Charles Dunstone and Richard Branson Join Legacy10

A new campaign to encourage more people to give money to charity was warmly welcomed today by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt. The Legacy10 campaign, launched today at Tate Britain, is being spearheaded by RLM Finsbury chairman Roland Rudd and has the backing of a range of businesspeople, entrepreneurs, artists and sporting figures. It is encouraging people to leave ten per cent of their legacy to charity, and so benefit from a new inheritance tax break.

“Times are tough at the moment and while people are feeling the pinch, more than half the population still give to charity each month. What’s surprising is that only seven per cent of people ever leave money to a charity in their will," says Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt.

“Including a gift to charity in a will is a great way to recognise an organisation that’s been there for you during your life. It’s also a brilliant way to help that charity become more financially secure and continue their work in the future.

“Legacy10 is a great initiative and as you can see from those that have signed up, there are lots of individuals who have already made this change. Hopefully after today, they can encourage even more.”

Legacy10 is a nationwide campaign to encourage people to leave more legacies to charity in their wills. It will receive a boost with the tax changes that come into effect in April, which will allow people who leave more than ten per cent of their estate to charity to pay a reduced rate of any inheritance tax due on the remainder of the estate.

Jeremy Hunt has introduced a series of measures to encourage greater philanthropy in the cultural sector, including launching a £100 million match funding scheme to stimulate more private giving to arts and culture.

Emeritus Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen's New Book, Giving 2.0

How can we transform our random, occasional acts of giving into consistent generosity that leverages our resources of time and talent? How can we bring deeper meaning to our lives and create enduring impact for the issues we care most about? How can we move from “giving 1.0” to “giving 2.0”? Written for all readers of all income levels, ages, and backgrounds, GIVING 2.0: Transform Your Giving and Our World by Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen (October 25, 2011; Jossey Bass) is a guide to living a life of generosity that is socially impactful, emotionally rewarding, and rich with learning. Arrillaga-Andreessen, who is the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of SV2, shares her own experiences as a prominent young philanthropist, academic, and social innovator, and also tells the inspiring stories of how ordinary, generous donors of all backgrounds found their passions, made their giving decisions, measured their impact, cultivated a strong emotional connection to their philanthropy, and tapped into the amazing reach of the Web and social media to collaborate with others who share their interests. And most importantly, by engaging in their giving in more proactive, strategic, and collaborative ways, they were each able to have mega impact without mega dollars.

Both intensely practical and personal, GIVING 2.0 shows how even seemingly small individual contributions can go further if we bring not only our hearts but also our minds to philanthropy. It’s an indispensable tool for anyone aspiring to create significant social change, transmit giving values to their children, and find long-lasting meaning from generosity. For more on the book, visit: www.giving2.com

1,582 Artists from 36 Countries and 43 States Will Participate in ArtPrize 2011

1,582 artists from 36 countries and 43 states will show their work in 164 venues within three-square miles of downtown Grand Rapids, Mich. Each artist will compete for the world’s largest prize for art, which will take place Sept. 21-Oct. 9, 2011. Participating artists and venues can all be viewed on the Artist List. Event organizers today closed Connections—the period when artists can officially secure a venue and participate in ArtPrize 2011. Applications for entries were open to any artist who could secure a location to display their art.

“ArtPrize facilitates relationships between artists of the world, venues in Grand Rapids and people from all over,” said Catherine Creamer, executive director of ArtPrize. “We broaden the conversation about art by making it accessible to everyone who comes to the event, inviting each person to create and discuss their own story.”

While Michigan is home to a large number of participating artists, as an international competition, artists from as far as Singapore and South Africa will descend on Grand Rapids. Canada, with 23 artists, has the greatest number of artists participating in ArtPrize 2011 who are coming from outside of the United States.

The number of national artists has also increased in 2011. Illinois alone has more than 96 artists traveling to Grand Rapids. New York artists total 29 participating artists, while California and Ohio will send 30 artists each to ArtPrize 2011. Hundreds more are coming from Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Inspired by such competitions as the X-Prize and large-scale events like the Sundance Film Festival, ArtPrize is among the most unique competitions in the art world. It has no formal jury, curator or judge, asking the public to vote and decide winners using mobile devices and the web.

During its 2009 inaugural season, more than 200,000 people attended ArtPrize and more than 334,000 votes were cast. Numbers swelled in 2010 to more than 400,000 people and 465,000 votes cast. ArtPrize organizers expect more than 500,000 people to attend the 19-day event.

