West Coast Philanthropists Gain Prominence

California has seen a boom in the number of foundations created in recent years, as West Coast philanthropy begins to catch up with its charitable counterparts on the East Coast, such as New York’s Carnegies and Rockefellers, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

Among those starting foundations are many people younger than 45. California’s growth in the number of foundations from 1999 to 2004 outpaced that of the rest of the country, with the number of foundations there increasing by 50 percent (compared with the 35-percent growth seen nationally), the Chronicle reports, citing figures from the Foundation Center, in New York.

The fastest growth was seen in Santa Clara County, which the paper calls high tech’s “ground zero,” with 292 foundations established during that five-year period.

The paper’s coverage includes several small profiles on new California philanthropists.