Lane County nonprofits say they are receiving less donations from businesses in the down economy.
Lane County nonprofits say they are receiving less donations from businesses in the down economy.
Businesses say with less money to give, the decisions on which nonprofits to contribute to are harder.
Nonprofit organizations competing for a share of corporate donations say the support they receive from businesses is critical. “Many nonprofits are struggling right now with the economy, donations are down,” said Dena Amend, development director for Pearl Buck Center. In addition to volunteer hours, she said, Pearl Buck receives grants from dozens of local businesses — from national companies such as Comcast to strictly local firms such as Royal Refuse — “He’s our garbage man here and he donates on an annual basis, he just gave us a very nice check.”
In addition to supporting United Way many, if not most, local companies also support charities directly. In the face of so much demand, choosing where to give, and how much, can be more art than science, some business people say. While some companies, such as Pacific Continental Bank, have highly formalized programs to evaluate grant requests and award money, others target specific types of charities, such as those benefitting children, or respond to personal appeals that touch the giver’s heart.
Read more at The Register-Guard.
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