George and Julia Argyros Gift to UCI's School of Medicine

A $5 million gift from Julia and George Argyros to UC Irvine’s Gavin Herbert Eye Institute was announced Thursday, April 7, at “Science Under the Stars,” the second annual UCI School of Medicine gala. The gift will establish the Julia & George Argyros Ambulatory Surgery Center in the newest and most state-of-the-art eye care and treatment facility to be built on the West Coast. The gala doubled as a groundbreaking ceremony for the 70,000-square-foot institute, which will house patient exam and waiting areas, the outpatient surgery center, an optical shop, and faculty office and conference space. The Argyros donation will go toward the nearly $31 million estimated cost of the building. Construction is expected to be completed in 2013.

“Julia and George Argyros’ histories – along with Gavin Herbert’s – as builders and leaders in Orange County run deep,” said UCI Chancellor Michael Drake, “and we are especially proud they have joined us in personal support of the institute. We cannot think of a more fitting way to acknowledge their support than by naming the ambulatory surgery center in their honor.”

The Gavin Herbert Eye Institute’s mission is to develop educational programs, technologies and clinical solutions that enhance visual health and performance for people in Orange County, the nation and the world through cooperation with medical professionals, industry and the community. Gavin Herbert, founder and former CEO of Allergan Inc. – an Irvine-based maker of eye care and other products, including Botox Cosmetic – along with his mother, Josephine Gleis, made the initial $10 million naming gift in 2007. Another $13 million in commitments also has been secured.

“We’re close to building something special,” Herbert said, “something we’ve dreamed about for more than 30 years. I’ve known and respected my good friends George and Julia Argyros for decades and have watched their substantial contributions to Orange County. I’m delighted that they’re joining me in helping provide these much-needed services to the community.”

Jim Mazzo, chairman and CEO of Abbott Medical Optics Inc., in Santa Ana, noted that bringing eye care services and top researchers to Orange County requires a top-notch facility. “By aligning ourselves with outstanding community leaders such as George and Julia Argyros and Gavin Herbert, we can create a facility that will keep the institute’s researchers, professors, physicians and fellows in the vanguard of innovation, training and care,” said Mazzo, chair of the institute campaign committee.

Dr. Roger Steinert, founding director of The Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, said: “We’re committed to meeting the community’s needs and elevating the level of eye care in Orange County to the best anywhere, nationally or internationally.”

5 Chefs Serve Generously for Canterbury

A collaborative effort between five of Auckland’s top chefs and Villa Maria Estate has raised $100,000 for the Christchurch City Mission. What began as a desire to do something to help the people of Canterbury after the devastating February earthquake became a demonstration of solidarity and generosity from Villa Maria, those organising the event and those that attended.

Two hundred and ten guests paid $250 each for the five-course degustation matched with Villa Maria wines. Everyone involved from the front of house staff to the food suppliers donated their time or products for the event.

Participating chefs included: Des Harris – Clooney Michael Meredith – Merediths Mike van de Elzen – Molten Restaurant Sid Sahrawat – Sidart Restaurant Stephen Ward – O’Connell Street Bistro

The luncheon was hosted by Villa Maria. Kerre Woodham and John Hawkesby emceed the event where guests were wined and dined with live entertainment and with a series of live and silent auctions. The enthusiastic crowd bid generously, including $5000 for a progressive dinner at a selection of Auckland restaurants.

The grand total from ticket and auction sales came to $93,000 with an un-named person pledging the extra $7000 to make an even total of $100,000.

One hundred per cent of all proceeds are being donated to the Christchurch City Mission, an organisation that has a heavy load to bear in the coming months.

Christchurch City Missioner Michael Gorman was ecstatic to hear of the donation: “Our work at the City Mission is only just beginning, as we are now faced with an influx of new people who never thought they would need us. Redundancies and homelessness are forcing people to set aside their pride and seek help. We are eager to assist and will have better resources to do so with this wonderful donation,” he said.

Max Nikias, Pat Haden, Ron Tutor, Tamara Gustavson and Ed Roski Break Ground on USC's John McKay Center

In front of a festive crowd of more than 400 people, USC officially broke ground today on the new John McKay Center, a $70 million, 110,000-square foot facility on the west side of Heritage Hall that will house meeting rooms, coaches offices and a locker room for the football program, as well as an academic center, weight room, athletic training room and state-of-the-art digital media production facility for all of USC's 21 sports. USC president Max Nikias and Trojan athletic director Pat Haden presided over the ceremony in front of a crowd that included members of the USC Board of Trustees, university deans and administrators, athletic department staff, coaches, student-athletes, donors and fans.

