Weekly News Recap: September 2, 2016
Lakeland College CEO and President Alice Wainwright-Stewart celebrates the launch of the college’s new visual identity, by posing with students, donning the college’s new brand on Thursday, August 25, in Lloydminster, Alta. Taylor Hermiston/Vermilion Standard/Postmedia Network.
Opinion
Can the National Music Centre survive in Calgary? Interesting overview including a glimpse of our national psychosis regarding culture. Specifically, that culture of a national tenor needs to be situated in Toronto. CANADIAN STORY (9/1/16)
FACTBOX-Why the Clinton Foundation draws both praise and criticism A useful overview on this important but often-criticized foundation. (8/25/16)
News
Why Swedes smashed charity donation record in 2015 Heja Sverige! (Go Sweden!) Swedes gave $1 billion kronor more in 2015 than in 2014. A huge fraction of this was from gifts to the United Nations’ refugee agency UNHCR. Sweden took in 163,000 asylum seekers in recent years. (8/31/16)
2019 Canada Winter Games momentum continues Exciting times for Red Deer. ALBERTA STORY (8/31/16)
New Mosaic Stadium 'substantially complete' Lots of sports facilities stories this week. Rider fans are thrilled with this beautiful new stadium in Regina, and rightly so. CANADIAN STORY (8/31/16)
Consumer insolvency rate jumps 43% in Alberta We have heard rumblings. Now, it's confirmed. Not fun. ALBERTA STORY (8/31/16)
Rogers Place open house hours extended after nearly 50,000 tickets snapped up Wow! Edmontonians are seriously interested in their new arena. Can you blame them? ALBERTA STORY (8/31/16)
New visual identity has Lakeland College Leading. Learning. Congratulations Lakeland -- looks great! ALBERTA STORY (8/29/16)
Ottawa and its Alberta problem: Federal government keeps a close eye on province's economy Interesting reading. For all Canadians. ALBERTA STORY (8/29/16)
Gifts Roundup: $100-Million Donation Preserves Huge Swath of Maine Woods We are not the only ones who keep track of large gifts. Here is the regularly produced listing from our colleagues at the Chronicle of Philanthropy. (8/29/16)
Edmonton charities brace for possible postal strike Better get ready! ALBERTA STORY (8/28/16)
Philanthropic controversy
Is Giving to a Rich University Really a "Moral Injustice?" No matter where you stand on this issue, it is an important one to be thinking about, within and outside of philanthropy. Kudos to Inside Philanthropy for continuing to keep this conversation top of mind. (8/30/16)
Quake donation campaigns 'lack transparency' Yikes! Economist and president of the Italian Donation Foundation, Stefano Zamangi, stresses that “In Italy, accountability just does not exist, that is to say, the habit of accounting for the results obtained from the money that has been spent.” (8/30/16)
$76 Where There Should Be $600,000: Missing City College Donation Prompts Inquiry Um...that doesn't seem right. (8/30/16)
Proposed Kalamazoo Foundation Raises Concerns We shared this story in a previous recap (August 5, 2016). This Foundation has "gifted" over $70 million to cover the City of Kalamazoo's budget shortfall. At issue: Is this the role of philanthropy? (8/29/16)
Ilitches' Wayne State gift comes with strings Ever wondered what "strings attached" might mean in a philanthropic naming agreement? Wonder no more. The naming agreement (shown in full in this article) for this gift from Mike and Marian Ilitch really has it all: Dean's salary, curriculum consultations, you name it. This$40 million gift seriously compromises the academic integrity of Wayne State. Mike Ilitch founded Little Caesars Pizza and he owns the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers. Wayne State University is located in Detroit, Michigan. (8/28/16)
Construction firms lodge over $4M in liens against National Music Centre Ideal? No. Fairly common in large construction projects. Yes. CALGARY STORY (8/25/16)
Pell & Bales goes into liquidation with loss of 20 full-time jobs This is one of the many casualties of the ongoing U.K. sentiment against charities due to the actions and activities of few of their number. (8/24/16)
Life and career hacks
When You’re Stuck Mentally, Move Physically Short. Sweet. True. (8/27/16)
This Morning Routine will Save You 20+ Hours Per Week Worth a read. Not for everyone but for those who can, it feels like a winner. (8/26/16)
Typography is impossible For font nerds only. Oh, and the box...it's only a suggestion. (8/24/16)
How to design words At first I thought this is not for me. Then, as I read, I realized, this is for me and for every other writer, especially for those whose words will end up in a digital format. (8/24/16)
