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| Path: Main Street : NewsWeek : Archive : NewsBytes : Article |
This is an archive of CharityVillage NewsWeek. To find a word on the page,
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at their publishing date, the quick-changing nature of the web means that some
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To view other articles in the archive, use our Chronological Index.
NewsBytes: March, 2006
Articles are arranged in reverse chronological order.
CRA invites charities to attend information roadshow
March 27, 2006
The Charities Directorate of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is offering free information sessions designed to assist registered charities in complying with the Income Tax Act. This year, "The Roadshow" information sessions will focus on the Registered Charity Information Return (form T3010A), GST/HST, disbursement quota, sanctions, and important reminders. If you are interested in being invited to one of the 2006 information sessions, complete and return the online response form by Friday, May 5th. For more information, visit: www.cra-arc.gc.ca.
March 27, 2006
The Henri M. Toupin Medical Foundation donated $3 million to the University of Alberta last week. The funding will allow the university to establish two new research chairs - the Henri M. Toupin Chair in Neurology and the Henri M. Toupin Chair in Neurodegenerative Disorders. The gift was given to the university in memory of Edmonton doctor Henri Toupin. "The time has come, we felt, to try and move on to something bigger and better," said Chris Laing, chair of the foundation board. "What happened is the board decided, to continue in memorandum of Dr. Toupin, to distribute his entire legacy to the university to which he was formerly connected and had a lot of passion for." For more information, visit: www.expressnews.ualberta.ca.
March 27, 2006
Three Western aid workers were freed last Thursday in a covert rescue effort mounted by coalition forces in Iraq. James Loney from Toronto, and former Montreal resident Harmeet Singh Sooden, along with Briton Norman Kember, were rescued four months after being taken hostage by a group known as the Swords of Righteousness Brigade. A fourth captive, American Tom Fox, was found dead in Baghdad about two weeks ago. All four were members of the peace group Christian Peacemaker Teams. For more information about Christian Peacemaker Teams, visit: www.cpt.org.
Fast Fact: Wealthiest US foundations experience slow growth
March 27, 2006
According to a recent survey, the growth in assets for many large US foundations was not as strong in 2005 as it was in 2004, and did not keep pace with inflation. Assets grew a median 2.8%, and almost half of the foundations surveyed expect to increase how much they give in 2006. The other half said they would spend about the same as in 2005, and a very small percentage said their contributions would decrease. Despite relatively slow growth of assets, America's 66,000 private charitable funds controlled an estimated $476 billion in 2003, the most recent year for which data is available. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation remains the wealthiest, with $29.1 billion in assets in 2005. The Ford Foundation came in second, with less than half that amount ($11.6 billion). Rounding out the top three was the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, with $9.1 billion in assets. -- Chronicle of Philanthropy
March 27, 2006
YWCA Canada released a new study last week that indicates Canada can have a national child care program that responds to the unique needs of individual communities and families. "The findings dispense with many of the assumptions that Canada is too vast and diverse to make a national child care program viable," said Paulette Senior, CEO of YWCA Canada, which sponsored the study. "We found that both mothers at home and those in the labour force want early learning programs for their children. Communities, whether rural, suburban or urban, value early childhood services and the contribution they make."
These conclusions emerge from cross-country panels of business and labour, aboriginal, ethnic, community, women's and parent groups, profit and nonprofit service providers, and municipal and provincial officials, who met over the course of a year. Each community produced remarkably similar service frameworks, and while the panels were free to consider all options, none recommended giving money directly to parents. Instead they prioritized addressing long wait lists. "Money to parents can't buy services that aren't there for children," said Senior. For more information or to download the report, visit: www.ywcacanada.ca.
March 27, 2006
The Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation recently unveiled its Global Youth Fellowship program. This new initiative is intended to complement the grants awarded through the foundation's Global Citizenship Programme. The fellowships will be targeted toward emerging, young Canadian leaders who demonstrate potential to enhance Canada's role on the world stage. Successful candidates will receive a cash award of $20,000 as well as other forms of support. To be eligible for consideration, applicants must be Canadian citizens or landed immigrants between 24 - 35 years of age with previous international work experience - paid or volunteer. They also need to demonstrate a sustained commitment to international issues through studies, career choices, and volunteer activities. The deadline for submissions is May 15th. For detailed guidelines, visit: www.gordonfn.org.