The Trojan Marching Band and USC Song Girls performed. After brief speeches, Nikias and Haden were joined in hardhats by USC Board of Trustee members Ron Tutor, Tamara Gustavson and Ed Roski and the group placed commemorative shovels into the ground.

Construction of the 2-story (plus basement) building is expected to take 18 months.

Thomas Kat Steyer Gift to Stanford Creates Interdisciplinary Center for Energy Policy and Finance

Stanford Law School and the Graduate School of Business today announced the establishment of the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance, an interdisciplinary center to study and advance the development and deployment of clean energy technologies through innovative policy and finance. The Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance will be housed at both the Law School and the Graduate School of Business, bringing together the best minds from both disciplines to advance the development, financing, management and regulation of the clean energy technology sector. The center is the latest of Stanford University's efforts to address comprehensively the global energy challenge-from advancing energy efficiency to developing and deploying renewable energy, to reducing the effects of fossil fuels. The center's focus on policy and finance solutions will complement the work of other institutes, as well: the Precourt Institute for Energy; the TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy; the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies' Program on Energy and Sustainable Development; and the Stanford Environmental and Energy Policy Analysis Center at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.

The center has been made possible by a $7 million gift from Stanford alumni Thomas Steyer and his wife, Kat Taylor. Its executive director will be Dan Reicher, who has also been appointed professor of the practice of law at the Law School and lecturer at the Graduate School of Business. Reicher was assistant secretary of energy for energy efficiency and renewable energy during the Clinton administration. A member of President Obama's transition team, he was most recently director of climate change and energy initiatives at Google. He has strong energy and environmental credentials and extensive experience in government, law, business and venture capital, and the non-profit sector.

"We believe that Stanford is uniquely positioned to change our nation's attitudes and capabilities regarding how we make and use energy. What our university did for the information revolution, it must now do for the energy revolution," said Steyer of his and Taylor's gift.

The TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy, a research center within the Precourt Institute for Energy which launched in 2009, was also funded by generous support from Thomas Steyer and Kat Taylor. Steyer is a Stanford trustee and managing partner of Farallon Capital Management; Taylor is active in a variety of public benefit and philanthropic ventures. Steyer founded Farallon in 1986. He is also managing director of Hellman & Friedman, a San Francisco-based private equity firm. He previously worked for Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.

With a strong base at both Stanford Law School and the Graduate School of Business, the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance will provide a broad platform for research on energy policy and finance-particularly legislative, regulatory and business tools—that increase public support for and the flow of capital to clean energy technologies. It will produce world-class research for policymakers, the business community, and technology leaders to help inform and resolve energy problems at the global, national, state and local levels. It will help coordinate related work being done in Stanford's other centers, schools and departments to enhance teaching, training and research across the campus.

"Energy may be our most pressing public policy problem today," said Stanford Law School Dean Larry Kramer. "Our success in addressing it will determine much about our future—both economically and environmentally. And any solutions require working across disciplines and understanding the critical role of both law and finance in making technological innovations workable. That being so, it is really quite astonishing that there is nothing like this new center on energy policy and finance at any other law school. We are absolutely delighted to launch this collaborative effort with the Stanford Graduate School of Business and expect to make strong contributions to national and global efforts to develop sustainable energy."

By collaborating with the Graduate School of Business, the center will leverage business school expertise to help resolve the challenge of financing clean technologies from conception to market and educate future leaders of managed organizations to incorporate sustainability in operations and strategy. Financing can be exceptionally difficult since clean technology innovations may require billions of dollars to scale up from venture capital-backed pilot projects to commercially financeable production facilities. "Interdisciplinary centers like this help us create the conditions for innovation to flourish, so that faculty and students can help drive solutions to pressing global problems such as creating more sustainable energy systems," said Stanford Graduate School of Business Dean Garth Saloner.

"U.S. and global energy systems are plagued by serious economic, environmental and national security problems," said the center's executive director, Professor Dan Reicher. "In their resolution lie vast opportunities for job creation, pollution control and reduced international tensions. The successful integration of policy and finance is key to addressing these problems and seizing the unprecedented opportunities. We need smart policy to set the stage for fundamental change in our energy systems and innovative finance to make things happen-from early stage innovation to the broad-scale deployment of clean energy technologies. I look forward to helping the center become a catalyst for an environmentally and economically sustainable energy future."

