Elia PowersThe response to December’s Indian Ocean...

Elia Powers

The response to December’s Indian Ocean tsunami has been

record-breaking, in both fundraising sums and diversity of donors.

Recent totals put America’s charitable aid at around $600 million.

Organizations that focus on international humanitarian missions are

reporting a significant increase in donations.

Why, then, are some executives at local agencies with domestic

agendas bracing for a potential financial setback?

They say it’s a lesson in basic economics.

“Most of us have a limited amount of money to give,” said Dana

Timmermans, executive director of Costa Mesa’s Friends in Service to

Humanity Harbor Area. “Donating to the tsunami is what people should

be doing.”

Still, Timmermans knows the reality. His organization, which

supports the working poor by supplying money for rent, food and child

care, likely will see a drop in donations because local

philanthropists are sending their money overseas.

“We recognize what the fallout will be,” he said. “I anticipate

there will be a problem. We’re probably going to see it by February.”

Most experts agree it’s too early to draw conclusions based on

this year’s first-month totals. December is consistently tops for

donations, and organizations expect a post-holiday slump.

But local directors aren’t dismissing the possibility of a

decrease in support directly related to tsunami-relief contributions.

Jean Wegener, executive director of Orange County’s Serving People in

Need, said some colleagues have “expressed fear” over the possibility

that donations will run dry.

A survey issued by Connecticut-based Prince & Associates shows

there might be reason for concern. The report found that people whose

net worth is between $1 million and $10 million have given an average

of $12,600 to help tsunami victims, and that the majority said they

intend to give less to other causes as a result of their donations.

HISTORTICAL PRECIDENT

That has been a recurring problem for some nonprofits in the wake

of recent disasters.

Wegener, who analyzes grants and donations given to her

organization and observes cyclical trends in nonprofit giving, said

contributions were slow to arrive following the 1994 Northridge

Earthquake. She said whenever a major event dominates news coverage,

it’s natural to see an uneven distribution of donations.

Never was that trend more noticeable, experts say, than in the

fall of 2001.

“There was a noticeable decrease in giving after 9-11, and certain

organizations took a hit,” Timmermans said.

A “Giving USA” annual survey on the state of philanthropy showed

that after an initial post-Sept. 11 spike in giving to social-service

groups, donations fell by more than 11% by the end of 2002.

Families-Costa Mesa executive director Leda Albright said most

nonprofits, including her own, haven’t recovered from the post-Sept.

11 donation slump.

She said some potential contributors have had to reevaluate their

gift giving because of tight economic times. And some government

grants were altered or restructured due to shrinking budgets.

“I’m assuming it’ll be more of the same now [after the tsunami],”

Albright said. “It’s unfortunate, but that’s the way it is.”

MONEY OFF THE TOP

Still, some organization executives and local philanthropists say

when it comes to donation giving, there aren’t always clear winners

and losers.

“After 9-11 we were afraid the money was flowing only to New

York,” said Jean Forbath, who founded the nonprofit Share Our Selves.

“We didn’t see a downturn, and I don’t expect one now.”

Forbath said Newport-Mesa charities have donors who are willing to

keep their commitments to local organizations no matter the

circumstance.

She said that she and her husband donated to the tsunami-relief

efforts without taking money away from local causes.

That’s a model Wegener hopes applies to the majority of Orange

County philanthropists.

“While I have a reason to be cautious, I am optimistic,” Wegener

said. “I’m hoping that [recent events] will remind people of the

suffering that occurs on a daily basis at home and abroad.”

Aviva Goelman, executive director of the Costa Mesa Senior Center,

said she isn’t concerned about losing money from regular supporters.

It’s the less-frequent or impulse donor who she said might refrain

from writing a check to local organizations because of a major

tsunami-relief contribution.

Maria Mendoza, chairperson for the Emergency Food and Shelter

Program in Santa Ana, said there isn’t always an overlap in donor

pools.

She said community contributors aren’t necessarily the same people

who are making overseas donations. So Mendoza doesn’t believe

tsunami-relief aid is taking a significant toll on social-service

organizations.

“It might make a slight dent, from past experiences,” she said.

“But it won’t take the bulk of resources. For small churches and

groups, they will still collect money.”

TAKING THE EXTRA STEP

Tel Phil Enterprises President Jeff Teller recounted what he has

done since helping local nonprofits recover from a post-Sept. 11

slump.

In late fall of 2001, Teller helped organize a one-weekend

fundraiser for the Costa Mesa Senior Center.

Teller’s company supplied the ice cream and labor and allowed the

Senior Center to take home 100% of the net gross from Saturday and

Sunday ice cream sales at Bob’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream store.

“Instead of them calling us for money, we let them help

themselves,” said Teller, whose company operates the Orange County

Market Place at the Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

The fundraiser now runs every weekend for a different nonprofit.

Teller said organizations raised a total of about $85,000 last year.

According to local philanthropist Jim de Boom, the tsunami has

inspired another major collection effort. He said religious

organizations, in particular, have raised substantial money for

tsunami survivors. while still staying true to their local

obligations.

At Harbor Christian Church in Newport Beach, members have raised

$2,900, according to volunteer administrator Wayne Searcey.

He said that money is additional, and will not affect the church’s

donations to Friends in Service to Humanity and Costa Mesa’s

Interfaith Shelter.

At Presbyterian Church of Covenant in Costa Mesa, $5,600 and 340

health kits will be sent overseas, according to office administrator

Carol Whitman.

Still, Albright said the real test will come months from now when

tsunami news dissipates.

“Initially, everyone runs out and makes their donation somewhere,”

Albright said. “But when you get away from the incident, it’s

uncertain.”

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at

[email protected].