March 27, 2006
St. Mary's University in Halifax received a gift of $400,000 for its Hearts & Minds Capital Campaign. In recognition of the funding from BMO Financial Group, the student lounge will now bear the company's name. "I'm very excited that the BMO Financial Group has decided to support Saint Mary's," said Zach Churchill, president of the Saint Mary's University Students' Association. "It's donations like this one that will help the university create better facilities on campus for students, strengthen our current academic services, and provide more financial assistance for students in need. The students are the direct beneficiaries, and we greatly appreciate this level of support from the business community." For more information, visit: www.smu.ca.
March 27, 2006
The Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (CCVO) recently released a new report summarizing discussions from the first Alberta Regional Finance Action Group. Participants, including all levels of government, other funders, and voluntary sector organizations, met to discuss the role of government in funding the voluntary sector; perceptions of duplication and proliferation of nonprofits and charities; funding of overhead and administrative costs; and project funding and core funding. The final report provides a detailed summary of the discussion about each topic, as well as recommendations for further action on the issues. Recommendations include:For more information or to download the full report, visit: www.calgarycvo.org.
- Developing a clear research agenda that will help build a better understanding of the funding issues in the sector.
- Increasing the level of dialogue and connection between voluntary sector organizations and funders, particularly government funders.
- Supporting and building an infrastructure for the voluntary sector to work together on common issues and articulate common positions.
- Developing a communications strategy to increase awareness and understanding of the role and contribution of the voluntary sector to healthy, vibrant communities.
March 27, 2006
Planet in Focus: International Environmental Film & Video Festival is now accepting submissions for 2006. Its mandate is to produce an annual festival that showcases and promotes outstanding and compelling films and videos covering a broad range of environmental themes by Canadian and international filmmakers. Special consideration will be given to: works that push the boundaries of the accepted notions of 'environment'; works that present cultural perspectives that are under-represented in Canada; works that give voice to authentic regional and cultural perspectives from around the globe; works that inspire, entertain and provoke audiences; works that fit the 2006 spotlight "Toronto in the Moving Image: From the Dawn of Cinema to the Present". The festival will take place in Toronto from November 1 - 5, 2006. The deadline for submissions is May 15th. For more information and submission guidelines, visit: www.planetinfocus.org.
March 27, 2006
GiveMeaning.com, a Canadian-based charitable foundation, has just launched personalized fundraising web pages. Anyone who is passionate about raising money for a cause can now create an online home for their fundraising initiative, free of charge. "Enabling individuals to raise money by doing things they want to do is a natural evolution for us," said Tom Williams, CEO of GiveMeaning. "We built these personalized web pages largely in response to those people who told us they want a web platform to coordinate their own grassroots fundraising initiatives." The new service provides a place to introduce an activity or event, collect and track donations, send e-mails to supporters, and post a blog with stories and photos. GiveMeaning collects the online contributions, issues tax receipts to donors, and ensures that 100% of the donated funds are passed on to the designated charity. For more information, visit: www.givemeaning.com.
March 20, 2006
Thanks to a $3 million gift from Drs. Pauline and Dipak Mazumdar, the University of Toronto is creating the Pauline M. H. Mazumdar Chair in the History of Medicine. The new chair will allow the faculty of arts and science to recruit a prominent scholar to strengthen life sciences expertise within the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IHPST). "The history of medicine allows graduate and undergraduate students to explore political, cultural and technical history," said Pauline Mazumdar, a professor emeritus at IHPST. "Owsei Temkin, a past chair of the history of medicine department at Johns Hopkins University, used to say all eras are worth understanding for their own sake. I decided to found a chair at U of T to perpetuate these ideals." The university has already received $1 million and the balance will be funded from the Mazumdars' estate. For more information, visit: www.news.utoronto.ca.
March 20, 2006
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has issued a new document in an attempt to demystify the public benefit test it applies to every request for charitable status. Meeting the Public Benefit Test clarifies the meaning of the term "public benefit" as it is employed by the CRA. It also contains a wealth of information about the fundamentals of charity and the requirements and proof necessary to pass the public benefit test. For more information, visit: www.cra-arc.gc.ca.