Reicher added, "I'm particularly pleased that Tom Steyer and Kat Taylor are backing the center given their long-standing commitment to clean energy as well as their recent success in building a bipartisan coalition-spanning the business, environmental, environmental justice, and national security communities-that ensured the continued implementation of California's path-breaking climate change program."

Sundance Institute And The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Present Short Documentary Films To Inspire Global Community

Sundance Institute today announced a special collaborative project with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation designed to harness the power of film to create communities and inspire action on issues related to global health, poverty and education. Six short documentary films commissioned by the Institute's Documentary Film Program from award-winning filmmakers Glenn Baker, Teboho Edkins, Mark Monroe, Maren Grainger-Monsen, MD, Nicole Newnham, Jonathan Stack, Ricki Stern, and Annie Sundberg, will become part of a multi-platform communications initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which plans to share the films online and at speeches and public events around the world. For nearly three decades, Sundance Institute has promoted independent storytelling to inform and inspire across political, social, religious and cultural differences. The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund is the pre-eminent global funder of cinematic documentary films committed to excellence in storytelling around human rights, social justice, civil liberties, the environment and other contemporary issues.

Excerpts from selected films will first premiere September 20, 2010 as part of TEDxChange, a live event convened by Melinda French Gates, to mark the 10th anniversary of the creation of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals to improve social and economic conditions in the world’s poorest countries. TEDxChange will look at what advancements have been made since the U.N. adopted its Millennium Goals, and what needs to happen to ensure success for the future. Hosted by TED Curator Chris Anderson at the Paley Center for Media in New York and simulcast in Los Angeles, the 90-minute event will stream live on TED.com and www.tedxchange.org at 11a.m. EDT, with simultaneous satellite events planned in over 50 other communities around the world.

"As longtime admirers of the important work that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is undertaking in some of the poorest regions on earth, and the most challenging sectors here in the U.S., Sundance Institute is honored to collaborate on this important initiative," said Keri Putnam, Executive Director, Sundance Institute. "It is a privilege to partner with them in connecting global audiences with stories from the frontlines of global development, health and education," Putnam added.

Shot on location in Bangladesh, India, Haiti, Kenya, the Congo (DRC), Lesotho as well as the United States, the six commissioned films illustrate personal stories of communities leading vaccination drives; empowering the poor with safe and affordable means to manage their money, success at an urban American charter school and an intimate portrait of parenting while HIV positive.

"Documentary storytelling is incredibly effective at highlighting complex realities by humanizing the issues," said Cara Mertes, Director, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program. "Creating these films with independent filmmakers already exploring the issues that the Gates Foundation addresses has uncovered some extraordinary stories that will help galvanize audiences towards awareness and action."

Michele Chan and Patrick Soon-Shiong's Giving Pledge

The philanthropy field is buzzing with stories about the Giving Pledge. Forty billionaires have pledged to give away a majority of their wealth to philanthropy. Michele Chan and Patrick Soon-Shiong are the only Asian Americans on the list. Patrick Soon-Shiong was born in apartheid-era South Africa. He was a son of Chinese immigrants and his father practiced Chinese herbal medicine. Patrick married actress Michele Chan and worked at UCLA School of Medicine. He was involved in developing groundbreaking transplantation techniques to treat diabetes. The technology was used to develop Abraxane, a breast cancer drug made by Abraxis. As Abraxix BioScience Chief Executive, Patrick became a multibillionaire, with the sale of APP Pharmaceuticals.

The couples pledge follows.

Our passion, our mission is to transform health and health care, in America and beyond. Our family foundation was established for that purpose.

Growing up in South Africa during the time of apartheid, we had direct experience of inequality, including great disparities in health and access to good care. After thirty years living in the United States, we see similar disparities in health care on our doorstep in Los Angeles, and across the nation. What was unconscionable to us in South Africa in the twentieth century is just as unconscionable in the United States in the twenty-first.

America has been a land of opportunity for us, as it has for so many immigrants. We are proud to be Americans and we want to see our country strong and healthy. We are blessed to have resources and expertise to contribute.

Our pledge is that, through our family foundation, we will work to erode and eliminate disparities in health care, and to help bring about a system of health care which aims first to keep people healthy, and secondly to ensure that everyone has access to the best quality health care when they need it. We and our children are dedicating our time and our resources to that end.

Tashia and John Morgridge

Bill Gates and Warren Buffett's Giving Pledge is nothing less than a runaway success. Tashia and John Morgridge have joined this exclusive club and their pledge follows.

