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This is an archive of CharityVillage NewsWeek. To find a word on the page,
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To view other articles in the archive, use our Chronological Index.
NewsBytes: December 2006
Articles are arranged in reverse chronological order.
Happy holidays from the CharityVillage team
December 18, 2006
On behalf of the team at CharityVillage.com, we'd like to wish everyone a safe and joyful holiday season. Village Vibes will be taking a well-deserved holiday until January 2. Our offices will be closed on December 25, 26, and January 1. In the meantime, we're always here to lend a hand. Check out our online holiday card at: www.charityvillage.com/cv/charityvillage/greeting.html.
December 18, 2006
New data released last week by Statistics Canada shows that economic activity in the nonprofit sector, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), outpaced that of the economy as a whole between 1997 and 2003. During this period, GDP for the nonprofit sector grew at an annual average rate of 6.4%, compared to 5.6% for the total economy. In 2003 alone, GDP for the overall nonprofit sector increased 6.3%, topping $80.3 billion. This economic activity was larger than the mining, oil and gas extraction industry, and retail trade industry. Even when hospitals, universities and colleges are removed from the equation, the significantly smaller core nonprofit sector was still roughly twice the size of Canada's agricultural industry, and was larger than the entire accommodation and food services industry, further demonstrating that Canada's nonprofit sector is a significant economic force. For more information, visit: www.statcan.ca.
December 18, 2006
Members of the Richardson Family and the Richardson Foundation announced a combined gift of $3 million for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. "It is evident to us that the Canadian Museum for Human Rights aligns closely with the goals of the Richardson Foundation by integrating the performing arts into the historical storytelling, focusing on Canadian youth and developing and delivering a world-class human rights education program through the museum," said Hartley Richardson. "We are pleased to announce our support and commitment to the [museum] and hope others will do the same." This announcement brings the total private funds raised to date to more than $70 million, with total project costs estimated to be $311 million. Slated to open in 2010 in Winnipeg, the museum will be the largest human rights centre in the world. For more information (in PDF format), visit: www.canadianmuseumforhumanrights.com.
December 18, 2006
The New Brunswick government has established a new task force that will investigate challenges facing the nonprofit sector in that province. Claudette Bradshaw will be the lead member of the Community Non-Profit Task Force. "This task force will establish a new relationship between government and the nonprofit sector, a relationship that we intend to be productive and effective, and a model for other provinces to emulate," said Premier Shawn Graham. The mandate for the task force includes raising awareness and setting out the context of the nonprofit sector, identifying strategies to enhance the relationship with government, and identifying further activities in support of the task force goals. A final report is expected by September 2007 and will include recommendations on how to strengthen the nonprofit sector, and strategies to enhance relations between nonprofit groups and government. For more information, visit: www.gnb.ca.
Fast Fact: Volunteer rates have increased dramatically since 1970s
December 18, 2006
A new study finds that Americans are spending a lot more time helping charities today than they did 30 years ago. The study, which analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, found that since 1974 the level of volunteering among older Americans has risen 64%. The overall volunteer rate in the United States has increased by more than 32% since 1989. The report also found that the portion of Americans volunteering with an educational or youth-service organization has increased by 63% since 1989, while teenagers ages 16 to 19 have more than doubled the time they spend volunteering, compared with volunteerism rates in 1989. -- Corporation for National and Community Service
December 18, 2006
TD Bank Financial Group (TDBFG) employees announced the record-breaking results of their 2006 charitable giving campaign - $6,919,854 for the United Way of Greater Toronto and other charities across Canada. It was the first time TDBFG employees raised more than $5 million for charities. The money was raised through personal donations and fundraisers such as pizza lunches, auctions, jeans days, bake sales, and arm wrestling competitions throughout the year. Over the past five years, TDBFG and its employees have donated nearly $30 million to the United Way of Greater Toronto and other Canadian charities as part of its United Way campaign. For more information about the United Way of Greater Toronto, visit: www.uwgt.org.
December 18, 2006
Human Resources and Social Development Canada is now accepting nominations for the 2007 Thérèse Casgrain Volunteer Award. This award acknowledges the voluntary contributions of men and women across Canada whose leadership, commitment and persistent endeavours have contributed significantly to the well-being of their fellow Canadians and helped to build stronger and healthier communities. The deadline for submissions is February 1, 2007. For more information, visit: www.hrsdc.gc.ca.
