New study finds decline in giving amid urgent and rising need in Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES – June 3, 2016 – A study commissioned by the California Community Foundation (CCF), and conducted by the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, finds that local giving is on a decline, with Los Angeles County residents declaring $7.16 billion in 2006 charitable deductions compared to $6.03 billion in 2013.
The Generosity Gap: Donating Less in Post-Recession Los Angeles County shows that in many L.A. communities, donations are ebbing as needs surge, particularly for families in poverty, youth, the elderly and the homeless. Released today at the Center for Nonprofit Management’s 501(c)onference, the report combines IRS data with a first-of-its-kind survey that asks Angelenos about their charitable giving to L.A. causes. It explores the current fiscal context for giving and offers a snapshot of the behaviors, patterns and motivations by Los Angeles County donors.
“Local nonprofit organizations form a powerful network dedicated to serving the county’s most vulnerable residents, but we know they are stretched for resources,” said Antonia Hernández, president & CEO of the California Community Foundation. “We as a collective region must tap into our talent and generosity of spirit to build stable organizations that can make a lasting difference in Los Angeles County.”
Some of the report’s major findings include:
- Los Angeles County residents are donating $1 billion less to charitable causes than they did in 2006. And those with greater capacity to give overall are giving a lower proportion of their household income.
- Median nonprofit revenues continue to decline dramatically in Los Angeles County.
- White, Latino, Asian American/Pacific Islander, African American and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender donors in Los Angeles give at similar rates across most causes. They vary, however, in the proportion of their giving that goes mostly or entirely to locally focused organizations.
- Given the opportunity to make a large gift to Los Angeles, donors’ highest priority would be ending homelessness. But of their contributions to basic needs causes and combined-purpose organizations in 2015, only one-third went to locally focused nonprofits.
- Planned giving is strongly connected with support for locally focused charitable causes, through both bequests and current contributions, especially among donors under 40.
“UCLA and CCF are local institutions that seek to transform donations from a few into opportunities for many,” said Bill Parent, project director and lecturer in public policy at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. “It is our hope that a better understanding of charitable giving in the region can benefit donors and nonprofits alike, as we work together to build better futures for all Angelenos.”
Commemorating its 100th year, CCF has hosted a range of activities to inform and inspire L.A. residents to give back to their community, whether through volunteering their time, donating to their favorite causes or creating a legacy for future generations. CCF aims to draw attention to complexities, trigger dialogue and encourage solutions to Los Angeles County’s most pressing challenges with this study.
The Generosity Gap was written by J. Shawn Landres and Shakari Byerly, with Paul Ong, Silvia González, Mindy Chen, and Bill Parent of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs’ Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, through support from CCF.
The California Community Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life for all Los Angeles County residents by addressing the root causes of the county’s most urgent problems. The foundation has served as a public, charitable organization since 1915, empowering donors to pursue their own personal passions and to collaborate with us in transforming Los Angeles County. For more information, please visit www.calfund.org.
The UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs is a leading institution for research and scholarship in the areas of public policy, social welfare and urban planning and other areas vital to the continued health and well-being of our global society. Learn more at luskin.ucla.edu.
CONTACT
Taleen Ananian
tananian@www.calfund.org
(213) 452-6203
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LOS ANGELES – March 6, 2016 – We are pleased to announce the opening of a photography exhibit that elevates incredible stories of significant – yet unrecognized – contributions across Los Angeles County and demonstrates how everyday individuals are creating social change.
Portraits of Compassion showcases 30 “Unsung Heroes” of Los Angeles County who are working to improve our region, with original photography by L.A.-based photographers Sam Comen, Stella Kalinina and Noé Montes. The exhibit opens today and will run through April 4, 2016 at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes. The Unsung Heroes were nominated by the community and selected by the California Community Foundation (CCF) to uplift examples of people performing selfless acts that are making a positive impact in Los Angeles County.
Conceptualized and commissioned by CCF, the exhibit is a gift to Los Angeles County residents in celebration of the foundation’s 100 years of service to the region. The nation’s third-oldest community foundation, CCF was established as a permanent philanthropic resource to respond to the needs of our region, both now and in the future. Whether in the areas of housing, education, health, immigrant integration or the arts, CCF is committed to improving quality of life for all Angelenos.