"In 1955 we graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, got married and headed west so John could attend the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Tashia could start her teaching career. All of our possessions fit into our 1950 Ford and all of our wealth fit into a back pants pocket. It was the start of a glorious adventure!

But we left the Midwest with much more; with the values, confidence and capabilities learned from our parents, our community, our early public schooling in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and from the University of Wisconsin. Early on we learned the art of giving small checks to causes important to us,. Through hard work, good fortune and the opportunities offered by our amazing country and the world, we have prospered beyond all expectation. As a result, we have been able to add many zeros to the amounts of the checks we are now able to write.

In 1992 we formed a family foundation with our children and the two of us as board members. It has been a learning process, but in spite of heartaches and setbacks, we have all learned to become involved, effective philanthropists. We have teamed with talented people and with many of the organizations that helped to form us. The more personally involved we have become with the causes we support the more effective we seem to be.

Through our foundation and also personally, we have now given away over half our net worth. It is our intent to remain involved and to continue to give. Our children intend to carry on their work after we are gone. The adventure continues."

The Giving Pledge

On the subject of giving, a long time ago author Andre Gide wrote these proving lines, “Complete possession is proved only by giving.  All you are unable to give possesses you.” Paul Simon later sang “Oh, and it's time to lend a hand to life, the greatest gift of all.”

Last week forty American billionaires including CNN founder Ted Turner, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Hollywood director George Lucas as well as Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates publicly pledged the majority of their wealth to philanthropy.

The Giving Pledge according to the press release was initiated by Buffett and Gates as an effort to help address society’s most pressing problems by inviting the wealthiest American families and individuals to commit to giving more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes.  At its core, the Giving Pledge is about asking wealthy families to have important conversations about their wealth and how it will be used.

The interesting feature is that this is a public declaration of intention.  A moral commitment to give, not a legal contract, and does not involve pooling money or supporting a particular set of causes or organizations.

"Everybody has their own interests," said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who participated in a teleconference with Buffett as one of the individuals who has signed the giving pledge. "That's what's wonderful about private philanthropy.  If you want to do something for your children and show how much you love them, the single best thing – by far – is to support organizations that will create a better world for them and their children. And by giving, we inspire others to give of themselves, whether their money or their time.”

Ellison, known more for yacht racing than philanthropy, said he had intended for years to donate 95 percent of his wealth to charity. He has given hundreds of millions to medical research and education.

"Until now, I have done this giving quietly — because I have long believed that charitable giving is a personal and private matter," he wrote in a letter that was posted on givingpledge.org, the website for the effort. "So why am I going public now? Warren Buffett personally asked me to write this letter because he said I would be 'setting an example' and 'influencing others' to give. I hope he's right."

In similar letters, other donors talked about what they hoped their money could achieve. George B. Kaiser, chairman of BOK Financial Corp., said he is concerned that America is failing its social contract as a land of equal opportunity.

"It is the most fundamental principle in our founding documents and it is what originally distinguished us from the old Europe. Yet, we have failed in achieving that seminal goal; in fact, we have lost ground in recent years," he wrote.

It was clear from comments of Buffett and others that donors intend to send a message to future generations, including those around the world, to change the way people view wealth.

"If life happens to bless you with talent or treasure, you have a responsibility to use those gifts as well and as wisely as you possibly can," the Gateses wrote in their letter. "Now we hope to pass this example on to our own children."

Bloomberg, who has a fortune estimated by Forbes magazine at $18 billion, said he has changed his personal philosophy over the years from wanting to be more private about his giving toward trying to play a leadership role. He said his whole family is in tune with his giving plan.

"I've always thought your kids get more benefit out of your philanthropy than your will," he added.

John Houghtaling and Franco Valobra Hold New Orleans Fundraising Dinner

In support of Louisiana cuisine at a time when its seafood industry has been jeopardized by the Horizon oil spill, world-renowned chefs Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud and Jerome Bocuse will team with New Orleans Chef Scott Boswell for a September 14 fundraiser at his French Quarter restaurant Stella! The event will benefit the Barrier Islands Restoration & Development Society (B.I.R.D.S.) and the Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation. It is the first meal the distinguished chefs will cook together.

"These leaders of America's culinary revolution are committed to preserving our food culture and traditions," said Chef Boswell. "Like me, they're frustrated about the repercussions of the oil gushing in the Gulf, so we will unite in the kitchen to raise funds for our wetlands and the next generation of culinary professionals."

The benefit will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 14, beginning at 7 p.m. with cocktails in the Ursuline Convent gardens, followed by dinner at Restaurant Stella! Tickets for the evening are $2,000 per person, and may be obtained by calling 504-587-0091 (Extension 100) or e-mailing cbrannon@chefscottboswell.com.