December 18, 2006
The Empire Life Insurance Company will invest $100,000 a year for the next 10 years to support the long-term makeover of the Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston General Hospital and Providence Continuing Care Centre. "It’s the biggest corporate gift we have ever received," said John Stuart, a spokesperson for University Hospitals Kingston Foundation, the fundraising arm of the city’s hospitals. "It’s going to have a long-term impact on healthcare for not only the people of Kingston, but for people across southeastern Ontario." For more information, visit: www.uhkf.ca.
December 18, 2006
The US-based Center for Effective Philanthropy recently published a report that explores the diverging opinions on operating support between foundations and their beneficiaries. In Search of Impact: Practices and Perceptions in Foundations' Provision of Program and Operating Grants to Nonprofits finds that most grants, even those made by large foundations, are program-restricted, small, and short term. Foundation CEOs see operating support as more likely to make a positive impact on grantee organizations, but most place other priorities higher in their decision-making. Nearly half prefer to provide program support to grantees; just 16% favour providing operating support. On the other hand, grantees prefer operating support, but only when grants are larger and longer term than what is typically provided by foundations right now. The report recommends that foundations seeking to maximize their impact on grantee organizations should make larger, longer-term operating grants. For more information or to download the report, visit: www.effectivephilanthropy.org.
December 18, 2006
The Foundation of Greater Montreal has released its first annual check-up on the health of the city. Entitled Greater Montreal's Vital Signs, the report presents a statistical outlook on different sectors of community life, such as work, the gap between the rich and the poor, learning, health and wellness, housing, getting around, safety, the environment, arts and culture, getting started in the community, belonging, and leadership. Some key findings from the report:For more information or to download the full report, visit: www.fondationdugrandmontreal.org
- Between 1980 and 2000, the income gap between rich and poor grew by 17%.
- The level of education of Montrealers is lower than elsewhere and school drop-out remains an issue of concern.
- In 2001, close to one in five Montreal residents was born outside of Canada.
- The city is next to last, just ahead of Toronto, for physical inactivity, and in less than 20 years, the amount of people suffering from obesity has almost doubled.
- Montreal has the strongest concentration of artists of any urban centre in North America, and one of the highest proportions of employment linked to the cultural sector.
December 18, 2006
Trenton Memorial Hospital recently received a gift of $200,000 from Wes Rees and the late Doris Rees. “If the gift we make can in any way have a positive effect on the Trenton Memorial Hospital for future generations to benefit from quality healthcare, in the way that we have, then we feel that our existence will have been a more positive and purposeful one...After all, legacies keep on living even when we don’t,” said Wes Rees. The money will be used to establish an endowment fund to provide an annual income for use by the local hospital physicians for their educational needs. A committee of local physicians will determine the awards to be granted annually. For more information about the Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation, visit: www.tmhfoundation.com.
December 11, 2006
An anonymous donor has made a landmark $24-million gift to the Foundation of Greater Montreal. "This is a gift from a man who loves Montreal; he wants his contribution to have a real and lasting impact on our city," said Kathleen Weil, president and CEO of the foundation. "When he discovered he could create his own endowment fund through our community foundation, he said he found an ideal way to fulfill his desire to help the community." The donor will work with the foundation to determine his fund's focus, which will include arts and culture, education, social and humanitarian causes. This is the largest gift ever received by the foundation, which was established in 1999, and increases its assets to more than $70 million. For more information, visit: www.fondationdugrandmontreal.org.
December 11, 2006
The National Council of Welfare (NCW) is encouraging individuals and organizations across Canada to respond to an online questionnaire that aims to better understand what Canadians think about solutions to poverty and insecurity. John Murphy, chair of the council, is “concerned that Canada has tended to hide its poverty in silence rather than fight it. If other countries have successfully tackled poverty, however, Canada can too. Quebec is making an antipoverty strategy a priority and so is Newfoundland and Labrador. It makes good economic sense to enable everyone to be as productive as possible. I also want to believe that Canadian men and women care what happens to fellow human beings who are struggling to survive in their own rich country." The questionnaire will run until December 15th and the results will be made public. They will also guide the advice the NCW provides to the federal government. For more information or to respond to the survey, visit: www.ncwcnbes.net.