March 20, 2006
More than 80% of people in the UK believe that local charities are important in representing local opinion, campaigning for a fair society, fundraising, and supporting the vulnerable in local communities. Nine out of ten people said they hadn't written to their MP in the last twelve months, but 54% gave unpaid help to an individual not related to them, 34% had volunteered for a local group, and 24% had attended community or residents' meetings. -- National Council for Voluntary Organisations
March 20, 2006
The Ottawa Citizen reported last week that more than a dozen scientists and doctors have been faking research, destroying data, plagiarizing, or conducting experiments on people without necessary ethics approvals. Officials at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) say they cannot, under federal privacy law, identify the researchers, even though several of them received sizable federal grants. CIHR did say it awarded "approximately" $12.4 million to projects in which researchers have been found to be violating research ethics or integrity rules since 2003. They worked at Dalhousie University, McGill University, McMaster University, Sunnybrook & Women's College Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, the University of Alberta, the University of British Columbia, Université de Montréal, and Université de Sherbrooke. For more information about CIHR, visit: www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca, and for more information about NSERC, visit: www.nserc.gc.ca.
March 20, 2006
The program committee for the 9th National Safe Communities Conference is currently seeking abstracts from individuals interested in presenting at this year's conference, which will take place this October in Chatham-Kent, Ontario. The 2006 conference theme, Honor Our Roots, Celebrate Our Future, encourages participants to reflect on the past, present and future of the Safe Communities movement in Canada. Presenters are asked to demonstrate how their abstracts address one of two sub-themes: Safe Communities in Canada - progress, impact and future planning; or, sustaining community-based coalitions. The deadline for submissions is March 25th. For detailed guidelines, visit: www.safecommunities.ca.
March 20, 2006
When asked what their number one work priority was five years ago, Canadians said career advancement (29%), far ahead of work-life balance (17%). Today, both men and women say work-life balance is their number one priority at work - 26% of women and 24% of men. Both agree that career is their second priority - 19% and 22% respectively. As well, 39% say they would leave a job for work-life balance reasons. When asked what their number one life priority was five years ago, the top choice was career at 37%, followed by family at 31%. Today, those priorities have flipped, with 44% of Canadians reporting that family is their number one life priority, while just 31% still said their career. -- Workopolis
March 20, 2006
Last week, the United Nations General Assembly voted in favour of a resolution to set up a new Human Rights Council to replace the much-criticized Human Rights Commission. Secretary-General Kofi Annan hailed the vote as an "historic" development that will help improve the lives of millions of people worldwide. The resolution was adopted by a vote of 170 in favour with 4 against - the United States, Israel, the Marshall Islands, and Palau. The new council is to expose human rights abusers and help nations draw up rights legislation. For more information, visit: www.un.org.
March 20, 2006
After more than a year of planning, a group of Canadian environmentalists and other like-minded individuals recently launched a new online directory that will help consumers find local green product and service suppliers and information. GreenYourLife.com invites environmental nonprofit organizations across the country to post a free listing on the site. Listing on the site also includes the capability to post announcements and events, and update them online. For more information, visit: www.greenyourlife.com.
March 20, 2006
In a recent international survey of executives, 40% cited a company's management team as the most important factor when considering whether to accept a new position. Other popular responses were culture (17%), brand and reputation (16%), and current strategy (11%). When asked which professional move - a change in industry, job function, or geographic location - they would be most likely to consider, the largest percentage of respondents (21%) selected a change in industry. Changes in job function and geographic location represented 14% and 13% of the responses respectively. Nearly half of respondents (49%) indicated that they would consider all three professional moves, and only 3% said that they would not consider any. -- Korn/Ferry
March 13, 2006
CharityVillage Campus has just launched its fourth online learning course: Writing Effective Policies and Procedures. The two-hour, self-directed, web-based course walks users through the steps of writing policies and procedures for a wide variety of organizational needs. "As with all our courses, we want users to walk away with practical skills that they can put to use immediately in their organizations," said Judi Angel, chief learning officer of CharityVillage Campus."
The latest course is packed with downloadable samples and resources for writing better policies and procedure documents, as well as tips for making sure that your policies are adopted and implemented successfully in your organization. Download the full course guide and a free sample resource today at: www.charityvillage.com/cv/learn/cvcpandp.html
March 13, 2006
The Canadian Opera Company (COC) announced a major gift of $5 million toward its capital campaign to build the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto. The donor, Henry (Hal) Jackman is the former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and also a former president of the COC board. In recognition of his gift, the centre's patron lounge will be named the Henry N. R. Jackman Lounge. "Hal Jackman is one of the truly great philanthropists in this city and I am exceedingly grateful to him for his unfailing support of the opera house," said COC General Director Richard Bradshaw. For more information, visit: www.coc.ca/company/media.html
March 13, 2006
Internet service provider AOL announced last week that it will not charge legitimate not-for-profit organizations and advocacy groups to have their e-mails authenticated and delivered to consumers. The decision comes following an outcry from political and civic activist groups about AOL's plans to charge mass senders of e-mail a fee to reduce junk mail. "We announce this to make sure that there is no further confusion or question about what not-for-profits would need to do to be able to communicate to AOL members on a level commensurate with large, commercial e-mail providers who opt to use Goodmail's Certified Email program," said Charles Stiles, AOL's Postmaster. "There will be no requirement, ever, for not-for-profits who deliver e-mail to AOL members to pay for e-mail certification and delivery." For more information, visit: media.aoltimewarner.com.
