Weekly News Recap: July 7, 2017

Sandy Mactaggart, co-founder of Edmonton developer Maclab Enterprises, shown in a 2010 file photo. GREG SOUTHAM /POSTMEDIA

If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are? -- T.S. Eliot

News

  • Canadian cancer charities merge amid crowded donation field (Globe and Mail) CANADIAN STORY Good move. "The amalgamation of the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada and Colon Cancer Canada is being driven by a desire to pool resources, eliminate duplication and bolster support for patients, rather than by financial constraints, said Barry Stein, president and chief executive of the merged group, now called Colorectal Cancer Canada. The move will also help eliminate donor confusion and competition for dollars in this cancer field." Thanks to Ron Bailey for sharing this story. 7/4/17
  • Edmonton philanthropist Sandy Mactaggart dies at 89 (Edmonton Journal) EDMONTON STORY I knew Sandy. A lion of a man. My chancellor. A man of integrity, grace, and kindness. Our thoughts are with his friends and family and with all who loved him at the University of Alberta. RIP Dr. Mactaggart. 7/3/17
  • Order of Canada Appointments (The Governor General of Canada) CANADIAN STORY Congratulations to all. Of note, those being appointed include: Mark Messier, Christine Sinclair, Mike Myers, Catherine O'Hara, William Siebens, Alex Trebek, Daniel Lanois, and Jane Poitras. 6/30/17
  • 'This has been a long journey': Remai Modern Art Gallery opening Oct. 21 (CBC) SASKATOON STORY Yay! "After a long wait, Saskatchewan's newest art gallery is set to finally open its doors to the public this fall. The Remai Modern Art Gallery in Saskatoon will open Oct. 21. The first major main floor exhibit will be free to the public and will showcase some local and national Indigenous artists." 6/26/17

Tips and tools

  • How apps and tech are transforming the way charities raise money (The Guardian) Time to get with the program peeps. "Grant Morgan, chief executive of Louis Kennedy, a corporate social responsibility and cause-based marketing consultancy, says: 'We have a disenfranchised millennium community, not brought up on giving but on technology, so we need to find ways to engage and encourage them to give using the devices they understand.'" Thanks for Andrea McManus for sharing this story. 6/28/17

Opinion

Trends and shifts

  • To Improve Global Health, Bloomberg Looks to Cities to Lead (Inside Philanthropy) I love this guy. "Bloomberg Philanthropies taking new steps to knit together its growing global public health work through a new Partnership for Healthy Cities, which it describes as a 'prestigious global network of cities committed to saving lives by preventing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries.' Bloomberg Philanthropies committed $5 million to launch the initiative in May and is working alongside the World Health Organization and Vital Strategies to implement proven health interventions to avoid injuries and NCDs." 7/4/17
  • Province takes first step on road to 'social impact bonds' (Winnipeg Free Press) WINNIPEG STORY These are an interesting tool. More investigation is needed but they just might be a way to encourage more public private partnerships. "Social impact bonds encourage the private sector and community groups to partner with government to deliver prevention programs designed by experts and front-line service organizations [...]. The government sets specific goals in collaboration with service providers, secures private investment and repays investors only if the service provider meets the project’s outcome." Thanks to Ron Bailey for sharing this story. 7/4/17
  • Bitcoin Community Donates $9 Million over 6 Months to a Charitable Fund (NewsBTC) "The presence of an altruistic streak among the Bitcoin community members has come into the picture again after Fidelity Charitable released its Fidelity Charitable 2017 Giving Report. According to the report, there has been a significant increase in the amount and number of Bitcoin donations the organization has received." 7/2/17

Studies and stats

Life and career hacks

  • Think Like No One Else (Personal Growth) So. Very. Important. "Be willing to set aside time for just thinking — sitting or walking and thinking." 6/11/17

Uncommon knowledge

Philanthropic personalities

  • Sophia Forrest, daughter of Twiggy Forrest, is happy her father gave away her inheritance (News.com) "[The] daughter of Australian mining magnate Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest, who famously donated $400 million to charity in May, says she’s glad her father gave away her inheritance. Sophia Forrest, 22, says she 'not entitled' to any portion of her father’s $5.78 billion net worth, according to figures from Forbes. 'Inheritance has never really made sense to me,' Ms Forrest told Fairfax Media’s Sunday Life magazine." 7/3/17
  • He gave away a fortune and remained anonymous for years (CBC) EDMONTON STORY "Eldon Foote is far from a household name in the city that has benefited from the millions of dollars he's given. Aside from Foote Field at the University of Alberta — a well-known sports facility made possible by a not-so-well-known man — his name is rarely noted in Edmonton. But in addition to contributing to the field's construction, Foote, at the end of his life, donated $164 million to the Edmonton Community Foundation, the lion's share of his vast fortune." 7/1/17

