3 Out of 4 in Los Angeles Said to Donate to Charity

DEBRA E. BLUM

People in Los Angeles are not as stingy when it comes to charity as they are sometimes reputed to be, says the California Community Foundation.

The foundation last month released the results of a survey it had commissioned on the charitable-giving habits and preferences of Los Angeles County residents. The survey found that people in the county are, in fact, more likely to contribute to charity than other Americans.

The survey found that almost three out of four Los Angeles County residents donated money or property to charity within the previous year. The national average for such giving was about 69 per cent in 1995, according to a survey the Gallup Organization conducted for Independent Sector.

But the Los Angeles County residents came up slightly short when it came to volunteering their time for charitable organizations. The regional survey found that 44 per cent of people in the area volunteered, while the 1995 Gallup poll found that nearly 49 per cent of all Americans volunteered.

“The cliche of Los Angeles as a place that is hostile to charity and philanthropic activity is not just simply a myth, but probably a myth,” Jack Shakely, president of the foundation, said in a written statement.

Allan Parachini, a foundation spokesman, said the foundation had commissioned the survey in part to respond to previous analyses of charitable giving in the city. One such analysis, conducted by The Chronicle (February 22, 1994), ranked Los Angeles 48th in charitable giving among the nation’s 50 largest cities.

The California survey, which included 607 adults who live in Los Angeles County, was conducted last fall by Field Research Corporation.

The Oregon Community Foundation also released a report last month on people’s giving habits. Its annual statewide study found that the amount Oregonians donate is on the rise.

The study is based on an examination of the revenues of certain charities and the individual tax returns of Oregon residents.

Gifts from individuals to the 48 charities included in the study rose 20 per cent from 1995 to 1996, the report says. And giving by corporations was up by 11 per cent.

At the same time, however, the report says that giving in Oregon still lags behind the national average. According to 1995 federal income-tax returns, residents of the state who claimed charitable deductions gave, on average, about $300 less than all taxpayers who claimed deductions.

To obtain a free copy of the Oregon report, “Giving in Oregon,” contact the Oregon Community Foundation at 621 S.W. Morrison Street, Suite 725, Portland, Ore. 97205; (503) 227-6846; fax (503) 274-7771.

For more information on the California Community Foundation survey, go to the foundation’s Internet address at http://www.calfund.org; or contact the foundation at 606 South Olive Street, Suite 2400, Los Angeles 90014-1526; (213) 242-7489.