March 13, 2006
A study by the New York-based Foundation Center reveals that foundation giving increased by 8.1% in 2004 following a two-year decline. Grant dollars awarded by the 1,172 foundations surveyed rose to $15.5 billion. The average grant size increased from $118,649 to $122,355, although the median grant amount remained unchanged at $25,000. The total value of grants of $10 million or more jumped nearly 33%, to $2.4 billion. Grants to organizations that serve gays and lesbians increased the most sharply (by 64.4%), followed by grants to groups that help people with HIV/AIDS (up 62%), and those that work with military personnel and veterans (up 53.9%). -- Foundation Center
March 13, 2006
According to a new survey of nearly 2,000 nonprofit leaders from across the US, the majority of nonprofit executive directors are burned out and intend to quit. Daring to Lead 2006: A National Study of Nonprofit Executive Leadership found that, despite plans to leave, fewer than a third of the executives have begun to discuss succession planning with their boards of directors. Other findings:The report's authors conclude that "anything grantmakers can do to simplify processes, provide additional stability, and increase funds available for management and general operations will help give executive directors additional breathing room." To download the report, visit: www.compasspoint.org
- 73% want board members to be more active in fundraising.
- One out of three executive directors said that they came into their present jobs after their predecessor was fired or forced out.
- One-third of the chief executives said that they were unhappy with their compensation.
March 13, 2006
The Voluntary Gateway is seeking input from community-based organization about building online collaboration tools. If you are looking for new and better ways to use the Internet for communicating on a regular basis or are interested in building online communities among your volunteers, board members or staff, you are invited to complete a short 7-minute survey. The Voluntary Gateway offers a growing collection of news, information, resources and events for Canada's voluntary sector. To participate in the survey, visit: survey.voluntarygateway.ca.
March 13, 2006
The 30th annual Kinsmen Telemiracle wrapped up in Regina last week, raising $3,491,538. "It is our 30th anniversary so it does seem to have a little bit of a special atmosphere this year, a special recognition that this is a big milestone for us. Three decades of miracles," said Desiree Wilchowy, spokesperson for the event. The Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation distributes funds raised to support, promote, and foster programs that will benefit people with special needs throughout Saskatchewan. For more information about the Kinsmen Telemiracle Foundation, visit: www.telemiracle.com.
March 13, 2006
RBC Financial Group is inviting community-based providers of after-school programs to apply for grants for the 2006-07 school year. In order to qualify for a grant, after-school programs should offer structured, supervised activities in an environment that provides what RBC has termed the 3Ss: safety, social skills, and self-esteem. Programs should also offer activities such as computer instruction, sports, literacy tutoring, music and art lessons, nutrition guidance, and homework-help. Each of the community-based programs selected will receive between $25,000 and $40,000. The deadline for submissions is May 1. For more information, visit: www.rbc.com/community/donations.
March 13, 2006
Four major institutions in Brockville are the beneficiaries of a couple who left their entire estate to the community in which they lived for more than 30 years. Herbert James (John) and Eileen Field moved to Brockville from England in 1972 and resided there until their deaths - Eileen Field died in 2001 and Herbert Field died in 2004. The executor of their estate, Betty Carton, said the Fields' express wish was to leave their estate, in its entirety, to Brockville General Hospital ($164,000), St. Vincent de Paul Hospital ($164,000), the Brockville Public Library ($65,600), and the Brockville branch of the Ontario Humane Society ($43,700). "They did a lot of good in Brockville," Carton said. "They had so many friends and I'd like them to know the good that they're doing. And they're not even here." Margaret Williams, chief librarian at the Brockville public library, said the Fields' donation was a fantastic way to support the community. "This was such a wonderful surprise," she said. "It shows that Mr. and Mrs. Field really cared about this community and had a vision for the future."