New Orleans businessmen John Houghtaling and Franco Valobra organized the event to raise awareness of the region's cuisine and Louisiana's wetlands.

B.I.R.D.S. was formed by a group of concerned civic leaders and Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser to establish, maintain and restore the precious barrier islands of Southeast Louisiana. These natural barriers, which have been disappearing over the last century, provide a first line of defense for the fragile marshes, estuaries, and animal habitats that permeate the landscape surrounding the lower portion of the Mississippi River as it empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

"We've gathered some of the best culinary artists in the world to highlight our cuisine and draw attention to our struggle," Houghtaling said. "The barrier islands are home to brown pelicans, the symbol of our state and the wildlife upon which many of our cultural traditions are based. B.I.R.D.S. is a critically important cause."

Marc and Lynne Benioff's Gift to UCSF Medical Center

Mark R. Laret, chief executive officer of UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, and UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann have announced a $100 million gift from San Francisco residents Marc and Lynne Benioff to help build a new home for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital at Mission Bay. The private gift is the largest donation ever made by the Benioffs and is the largest gift ever made to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. Laret and Desmond-Hellmann also announced that the hospital is being renamed the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. Construction of a 184-bed new children's hospital is expected to be completed in 2014.

"This generous donation brings UCSF Medical Center to $320 million in pledges for our philanthropic goal of $600 million toward building a 289-bed, $1.5 billion Children's, Women's and Cancer hospital complex at Mission Bay.

Lynne and Marc Benioff are amazing people. Marc is the co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Salesforce.com; and Lynne serves on the UCSF Foundation Board. Their daughter was born almost two years ago at UCSF. Marc designed philanthropy into the very fabric of Salesforce.com, donating 1 percent of the company's equity, 1 percent of profits and 1 percent of employee time to support community needs. The Benioffs have decided to focus their personal philanthropy on UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, with the goal of not only seeing the new hospital built but significantly advancing children's health worldwide."

Donald T. Sterling To Sponsor Summer Clinics

Los Angeles Clippers Owner Donald T. Sterling, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Clippers Foundation, will again conduct the Clippers Summer Clinic Program, tipping off with 10 free clinics in the Los Angeles area this summer. From July 12-16 and August 9-13, Sterling and the Clippers will provide 2,500 children the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of basketball. The Summer Clinic program, now in its fourth year, was initiated by Sterling in 2006 and has thus far accommodated a total of 7,200 southern California youths.

Cancer Research Foundation Receives Major Gift from Irwin and Joan Jacobs

Philanthropists Irwin and Joan Jacobs of La Jolla, CA have made an additional major gift to the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation (ACCRF) to foster rapid advances in the understanding and treatment of adenoid cystic carcinoma. The Jacobs' most recent donation brings their cumulative support for the foundation to $1.65 million. "The remarkable generosity of the Jacobs has permitted the foundation to act much more quickly in approving and undertaking cancer research projects that use leading-edge technological platforms," noted Jeffrey Kaufman, ACCRF's Co-Founder and Executive Director. "Irwin and Joan share our goals of identifying ACC's vulnerabilities and moving quickly toward targeted clinical trials for patients in need."

Irwin Jacobs founded the telecommunications firm Qualcomm, where he served as CEO until July 2005 and Chairman of the Board of Directors until March 2009. A graduate of Cornell University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dr. Jacobs taught electrical engineering at MIT and the University of California, San Diego before pioneering the commercial development of digital wireless technology.

Dr. Jacobs was diagnosed with ACC in 2007 after noticing a bump near his left ear. He was treated at the University of California, San Francisco and remains in very good health. Following his surgery and radiation therapy, he read about ACCRF in the Wall Street Journal and contacted the organization. Beyond offering their financial support to the research effort, Dr. and Mrs. Jacobs also hosted an ACCRF Scientific Forum of leading cancer researchers at the Salk Institute, where he serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

"Joan and I have been very impressed with the research program organized by Marnie and Jeff and with the researchers that they have attracted and sponsored," noted Irwin Jacobs. "We believe that this is a very important research and (soon) clinical effort, not only because I have suffered from ACC as have many others, but also because I believe this program provides a valuable model for organizing attacks on other rare cancers."

The Jacobs will be the first inductees into ACCRF's Circle of Sustenance, major donors who lead the mission to cure ACC. In addition to funding ACCRF's largest research projects, members of the Circle of Sustenance cover the foundation's administrative expenses, thereby ensuring that all other donations are applied directly to research programs.

