'catastrophe' (CBC) Lady Gaga is an impressive woman on any given day. We are lucky to live in her time. I am thankful. I will be watching this special. I hope you will too! "Lady Gaga and advocacy organization Global Citizen announced [...] that a group of philanthropists has raised $35 million US to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. [Lady Gaga] also announced an upcoming TV and online special featuring a star-studded cast to thank front-line health care workers and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as to raise people's spirits [...]. Gaga and Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen, also announced that the special, One World: Together At Home, will air on April 18 at 8 p.m. ET simultaneously on ABC, NBC, CBS, iHeartMedia and Bell Media networks. It will also stream live on several online platforms, including YouTube, Apple, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter."

  5. Covid-19: 7 fundraisers in 7 places (Fundraising Rocks) This is a lovely slate of advice from seven fundraisers including my friends Melody Song and Daryl Upsall. Enjoy. "As the tide of the Covid-19 pandemic rolls on across the globe and into North America, it is threatening to crush some nonprofits, while others may find themselves riding on a relatively smooth wave of financial support. Most will find themselves somewhere in between [...]. Relationship fundraising pioneer, Ken Burnett, suggests the crisis could be fundraising’s finest hour, when we turn to our donors with what he calls a ‘Let’s give before we get, sharing with our friends’ approach’. At the core is the 'supporter’s experience that matters most.' Having thoughtful conversations with donors that allow us to genuinely connect and discuss what is happening. Listening carefully what they have to say. How they have been affected. For those who feel forgotten this can be a lifeline. The way we handle the crisis will impact our donor relationships in the future."

  6. COVID-19 has suddenly deepened charities' funding challenges (Policy Options) CANADIAN STORY Sobering. Inspiring. Frightening. And rife with opportunity. "COVID-19 has put on full display the essential role that charities play in Canada. However, it is essential that charities are not an afterthought to policy-makers."

  7. Coronavirus Has Sparked an Unprecedented Level of Philanthropy (Zoomer) A nice recap of who has stepped up. And, by omission, who has not. "Coronavirus took most of us – governments, businesses and individuals – by surprise. Feelings of anxiety and fear have spread across parliaments, board rooms and our homes. But many philanthropists, seasoned and novice, have taken important action to help."

  8. COVID-19 a chance to re-examine how we value the arts, says creative community (CBC) CANADIAN STORY The arts have suffered disproportionately during this pandemic. I hope we all remember the role they play and will continue to play in our sanity and our humanity during these extraordinary times. "The arts have been a much-needed source of entertainment and comfort during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the creators themselves have been hard hit by shuttered productions, cancelled tours and postponed performances."

  9. Trudeau announces $100-million for food banks and says help when you can (Renfrew Today) CANADIAN STORY Much needed and greatly appreciated. Thank you Canada! "With all the restrictions from COVID-19, food banks have less volunteers, are receiving less donations and getting more calls for help. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced $100-million today to support food banks across Canada."

  10. It’s Time To Thank All Global Telecom Companies (Forbes) I am one of those who universally has been unhappy the total lack of customer service from [insert telco name here]. I held my breath during the first days and now weeks of work-at-home. I was not sure what I expected of our telecommunications infrastructure but I was not optimistic. I have, happily, been proven wrong. Keep it up guys. You are an essential service and you are delivering. Thank YOU! "If you were to ask anyone on the street if they would prefer a cheaper cellphone bill, no one in their right mind would say no. It’s like asking if you want to pay more taxes. Who wants to pay more? Unfortunately, telecom companies across the globe are typically lumped in with the mindset of paying your taxes or high cellphone bills. In terms of brand reputation, telecom firms are just a smidgen better than insurance companies [...]. Having spent ten years working at TELUS—one of Canada’s big three telecommunications companies—I should know. I spent time working with the Emergency Management Operating Committee (EMOC) at TELUS. I can assure you that those team members are devoting every last ounce of their energy to ensuring we can have Zoomtails on Saturday night with our friends, over Zoom of course."

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

  1. VIDEO: Freeride Skiing at Home (Kottke.org) OMG. This is really quite delicious and fun to watch.

  2. Five tips to stay connected to friends, family this Easter long weekend (InfoNews.ca) This is the first major holiday of the coronial age. Normally a time of large group gatherings. While I mourn the loss of these gatherings, I celebrate that we live in a time where telecommunications technology allows us to do the next best thing. My family and I will be making psanky eggs with friends online. Joyeuses Pâques to you all.

  3. What’s the Best Material for a Mask? (New York Times) Yes, we are now being advised to wear masks. Confusing I know but given that we need more than a few, this is a helpful article. I, for one, am wearing my furnace filter.

  4. VIDEO: The Joy—and Exhaustion—of Nonstop Video Chatting: a Guide (Wall Street Journal) A terrifically efficient and accurate video describing all the options. Want to know the dope on video chatting -- this is it!

  5. Working from home on a laptop? 5 ergonomic tips you should click on (CBC) Another great video overview of something that just did not seem to matter. Until it did.

  6. Productivity Skills to Help You Gain Time Back (Harvard Business Review) If you are like me, you have watched your productivity take a nose-dive in the last few weeks. Some days are better than others but, in general, this WAH stuff can be hard on focus. This article is a great tonic to that malaise...at least it was for me. I especially love the chart of $10 and $10,000 per hour tasks. For example, attending meetings: $10/hr task; public speaking: $10,000/hr task.

  7. 'Be gentle with yourself': Mental health phone lines see increase in calls (CBC) Oh man, do I need to read this like five times a day. Great reminders. Be. Gentle. With. Yourself.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

  1. Twitter chief to donate quarter of his fortune to coronavirus fight (The Guardian) Another reason to love Twitter. "Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s chief executive, has pledged to donate $1bn (£800m) to fund coronavirus research to help 'disarm this pandemic'. Dorsey, who co-founded Twitter in 2006 and went on to co-found payments company Square, tweeted [...] that he was donating $1bn of Square shares to a charitable fund, called Start Small, to 'fund global Covid-19 relief'."

  2. Bell Let’s Talk $5 million funding response to COVID-19 (The Suburban) CANADIAN STORY Nice work Bell! "On March 26, Bell announced a special program in support of five organizations on the front lines of Canadian communities that are providing mental health support to kids and families with the use of remote tools. The initiative was launched in consideration of the unprecedented need for social distancing and the structural impact on organizations offering services to Canadians in need."

  3. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos makes $100 million donation to help Americans facing food insecurity (Deseret News) "Amazon CEO and Forbes’ richest man on earth, Jeff Bezos, announced in [an] Instagram post that he would be making a $100 million donation to the nonprofit organization Feeding America in order to help Americans facing food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, CNN reports."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

Welcome to our recap of the week's news, articles, and information of note. ViTreo Group Inc. provides this information for the benefit of our clients, associates, staff, partners, and stakeholders. The content is collected and curated by ViTreo partner Vincent Duckworth. If you would like to submit a link for consideration, please send an email to info@vitreogroup.ca

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