December 11, 2006
Personal motivation trumps tax savings as the key factor behind Canadians' philanthropic decisions, according to a survey conducted by Scotiabank's Scotia Private Client Group. Almost all respondents (97%) said their philanthropic decisions are motivated by the charity's cause, while 94% said they are driven by personal values, and 93% by the name of the charitable organization. Only 76% of respondents identified tax savings as their motivator, while 54% said the timing of the charitable request is the deciding factor. The study examines motivation and trends in charitable giving among Canadians with assets of more than $250,000. -- Scotiabank
December 11, 2006
The University of Lethbridge announced a gift of $8 million from John Prentice, an Alberta-based agri-business entrepreneur and award-winning agrologist. The university will use the funds to launch the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy, which will research big picture issues relating to global population change, demographics, and economic factors as they relate to global population change. “I believe that long-term demographic and economic cycles are under-researched, and that improved knowledge in these areas would inform the public and cause both individuals and governments to make better decisions, thus changing the course of history for the better,” Prentice said. “I hope that the institute will encourage people to take a more global approach when setting policy and making personal decisions.” For more information, visit: www.uleth.ca/notice/dec06press.html.
December 11, 2006
The True Sport Foundation is seeking nominations for the 34th annual Canadian Sport Awards (CSA). "The Canadian Sport Awards are the definitive recognition event for Canadian leaders in sport," said Victor Lachance, chair of the foundation. "I strongly encourage sport organizations, media and the general public to nominate their sport heroes for this year's Canadian Sport Awards," said Lachance. "It is our chance to honour outstanding individuals, teams and businesses for the skills, passion and contribution they bring to Canadian sport." Any Canadian citizen can nominate an individual, team or corporation for the awards. Individuals and corporations can also self-nominate. Submissions must be received no later than January 15, 2007. For more information, visit: www.canadiansportawards.ca.
December 11, 2006
Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital has received a $1 million donation to aid its Great War Memorial Hospital. The gift comes from Perth philanthropists David and Ann Trick. As a gesture of thanks and to recognize the donation, the intensive care unit at the Great War Memorial Hospital site will be known as the David and Ann Trick Intensive Care Unit. “My wife and I have a passion for making a difference in people’s lives, which is exactly what Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital will continue to do for families of this community,” said David Trick. “Our gift symbolizes our strong commitment to the health and welfare of our community.” For more information about the hospital, visit: www.psfdh.on.ca.
December 11, 2006
A recent survey conducted by the UK-based Charities Aid Foundation found that giving in the United States equals 1.67% of the nation's gross domestic product. The United Kingdom was second among the 12 counties in the study, at 0.73%, followed by Canada at 0.72%. Rounding out the top five were Australia (0.69%) and South Africa (0.64%). France was last, at 0.14%. Religious giving accounts for much of the difference between the United States and other nations, with about a 60% variation between the United States and the United Kingdom. The British give a much higher percentage of their donations to international causes, however, with 13% of all giving in the United Kingdom going overseas, compared with just 3% of American contributions. -- Charities Aid Foundation
December 11, 2006
Dofasco is investing $1 million in Mohawk College’s Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship Research, Resources and Training (STARRT) Institute. The investment represents the single largest corporate donation in Mohawk’s 39-year history. “This donation is not only an investment in Mohawk’s future, but an investment in our own future,” said Dofasco president and CEO Jacques Chabanier, noting that 90% of Dofasco apprentices are trained at Mohawk. “We believe the availability of skilled tradespeople in this region is critical to our business and to Hamilton’s economy. Our contribution is an investment in Hamilton’s success and the competitiveness of Hamilton as a place to do business.” Mohawk is the largest trainer of skilled trades and apprenticeship students in Ontario. For more information, visit: www.mohawkcollege.ca.