Large gifts

  • Darden giving $1.7 million to Feeding America (Orlando Sentinel) "Darden’s charity arm is giving $1.7 million to Feeding America as the group shifts its focus to food and hunger groups." The Darden family of restaurants features some of the most recognizable and successful brands in full-service dining including Olive Garden®. 7/3/17
  • Museum of London strikes gold with £10m donation and loan of treasures (Evening Standard) I love that this will be the new home of the Cheapside Hoard. "The Museum of London is £10 million closer to its plan for a new home after a donation from the historic Goldsmiths’ Company. The livery company, founded in 1327, will also loan treasures from its own collection to the museum, to be shown in a planned new gallery that will bear its name." 7/3/17
  • Marin General gets anonymous donation of $10M for new hospital campus (San Francisco Business Times) "The Marin General Hospital Foundation this week received a $10 million gift from an anonymous local family. The Marin-based family foundation has given to other health care organizations but is a first-time donor to this hospital. This donation will go toward the hospital’s $535 million renovation, which is a part of the effort to meet seismic safety regulations required by 2030." 6/30/17
  • Clinic receives $1 million donation for cancer, outlying community housing (Great Falls Tribune) "Long hospital stays aren't easy on patients or their families. However, thanks to a $1 million donation from Carmen Poulsen, Great Falls Clinic will help ease their stress with the construction of free housing for cancer patients and outlying community patients who travel to Great Falls for care." 6/29/17
  • Stellenbosch University receives multimillion rand donation (News 24) "Stellenbosch University (SU) said it has received a donation of R194.6m ($19 million CAD), making it the largest individual donation the university has ever received. This comes as total donations to the university increased by 53% in 2016. In a statement, Rector Wim de Villiers said the donation by Dirk Ackermann is an investment in the future of a new generation of 'Maties.'" Stellenbosch University is a public research university situated in Stellenbosch, a town in South Africa. A 'Matie' is the term used to describe alumni of the university. 6/29/17
  • Carnegie Science Center gets $7.5M donation for new wing (ABC) "The Carnegie Science Center has received its largest gift, a $7.5 million donation from PPG and its corporate foundation for the interactive museum in Pittsburgh. The gift is part of more than $42.5 million being spent on a new 37,000-square-foot wing that will be known as the PPG Science Pavilion for at least 20 years." 6/28/17

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Vincent DuckworthOil, Oil prices, Oilsands, Deloitte, Alberta, Globe and Mail, CBC, Maclab Enterprises, Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada, Colon Cancer Canada, Barry Stein, Colorectal Cancer Canada, Ron Bailey, Edmonton Journal, Order of Canada, Edmonton, Mark Messier, Christine Sinclair, Mike Myers, Catherine O'Hara, Alex Trebek, Daniel Lanois, Jane Poitras, Citizen of the Year, Calgary, Calgary Herald, Lucy Miller, Remai Modern, Remai Modern Art Gallery, Indigenous Art, Apps, Mobile Apps, Grant Morgan, Louis Kennedy, Andrea McManus, Philanthropy, Jeff Bezos, Amazon, Global Health, Bloomberg, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Michael Bloomberg, Inside Philanthropy, Partnership for Healthy Cities, Manitoba, Bitcoin, NewsBTC, Fidelity Charitable, Fidelity Charitable 2017 Giving Report, Photography, Photography That Helps Drive Change, League of European Research Universities, European Universities, Fundraising & Philanthropy Australia, Donors, Life Hacks, Career Hacks, Happiness, Design, Focus, Distractions, Personal Growth, Profitability, Paul Graham, Automatic Speech Recognition, Artificial Intelligence, AI, Big Data, Human Parity, Machine Learnings, Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest, Inheritance, Forbes, Fairfax Media, Eldon Foote, Foote Field, Edmonton Community Foundation, Feeding America, Darden, Olive Garden, News.com, Orlando Sentinel, Museum of London, Gold, Evening Standard, Cheapside Hoard, Goldsmiths' Company, Marin General Hospital Foundation, Anonymous donor, Great Falls Tribune, Carmen Poulsen, Great Falls Clinic, Donations, Cancer patients, Rector Wim de Villiers, Dirk Ackermann, Maties, Mr. Gerry Essery, Mrs. Jo Essery, Assisi Hospice, National Kidney Foundation, People Magazine, Al Gore, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Carnegie Science Center, PPG, Pittsburgh, PPG Science PavilionComment