Stewart and Lynda Resnick's Gift to Caltech

As the U.S. Secretary of Energy and hundreds of graduates and their families looked on, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) president Jean-Lou Chameau began today's commencement ceremony by announcing $30 million in gifts as the first phase of a proposed $90 million initiative for a new institute. The funds will go towards the creation of the Resnick Sustainability Institute at Caltech. The initial gift of $20 million was made by Stewart and Lynda Resnick, and an additional $10 million came from the Gordon and Betty Moore Matching Program. The plans include a second phase of funding to be initiated next year as part of a challenge grant. Ultimately, the endowment for the new institute will exceed $90 million.

The vision of the Resnick Sustainability Institute is to provide a path to sustainability by focusing on innovative science and engineering developments required for groundbreaking energy technologies. Such technologies may one day help solve our global energy and climate challenges. With the support of the Resnick Sustainability Institute, some of the brightest minds in the world will apply Caltech's unique approach to interdisciplinary research toward high-risk, high-return energy science and technology.

"I have enjoyed many conversations with Stewart and Lynda on exciting developments in science and technology and their potential for addressing many of our environmental and economic challenges," says Chameau. "This generous gift from the Resnicks reflects their extraordinary desire and courage to make a difference. With their support, we are poised to launch an initiative at Caltech that will herald a new era in energy research."

"We are passionately committed to finding alternative and sustainable energy solutions," say Stewart and Lynda Resnick. "We're making this investment because Caltech is truly one of America's greatest research universities, and we are confident that this new institute will develop the breakthrough technologies we need to address the daunting challenges of energy security, rapidly accelerating energy demand, and climate change."

The new institute will leverage prior grants from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and work being done by Caltech researchers such as Harry Atwater, the Howard Hughes Professor and professor of applied physics and materials science, who leads Caltech's Energy Frontier Research Center, recently funded by the Department of Energy; and Harry Gray, the Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry, and Nate Lewis, the George L. Argyros Professor and professor of chemistry, who lead Caltech's Center for Chemical Innovation, funded by the National Science Foundation.

The Resnicks' existing relationship with Caltech includes Stewart Resnick's role as a member of the Board of Trustees. He is also chairman and, with his wife, Lynda, owner of Roll International Corporation, a private holding company he founded in 1962. The company has diverse interests including Paramount Citrus, Paramount Farming, and Paramount Farms, growers and processors of citrus, almonds, and pistachios; POM Wonderful, the largest grower of pomegranates and makers of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice; Teleflora, the floral-by-wire service; FIJI Water, a leading premium bottled-water brand; and Suterra, one of the largest biorational pest control providers in the world.

The Resnicks have a long history of giving to Los Angeles institutions, including a 2008 pledge of $55 million to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

The announcement of the gift was made during Chameau's opening remarks at Caltech's 115th annual commencement ceremony. This year's keynote speaker, Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu, remarked that the timing of the gift announcement was especially appropriate, as it involved energy science and sustainability, two of his programmatic efforts at the energy department.

International Competition Offers World's Largest ARTPRIZE

ArtPrize invites artists of all kinds from around the world to participate in an unprecedented competition that will award nearly one-half million dollars to prize winners, including $250,000 to the artist who receives the most public votes. Details of ArtPrize, which will run from Sept. 23 through Oct. 10, were announced today from the competition’s host city of Grand Rapids, Mich. ArtPrize will have no formal jury, curator or judge. The public will decide who wins the prizes by voting, using mobile devices and the web.

“It’s time to reboot the conversation between artists and the public. ArtPrize will be a celebration of art, design, and innovation that will bring artists and the public together like never before,” said ArtPrize creator Rick DeVos.

The city of Grand Rapids will become art gallery. ArtPrize art works and performances, professional and amateur, will be exhibited at hundreds of venues, all within a three-square mile area in Grand Rapids’ downtown riverfront district. The city has offered up parks and bridges for outdoor venue displays. Scores of businesses will convert lobbies and public space for displays.

“Our family sees ArtPrize as a new and innovative way to engage and support the arts for the future,” said Betsy DeVos. The Dick & Betsy DeVos Family Foundation is underwriting ArtPrize. “Dick and I share our son’s vision for encouraging everyone to explore the arts in a truly democratic way.”

