The latest on which causes are hot with grant makers

Q. Which causes are “hot” right now with grant makers?

A. The philanthropists and experts we spoke to noted three prominent trends among grant makers: shoring up the charities they already support, tackling the needs of people hit by economic hard times, and bolstering education and improving school operations.

“Funders are very focused on sustaining their current grantees and maintaining commitments, often with severely reduced endowments,” says Ronna Brown, president of the New York Regional Association of Grantmakers, in New York.

Donors are also supporting programs that provide such basic needs as food, clothing, and shelter. “We’re seeing a significant increase in donors interested in emergency assistance,” says Laura McKnight, president of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, in Missouri.

Some foundations are responding to the recession by financing foreclosure-prevention programs, financial counseling, and research into the causes of the crisis, The Chronicle has reported.

While the economy is driving some giving, Ms. McKnight and others say, many grant makers have kept their focus on education – particularly in urban areas – or are turning their attention to it. Reginald Jones, executive director of the Steans Family Foundation, in Chicago, says his foundation has shifted its focus from broad social services in one city neighborhood to overhauling and strengthening education there. “Neighborhoods will change when education quality improves,” he says. “I think a number of foundations are beginning to drill down on this.”