March 13, 2006
The median salary for chief fundraisers at colleges and universities in the US rose by nearly 3.6% last year. The median salary for top fundraisers was $118,500. Of all types of fundraisers, directors of planned giving at two-year institutions received the largest increase in salary, with a pay increase of nearly 26% to $73,372. Other fundraising positions that received big salary increases were chief development and public-relations officers at doctoral institutions (13.8% to $190,204) and chief public relations officers at doctoral institutions (13% to $132,290). The survey was based on data for 211 positions at 1,345 colleges and universities. -- College and University Professional Association for Human Resources
March 13, 2006
The Centre for Sustainability is now accepting applications from environmental and social service agencies in BC that would like to work with an experienced consultant to improve organizational effectiveness. Funding is available (up to $5,000) for things like strategic planning, fund development planning and board development. The deadline for submissions for both the Social ServicesPOD and EnviroPOD granting program is April 28, 2006. For more information visit: www.centreforsustainability.ca/programs.
March 13, 2006
The United Nations launched a new fund last week that will speed up emergency aid to those most in need. The UN is seeking CND$580 million in donations for the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which will "provide aid workers with sufficient funding to jump-start lifesaving relief operations and to immediately deploy staff, goods and services for people in need when most lives are on the line." The fund hopes to cut the time to get money where it's needed to three or four days from the current four months or more. So far, 19 governments have pledged $218 million to the fund. For more information about CERF, visit: cerf.un.org.
March 13, 2006
The Wild Rose Foundation is currently accepting nominations to recognize the outstanding commitment and contribution of Alberta companies to the communities in which they operate. The Corporate Volunteer Award of Excellence Program is designed to recognize and celebrate leaders in Alberta's corporate sector for their outstanding commitment and contribution to community building. The program is open to any local, national, or international business that promotes and encourages a culture of giving and volunteering among employees and is committed to corporate philanthropy and other forms of community investment within the province of Alberta. The deadline for nominations is April 12. For more information contact the Wild Rose Foundation at: www.cd.gov.ab.ca/wrf
March 6, 2006
The Canadian government has decided to support the establishment of Vartana Bank - a bank of, by and for Canada's voluntary sector. Vartana is now engaged in a due diligence phase, doing an initial analysis of the possibilities that the proposed government support allows. Once this phase is complete (likely in late March 2006), the board will make a decision as to the appropriate path forward, and then enter into an intensive business-planning phase to complete submissions to both the banking and charity regulators. Vartana will be a bank that is not only a charity, but also owned by and dedicated to serving others engaged in charitable activities. For more information about Vartana, visit: www.vartana.org
March 6, 2006
Art Gallery of Ontario president Charles Baillie pledged another $3 million toward the gallery's ongoing renovations in Toronto. Marilyn and Charles Baillie initially pledged $2 million to the project and have now boosted their donation to $5 million. "Marilyn and I are delighted that we are able to do this," said Baillie. "This particular opportunity captured our imagination." In recognition of the couple's gift, the gallery will name its new hosting centre Baillie Court. For more information about the Art Gallery of Ontario, visit: www.ago.net
March 6, 2006
Last week, Report on Business magazine issued its third annual ranking of corporate social responsibility performance among companies operating in Canada. This year, the magazine focused on just five industries - big retail chains, shoe and clothing manufacturers and stores, food producers, fast food chains, and food and drug stores. Companies were evaluated and scored in six key areas: community and society; corporate governance; impact on customers; treatment of employees; the environment; and human rights. The top companies this year were Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), Adidas-Solomon, Unilever, Starbucks, and Sobeys. For more information, visit: www.theglobeandmail.com.
March 6, 2006
A new report by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) indicates that many American nonprofits, including churches, may be engaged in prohibited political activity. The report examined 82 organizations and found that nearly three-quarters of them had engaged in some type of prohibited behaviour. Prohibited activities included: distributing diverse printed materials that encouraged their members to vote for a particular candidate (24 alleged, 9 determined); religious leaders using the pulpit to endorse or oppose a particular candidate (19 alleged, 12 determined); disseminating voter guides or candidate ratings that encourage readers to vote for particular candidates (14 alleged, 4 determined); placing signs on their property that show they support a particular candidate (12 alleged, 9 determined); and making cash contributions to a candidate's political campaign (7 alleged, 5 determined).-- Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
March 6, 2006
The Langley Community Music School (LCMS) recently announced a $1 million gift from a private donor for its endowment fund. The school also received a $350,000 grant through the BC Arts Renaissance Fund Endowment Program, which assists British Columbia's nonprofit arts and culture organizations to build permanent endowment funds by providing matching grants. "This gift will enable us to continue providing high quality instruction for our students. It is a way for us to provide an everlasting legacy of music arts training, and will assist in attracting highly qualified faculty," said Susan Magnusson, LCMS principal. "The financial support we have received shows that the Langley Community Music School is highly regarded, not only for its excellence in music education, but also for its contribution to the arts community." For more information, visit: www.langleymusic.com
March 6, 2006
The Association for Volunteer Administration (AVA) closed its doors on March 1st after more than 40 years in operation. In January, the AVA board of directors learned that the organization was $300,000 in debt and that there were no funds to continue operating. Auditors informed the executive committee that too much money was spent on salaries and executive director travel and that expenses were unusually high. The board also learned that assets were mismanaged, and signatures on AVA's money market and checking accounts were changed without the board's knowledge. Large sums of money were transferred from AVA's money market account to its checking account in December, and the money was spent. AVA found other signs of mismanagement, misappropriation of restricted funds and abusive, unauthorized spending. Three employees were terminated on January 10h and police are investigating possible criminal charges.