Philanthropic personalities
Behind a Rare (and Historic) Community College Give Herb Alpert and his wife, musician Lani Hall, have made a $10.1 million gift to Los Angeles City College (LACC). The gift will endow tuition for all music majors at the college. Wow! (8/26/16)
Amber Heard Feuding with Johnny Depp over Charity Donation Well, as it turns out, gifts stemming from a divorce settlement might not be as philanthropic as one might hope. Surprise! (8/26/16)
Pay Attention to This International Billionaire's Growing Philanthropy, Especially for Science London-based and Moscow-educated Len Blavatnik is worth $15.7 billion. He has given £75 million to Oxford, $50 million to Harvard, and $10 million to Yale in recent years. His recent gifts support areas of science that we all agree we need more of but have been unsupported due to government cutbacks. (8/26/16)
Large gifts
Microsoft makes USD1 million software donation to Al Jalila Foundation The Al Jalila Foundation is a global philanthropic organization based in Dubai, dedicated to transforming lives through medical education and research. Microsoft has donated $1 million worth of software to support the organization's humanitarian and healthcare programmes. (9/1/16)
VisionCorps gets $1M donation -- its biggest gift -- from Ann Barshinger Visionary! VisionCorps is a Pennsylvania-based charity who helps restore autonomy and independence to the lives of residents who are blind or vision impaired. (8/31/16)
Publix announces major charity initiative across six-state footprint Publix Super Markets is making a $5 million gift to Feeding America across six southeast states. (8/31/16)
$1-million donation will help needy students with their homework at L.A. libraries This rocks on every level. The gift, from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, will offer homework help to poor and homeless students across thirty-eight branches of the Los Angeles Public Library. (8/30/16)
New auditorium coming to UM thanks to $5M donation I love big classrooms. The University of Montana has received a $5 million gift to create the largest classroom space on campus. The funds come from the Alice Lee Lund Charitable Trust. Lund was a graduate of the University of Montana, earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education before her passing in 2001. (8/29/16)
$7.5M donation to pave way for Renown pediatrics residency program The William N. Pennington Foundation has donated $7.5 million to Renown Children’s Hospital to bolster pediatric care staffing in the Reno area. Mr. Pennington was a gaming pioneer who invented electronic slot machines and was also part owner of Circus Circus. (8/29/16)
Notre Dame receives $5M donation for business incubator This gift, made by the late Thomas Quinn and his wife Diane, will be used to fund a 40,000-square-foot, three-level facility located on a 12-acre site immediately south of the campus that will expand Innovation Park. Notre Dame University is located in South Bend Indiana. (8/29/16)
Cocoa Beach library gets $665,000 donation from patron Lovely. Ruth Schroer, a former patron and volunteer at the Cocoa Beach Public Library, has provided the library with a $665,000 bequest in her will. Ms. Schroer's gift, per her request, will be used to purchase computers and non-fiction books, including those related to five subjects: business, finance, travel, history and science. Cocoa Beach is located near Cape Canaveral, Florida. (8/29/16)
Read All About It: CU Makes Big Donation to Local Library Redstone Federal Credit Union has made a $2.5 million gift to the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library in Huntsville, Alabama. (8/28/16)
Big 12 boost? University of Houston gets $20 million donation to help improve facilities Businessman Tilman Fertitta has given $20 million to the University of Houston to support Cougar sports. This is a follow up on a previous recap (July 8, 2016) where the gift intent was announced but not the size. So, now we know. Nice gift. (8/25/16)
Bloomberg, Harvard Launch City Leadership Initiative This initiative is funded by a $32 million gift from Michael Bloomberg, Harvard University and Bloomberg Philanthropies. The initiative is aimed at advancing leadership, management, and innovation in cities across America and around the world. (8/26/16)
Driscoll receives $1 million donation from Valero Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Cristi, Texas has received this gift from Valero. Valero is an energy company based in San Antonio. (8/25/16)
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