Grand Rapids, a city of about 200,000 amidst a metropolis of more than a million people, has an impressive cultural urban core and a rich history of supporting public art. It is home to Alexander Calder’s “La Grand Vitesse,” the first community sculpture project funded through the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as major works by Mark di Suvero, Robert Morris and Maya Lin.

“It is increasingly important to find new ways to engage people, especially young people, in the arts,” said Michael Kaiser, president of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. “ArtPrize is a dynamic and creative way to use technology to engage people of all ages.”

ArtPrize is expected to draw thousands of entries, and art enthusiasts from across the globe are expected to attend. The ArtPrize team directly communicated with about 10,000 artists, design schools, art schools, museums and galleries worldwide as part of today’s launch. “This is a bit of an art revolution,” said Jeff Speck, former director of design for the National Endowment for the Arts and author of Suburban Nation. “It will be exciting to see a city use its downtown area as an art gallery to share with the world.”

“I’m astounded by the potential for social networking, community involvement, and the expanded view of the role of art,” said Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell. “ArtPrize will excite the world, and the world will look at our city differently because of it.”

Douglas Myers in NZ Will Take Senses To The Baltics In Summer

International Opportunities for Kiwis has become a well-worn subject with Sir Doug. London-based Sir Doug remains involved with the Business Roundtable, which he once chaired and his primary business interest here is now investing in young students. Sir Douglas Myers is home this week to present the Douglas Myers Scholarship to Cambridge University in England. The scholarship, worth $100,000 a year, is for academically distinguished Kiwi students with leadership potential.

No Myers scholars have returned to New Zealand. Sir Doug used to hope they would bring their success back to New Zealand, he is now au fait with it – his children live overseas.

“That’s the New Zealand experience now – we export people.

“There’s advantage to be had with young people dotted around the place that think well of New Zealand and can be drawn on to give opinions – if Kiwis are willing to listen.”

Sir Doug is not yet returning to New Zealand just yet.

“I may well. It’s more likely this year than five years ago.”

This summer his plans are to take his yacht, Senses to the Baltics. Then fishing in Alaska and Iceland.

Simon Reuben and David Reuben Gift Towards The Reuben Foundation Children’s Cancer Centre

Great Ormond Street Hospital has announced a multi-million pound contribution from the Reuben Foundation towards the construction of The Reuben Foundation Children’s Cancer Centre - a new children’s cancer centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London. The Reuben Foundation Children's Cancer Centre heralds the next step in world class cancer treatment for children at Great Ormond Street Hospital The Reuben Foundation Children’s Cancer Centre will enable Great Ormond Street Hospital to become the largest centre for paediatric cancer treatment in Europe and one of the top three largest centres in the world. This urgent need for expansion in cancer services at Great Ormond Street has been the direct result of a large number of paediatric referrals, including those from other cancer centres in London. Whilst Great Ormond Street Hospital now accommodates an additional 61% more referrals, the current facilities have not matched this fast-paced expansion. Today, resources at Great Ormond Street are operating over capacity in order to ensure that treatment is provided to the thousands of childhood cancer sufferers who come to the hospital each year.

This generous donation follows a recent visit to Great Ormond Street Hospital by the Reuben Foundation who recognise the urgent and important need to treat more children suffering with cancer in modern, state of the art facilities.

David and Simon Reuben are the Joint Chief Executives of Reuben Brothers, an international organisation involved in private equity investments and real estate ownership and development. The Reuben Foundation was established in October 2002 in order to make a substantial philanthropic impact in the areas of healthcare and education in the UK.

The Reuben Foundation Children’s Cancer Centre will provide a new Daycare Centre, Outpatient Department and three inpatient wards situated within Great Ormond Street Hospital. Construction will begin on the 15th January with the centre due to open in two phases, the first by June 2007 and the second by December 2007.

Dr Jane Collins, Great Ormond Street Hospital’s Chief Executive has paid to the support from the Reuben Foundation;

"" Over the course of our 150 year history Great Ormond Street Hospital has been fortunate to receive significant support from key individuals. This hugely generous gift from The Reuben Foundation represents another chapter in this history of philanthropy and will have a profound impact on the thousands of children suffering from cancer who are referred to us from London and across the country.

We are proud of our world class cancer programme, both in terms of the treatment we offer and our research to find new cures for childhood sufferers. The generosity of the Reuben Family will enable us to provide our patients and staff with the best facilities to treat their condition.""

The Reuben Foundation described the donation to Great Ormond Street as "one of the most important contributions we could make, although whilst our support will help towards the construction of the new centre, the hospital requires further support for children suffering with cancer. It is our hope that support from others will follow".