March 6, 2006
The Canadian Conference of the Arts is now accepting nominations for the Diplôme d'honneur. The award is presented annually to a Canadian who has made a sustained contribution to the cultural life of the country, whether through individual arts practice, volunteer activity, mentoring, patronage, or other recognized support. The deadline for submissions is April 30. For more information or to download a nomination form, visit: www.ccarts.ca.
March 6, 2006
A new study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) finds that how Canadians die is far more important than where they die. The study sheds light on the opinions of elderly patients suffering from chronic, terminal diseases and what they consider to be key elements of quality end-of-life care. "This is the first study of its kind to look into the interventions that really make a difference in the last days of seriously-ill patients with diseases or ailments other than cancer," said Dr. Bruce McManus, scientific director with the CIHR Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health. "The more we can understand about this period of life, the greater the dignity and comfort we can provide to all patients."
Out of 28 factors describing quality care, patients and family members rated "to have trust and confidence in the doctors looking after you" and "not to be kept alive on life supports when there is little hope for a meaningful recovery" as most important. "To be able to die in the location of your choice, e.g. home or hospital," rated 24th of 28 from the patient's perspective and 14th of 26 from the family member's perspective. For more information or to download the report, visit: www.cmaj.ca.
March 6, 2006
In a recent survey of global executives, only 5% cited inadequate or inconsistent compensation as the primary reason for leaving their last job. Lack of challenges or career growth (33%) topped the list, followed by ineffective leadership (20%) and attractive job market alternatives (17%). When asked which improvement would make the biggest difference in an organization's ability to retain talent, 42% of executives said empowering employees to make decisions. Other suggestions included more opportunities for advancement and career development (32%) and better work/life quality (16%). Only 6% of respondents cited more attractive compensation packages. -- Korn/Ferry International
March 6, 2006
The Alberta College of Art & Design (ACAD) recently received its largest ever donation, with a contribution of $500,000 from Cathy and Jesse Marion of Calgary and Houston. ACAD is using the funds to establish the Marion Fund for Innovation in Research & Teaching. The new fund will be dedicated to the support of significant innovative projects and undertakings that advance research, teaching, or the application of the creative process to a variety of arenas, including education, community and cultural development, government, or innovation in the private/corporate sector. For more information, visit: www.acad.ab.ca.
March 6, 2006
The Home Depot Canada and Evergreen are asking community groups across the country to submit applications for The Home Depot/Evergreen Rebuilding Nature Grant Program for 2006. The program promotes the regeneration of urban areas by awarding grants of up to $8,000 for projects, including habitat restoration and community garden projects. Grants will be awarded to up to 30 applicants for projects such as native greenery, planting, habitat maintenance, caring for community gardens containing native plants, enhancement and development of trails and boardwalks, and public education. Grants are available to community-based groups working on urban environmental stewardship projects in Canadian cities and towns. The deadline for applications is March 31. To obtain a copy of the application or for more details about the program, visit: www.evergreen.ca.
March 6, 2006
Toronto's Medical Officer of Health presented four new reports last week that focus on child health in Toronto. The reports summarize current health information, examine the links between periodontal disease and birth outcomes, and call for action to address food security and the impact on early child development. The reports are intended to promote healthy public policy. Dr. McKeown, medical officer of health for the city, made a number of recommendations to address the issues raised in the reports, including: to the Minister of Health and Long Term Care to improve data collection and develop indicators to measure child health determinants and outcomes; to the Public Health Agency of Canada to develop indicators to promote healthy breastfeeding standards; and to collaborate with key stakeholders to address disparities in low birth weight across Toronto. For more information about the reports, visit: www.toronto.ca/health
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