December 11, 2006
An Ottawa resident is hoping to inspire Nigerian children with a donation of 30,000 books and magazines. Innocent Chiasaokwu, who moved to Canada from Nigeria ten years ago, has spent his entire savings to ship the books to his homeland. "You don't have to be rich to make a difference," Chiasaokwu says. "If you believe there are things you can do to better the life of people and you believe in it - you will achieve it." Five years ago he returned to visit Nigeria and was shocked by the shortage of books in the schools and libraries. He started buying books a few at a time at garage sales and thrift stores. "I find that if one is educated, you have more choices in your life," he said. "Kids going into prostitution, child labour - I think this is because they are not educated and they become prey for anyone higher than them." Hilary Kemsley, a communications manager who works with Chiasaokwu at Perley Rideau Veterans' Health Centre in Ottawa was amazed by his efforts. "He's doing it all out of his own pocket," she said. Chiasaokwu says he doesn't need any more books right now, but is in the process of setting up a trust fund to help fund shipping and other costs. In the meantime, Kemsley is helping him handle contributions from people who want to help through her e-mail address: hkemsley@prvhc.com.
December 11, 2006
Theatre Cares Vancouver raised $40,000 for charity this year, issuing cheques for $10,000 each to Camp Moomba, BC Persons with AIDS Society (BCPWA), AIDS Vancouver and the Actors’ Fund of Canada. The theatre is a volunteer-based organization that unites the generous spirit of Vancouver’s performing arts community with its supporters to raise funds and awareness for HIV/AIDS relief and other worthy causes. It has been raising funds for charity since 1991. For more information, visit: www.theatrecares.com.
December 4, 2006
Two nonprofit agencies, one from Sudbury and the other from Port Coquitlam, were selected as the recipients of this year's William H. Donner Award for Excellence in the Delivery of Social Services. The Sudbury Action Centre for Youth from Ontario and the InnerVisions Recovery Society of Port Coquitlam, BC, will share the $20,000 top prize. In total, nine of Canada's top performing nonprofit agencies were recognized at the awards, sharing $70,000 in prize money. The Donner Awards recognize excellence in social service provision by Canadian nonprofit organizations by encouraging best practices and greater accountability. For more information and a complete list of this year's recipients, visit: www.donnerawards.org
December 4, 2006
Imagine Canada's Knowledge Development Centre has released the results of a survey that examines how Canadian businesses are supporting and encouraging employee volunteerism. Business Support for Employee Volunteers in Canada found that most businesses operating in Canada (71%) either encourage or accommodate employee volunteer activities during working hours and/or encourage employees to volunteer on their own time. However, the ways in which companies support employee volunteering vary considerably. Half (49%) of all businesses encourage employees to volunteer on their own time and more than a third (35%) accommodate employee volunteer activities during regular working hours. However, just 18% encourage employee volunteering during regular working hours. For more information or to download the full report, visit: www.kdc-cdc.ca.
December 4, 2006
Ninety percent of multinational companies say they recognize that supporting charitable programs represents a potential source of business for them. Two-thirds of the 198 companies surveyed said corporate citizenship issues are of growing importance for business, but most are unable to measure the business impact of their charitable investments. The three activities that topped the list of community involvement activities were: paying attention to the concerns of the cities and towns where the companies manufacture and sell their products (64%); corporate giving to worthy causes (55%); working on issues involving the environment and global warming (52%). -- Conference Board
December 4, 2006
Last week, Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion donated $2.34 million raised through her annual gala to support arts, culture and heritage projects in her city. The money was given to the Community Foundation of Mississauga, which will administer a new arts, culture and heritage endowment fund. "The colour, life and excitement of a city are defined through its arts, culture and heritage projects," said McCallion. "We need to provide sustained funding for these projects to make our cities more colourful and vibrant places to live, work and visit." For more information about the Community Foundation of Mississauga, visit: cfofm.org.
December 4, 2006
Even when employed, many Canadians are struggling to stay above the poverty line and are increasingly turning to food banks to make ends meet, according to HungerCount 2006, the latest Canadian Association of Food Banks (CAFB) study. The annual study shows the percentage of food bank clients who are part of Canada’s workforce this year is 13.4%, up from 13.1% last year. The study also showed that children account for 41% of the estimated 753,458 food bank clients, although they make up only about a quarter of Canada’s population. Based on these findings, the CAFB is asking government to make work ‘work’ and to develop a mix of concrete policies to address two major areas: income/employment security, and family needs such as housing and daycare. For more information, visit: ww.cafb-acba.ca.