“We want this exhibit to turn inspiration into action,” said Antonia Hernández, president and CEO of the California Community Foundation. “The Unsung Heroes teach us that acts of kindness, compassion, generosity and courage have a ripple effect that will multiply over countless lives.”
“Photography is a universal language that speaks to people from all walks of life,” said photographer Noé Montes. “The passions of these Unsung Heroes are as diverse as Los Angeles, and they are transforming our region for the better. By capturing these portraits, we wanted to convey that anyone can make a difference in their communities.”
The Unsung Heroes run the gamut from educators to farmers to cooks to activists. They are dedicated volunteers like Steve Danz, who pilots low-income patients to urgent medical appointments. They are social workers like Yasuko Sakamoto, who have founded institutions critical to our community’s well-being. They are compassionate people like Robert and Jeanne Segal, who have turned personal tragedy into triumph by helping others in need. A common theme to their actions is a deep desire to build a better Los Angeles.
The Unsung Heroes are:
- Daniel Adler, Long Beach Polytechnic High School
- Kaz Ando, AIDS Project L.A., Koreatown Youth and Community Center
- Damiek Barrow, Washington Preparatory High School
- Shaunelle Curry, Media Done Responsibly
- Steve Danz, Angel Flight West
- Sister Margaret Farrell, Covenant House
- Theresa Farthing, L.A. Kitchen
- Andrea Flores, The Beat Within
- Hayward Gray, Jr., People Coordinated Services Senior Center
- Isabel Guillen, Chavelyta’s Pink Hood
- Umar Hakim, ILM Foundation
- John Hwang, Skid Row Stories
- Ann Jackson, West Park Terrace Block Association
- Rebecca Joseph, Getmetocollege.org and California State University, Los Angeles
- Gloria Lazalde, Proyecto Mariposa
- Jimmy Lizama, Re:Ciclos
- Mollie Lowery, Housing Works
- Eduardo “Lalo” Marquez, PIECES
- Mud Baron, John Muir High School Ranch
- Cynthia Mendenhall, Watts Neighborhood Advisory Council
- Sylvia Miller, CASA of Los Angeles
- Santiago Ortega, St. Francis Medical Center
- Kaci Patterson, Building Leaders and Cultivating Change (B.L.A.C.C.)
- Rosalie Portillo, Plaza de la Raza
- Michael Quill, L.A. Waterkeeper
- Yasuko Sakamoto, Little Tokyo Service Center
- Robert & Jeanne Segal, Helpguide.org
- Harry Shabazian, Students Run L.A.
- Maria Sipin, Multicultural Communities for Mobility
- Wesley Walker, Jr., Los Angeles Community Action Network
Portraits of Compassion is open to the public free of charge through April 4, 2016 at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes (501 N. Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012).
For more information, please visit www.calfund.org/laheroes and follow along on social media with #LAheroes.
About the California Community Foundation
The California Community Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life for all Los Angeles County residents by addressing the root causes of the county’s most urgent problems. The foundation has served as a public, charitable organization since 1915, empowering donors to pursue their own personal passions and to collaborate with us in transforming Los Angeles County. CCF stewards $1.5 billion in assets and manages nearly 1,600 charitable foundations, funds and legacies. For more information, please visit www.calfund.org.
About LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
The mission of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes is to celebrate and cultivate an appreciation for the enduring and evolving influence of Mexican and Mexican-American culture, with a specific focus upon the unique Mexican-American experience in Los Angeles and Southern California. LA Plaza is the nation’s premier center of Mexican American culture. Providing an experience unlike any other, LA Plaza’s interactive exhibits and dynamic programs invite visitors to explore, as well as contribute to, the ongoing story of Mexican-Americans in Los Angeles and beyond. For more information, please visit lapca.org.
CONTACT
Taleen Ananian
tananian@www.calfund.org
(213) 452-6203
By Antonia Hernández for the Council on Foundations