'A tough year' for giving

Sonoma County campaigns collecting food, money and holiday toys for the needy are falling short of their goals this year, a trend attributed to economic pressures eroding the generosity of middle-income families.

But wealthy donors continued their giving, some of it in six-figure chunks, to Community Foundation Sonoma County, a clearinghouse for local philanthropy.

The divergence reflects what one expert calls a "two-tier system" for charitable giving in the United States, with an increasing gulf between the largesse -- and choice of charities -- of the well-to-do and the donations from middle-class Americans.

"It's a tough year," said Santa Rosa firefighter Mitch Barbour, who heads the firefighters' Toys for Kids program. "We're trying to make it the best we can."

Toy and cash donations are the slowest in 10 years, Barbour said, prompting Firefighters Local 1401 to spend $15,000 in union funds on toys.

Toy drives by the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County and the Redwood Gospel Mission were at half their goals Tuesday, both with deadlines looming.

"We're scrambling a little bit," said Jeff Gilman, executive director of the Santa Rosa mission. "It's starting to feel like the 11th hour."

The mission had hoped to deliver 2,800 toys to low-income families Saturday at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, but had only 1,400 toys in hand, he said.

Fewer than half of the 12,000 holiday gift wishes submitted to the Volunteer Center's Hands & Hearts of the Holidays program had been filled by donors.

"There's still time," special events director Andrea Rodriguez-Jereb said, but just barely. Today is the deadline for dropping off donated gifts to the program previously known as The Giving Tree.

In Petaluma, the Christmas Cheer campaign has given out 1,200 donated toys to needy families and hopes to get 600 more from the public. "It's touch and go," coordinator Alice Trayle said.

Redwood Empire Food Bank's holiday campaign was off pace for the first time in five years, about 15,000 pounds of food and $30,000 behind last year's drive with more than a month to go, said Lee Bickley, the food bank's community relations manager.

"We think it's because people are worried about the economy," Bickley said, noting that food banks nationwide are having similar problems. "People are cutting back on giving, or they're just not thinking about somebody else."

Salvation Army kettles are coming in lighter on cash, leaving the annual bell-ringing campaign with about $102,000 on Tuesday, $3,000 less than last year despite an earlier start and larger number of kettles, said Blaine Goodwin, the organization's community development director.

A national downturn in giving to local charities reflects economic pressures, such as rising gasoline and health care costs, and a growing divide between wealthy and middle-income donors, said Melissa Brown, associate director of research at Indiana University Center on Philanthropy.

"There's a strong correlation between a household's sense of financial security and how much it gives to charity," Brown said, describing a two-tiered system of giving.

Wealthy families, fortified by asset growth in stocks and other investments, continue to drive up donations to their preferred charities, typically large organizations like universities, hospitals and museums.

But many families, pinched by rising costs and declining real income, are giving less to local organizations that assist the homeless, elderly and poor, Brown said.

"People who understand your mission are the people who are most like you, not the big philanthropists," said Betsy Timm, director of communications at Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa.

Individual donations to Catholic Charities, which serves about 50,000 homeless, elderly and poor people, are fairly steady, Timm said. But some private foundations have substantially cut their support to Catholic Charities' $5 million annual budget, she said, as overhead costs are increasing.

"It's been a pinch for us for a couple of years," Timm said.

Community Foundation Sonoma County, which receives donations from $25 to $1 million, awarded more than $14.5 million in grants this year to hundreds of local organizations and individuals -- up from $14.3 million in 2006.

Recipients include River Child Care Services, Redwood Empire Food Bank, Catholic Charities, YWCA, Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, Jewish Family and Children's Services, Wells Fargo Center for the Arts and Audubon Canyon Ranch.

"So far it's looking very good. It's been a strong December," said Kay Marquet, president and CEO of the foundation, which has distributed $96 million in grants since its inception in 1983.

On Monday, one unexpected donor gave more than $500,000, she said, and a potential $700,000 donation is pending.

The calendar year typically ends with a pop for the foundation, as wealthy individuals suddenly decide they need donations to adjust their tax obligations.

"They will rush to our door," Marquet said, preferring to "give to the benefit of the community" rather than to the Internal Revenue Service.

Redwood Gospel Mission hopes to come up with 1,400 more toys by Saturday and "put a smile on the face of a needy child," Gilman said.

The food bank still hopes to meet its goals of 200,000 pounds of food and $160,000 by the end of January, but Bigley admits that after the holidays "things like this are forgotten."

Salvation Army kettles and Toys for Kids barrels are still positioned around town.

"We're feeling the panic," Gilman said.

You can reach Staff Writer Guy Kovner at 521-5457 or guy.kovner@pressdemocrat.com.