December 4, 2006
The SickKids Foundation announced a $2 million gift from Gerald Schwartz and Heather Reisman to establish the Schwartz-Reisman SickKids Exchange Program with Israel. The program will enhance clinical and scientific exchange internationally and expand the participation of paediatric specialists from Israel training at The Hospital for Sick Children each year. “This gift to SickKids Foundation marks the beginning of an important international partnership with the intention of creating a cadre of world-class physicians specializing in children’s health,” said Michael O’Mahoney, president of SickKids Foundation. “This much-needed funding comes at time when it is imperative for us to support programs that can influence children’s health on the world stage.” For more information, visit: www.sickkidsfoundation.com.
December 4, 2006
A poll by Harris Interactive finds that only one in 10 Americans strongly believes charities are "honest and ethical" in their use of donated funds. And nearly one in three believes nonprofits have "pretty seriously gotten off in the wrong direction". Charity scandals and increased Congressional oversight of tax-exempt organizations are part of the reason for public skepticism about charities, say nonprofit experts, but the vast array of choices in giving may also be overwhelming to many donors. More than one million groups now have charity status in the US. -- Harris Interactive
December 4, 2006
The baby boomer generation's entrance to retirement will change the face of philanthropy in Canada, according to a TD Economics report. Entitled Greying of Canada's Population Has Far-reaching Implications for Charities, the report concludes that charitable services will strain under the pressure of the aging population. In particular, as more attention is paid to funding health services, charities outside this sector will be forced to campaign hard to attract and maintain non-government funding. "There's a bright side to this demographic story," says Craig Alexander, vice president and deputy chief economist, TD Bank Financial Group, who authored the report. "Boomers are living longer, healthier lives, and represent a tremendous wealth of skills. As many seek new challenges and opportunities to give back to society, their contribution of time and energy will help charities maintain service levels and transform into more efficient, business-like operations." It is expected that retiring baby boomers will provide a large, highly skilled volunteer pool. Many will emerge as social entrepreneurs, as well. For more information or to download the full report, visit: www.td.com.
December 4, 2006
The family of Cheryl Brown is presenting a $1-million cheque to Ovarian Cancer Canada and the BC Cancer Agency for the Cheryl Brown Outcome Unit, named in her honour. The money, supplemented with $250,000 from the cancer agency, will be used for research. Brown, who co-founded of Ovarian Cancer Canada, was diagnosed with the disease in 1993 and passed away in 2003. "She wanted to wake up Canada to the disease that whispers because no one ever talked about ovarian cancer [at the time of her diagnosis]," said her brother Bob Brown. "She ended up going on speaking engagements across Canada. She got a standing ovation in the House of Commons when she was introduced there. She was a real fighter...and I loved her dearly." For more information about Ovarian Cancer Canada, visit: www.ovariancancercanada.ca.
December 4, 2006
A survey of 150 senior IT executives from large businesses and public sector organizations reveals that 71% feel that while their organizations are getting good value from their technology investment, it could be better. Only 18% of those surveyed said that IT provides excellent value to their organization, while 6% reported IT definitely needs to do better, or is completely unaligned with their business. Although approximately 80% of organizations surveyed have project management offices, there continues to be a high rate of failed and otherwise challenged IT projects. Less than half (49%) surveyed say that their projects are delivered on time and on budget three-quarters of the time or more, and nearly 12% of respondents have more than one-quarter of their IT projects fail. -- The Strategic Counsel
December 4, 2006
The Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation announced a $2.5 million gift from TELUS to support their commitment to providing best-in-class healthcare services to Albertans. The gift will enable the foundation to fulfill a long-term goal to purchase the Vocera Communications System, a hands-free, voice-controlled communications device that allows child health experts at the hospital to communicate using a high-tech badge. For more information about the Alberta Children's Hospital, visit: www.childrenshospital.ab.ca.
December 4, 2006
Scotia Private Client Group, a part of the Scotiabank Group, has launched Aqueduct Foundation, which provides Scotiabank clients with new options when planning significant charitable donations. "We created Aqueduct Foundation to serve as a channel for supporting other charities and to facilitate sophisticated philanthropic planning in a timely and cost efficient manner," said Malcolm Burrows, head of Philanthropic Advisory Services for Scotia Private Client Group. "Canadians now have options available to manage their philanthropic giving with the flexibility of a professionally managed foundation." Aqueduct is a public charity that enables clients to make the most of their philanthropic gift through the use of donor advised funds. Donors can also establish personalized legacy funds that are funded at death with a bequest in a will or a life insurance policy. For more information, visit: micro.newswire.ca/85223-0.html.
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