Focus on the Economy
SCG offers funders the following resources and tools as a way to stay
informed on issues impacting the philanthropic sector and communities
we serve.
In The News
July 15, 2010
Recession Continues to Exact Toll on Nonprofits, Survey Finds, posted on the Foundation Center's Philanthropy News Digest, reports new data that 40 percent of nonprofit organizations lack adequate staff to deliver
their programs and services. Access to the full survey report from the Center for Civil Society Studies is also available.
July 1, 2010
Endowment Earnings Made Up Lost Ground in 2009 but Still Fall Short of 2007 Levels in the Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that foundation and charity endowments grew by an average of 21 percent last
fiscal year, but that was not enough to make up for the sharp declines
of 2008, according to two studies by the Commonfund Institute.
June 13, 2010
Charitable Giving Fell 3.2% Last Year, Report Finds, in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, reports that overall American charitable giving dropped significantly in 2009, as compared with a 2.4 percent drop in 2008.
April 16, 2010
Tough Times for Givers and Receivers in the New York Times notes an 8.4 percent drop in foundation grantmaking in 2009, with some notable exceptions.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
The LA
Recovery Site provides information about grant
opportunities as part of the federal stimulus package allocated to the
City of Los
Angeles. The site tracks grants submitted,
partnered grants, eligible grant opportunities, contacts in city
departments and other resources related to the grants management
process.
The California
Economic Recovery Portal tracks how Recovery Act
funding is coming into and being used in California. The site provides a
variety of stimulus-related resources, including an interactive map of
funding searchable by assembly, state senate or congressional
district.
The Foundation
Center provides a variety of resources, including a
freely accessible webinar covering the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act and its implications for low-income Californians. The
webinar discusses which agencies and newly created entities have funding
authority, how tax credits can be optimized and other
California-specific measures.
Philanthropic Research
2010-2011 Economic Forecast and Industry Outlook: Mid-Year Update for California and Southern California, released by The Los Angeles County Economic
Development Corporation, The Kyser Center for Economic Research.
Through a grant from the California Women's Foundation, The California Budget Project recently released the report Making Ends Meet: How Much Does It Cost to Raise a
Family in California? This report estimates different types of
families need to earn to cover basic expenses in every count of the
state.
The UCLA Center Civil Society's Resilience & Vulnerability: The State of the Nonprofit Sector in Los Angeles, 2009, examines the impact of the economic downturn on the nonprofit sector and what local nonprofits are doing to survive and fulfill their missions.
In
the Midst of the Great Recession: The State of Working California
2009 is the California Budget Project's analysis of
the recession's impact on the California job market and the quality of
life for Californians.
The Foundation Center has compiled information on how the Largest 50 Foundations in California Respond to
the Economic Crisis.
The
Foundation and Corporate Response to the Economic Crisis: An
Update, released by the Foundation Center in July 2009,
provides updates on how grantmakers are responding to the economic downturn.
Impact
of the 2007-09 Economic Recession on Nonprofit
Organizations, released by the Johns Hopkins Center for
Civil Society Studies' Listening Post Project, is a nation-wide survey
of nonprofit organizations working in the fields of children and family
services, elderly housing and services, education, community and
economic development and the arts.
Community Foundation Insights released Taking Informed Action in
Challenging Times, a follow-up study on the impact of the
economic downturn on community foundations. The research provides
direction for 2009 and 2010, including future action for increased
community impact and sustainability.
The Council on Foundation's Economic
Xchange focuses on how the economy is impacting the
philanthropic field. Survey results on how foundations are responding to
declining assets, released by the Council in May, reveal that 62 percent
of foundations planned to reduce their grantmaking in 2009. The complete survey results are available on
the Council
on Foundations website.
The Foundation Center released its 2009
Survey Results on how foundations plan to address the
economic downturn, including a variety of non-grantmaking measures that
will help to fulfill their missions. Strategies include collaborations and partnerships, technical
assistance, advocacy work and staff-led activities.
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations published Smarter
Grantmaking in Challenging Times: Insights for Foundation
Leaders in May 2009. This brief document
outlines practical strategies, recommendations and examples of how to
support grantees in the current economic climate.
The Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) has released
"Corporate Philanthropy 2008: Data Trends and the Changing
Economy," a compilation and analysis of corporate giving against
the backdrop of the year's economic turbulence. The executive
summary is available free on the CECP website.