Document text
--> --> Oregon nonprofits worry about year-end donations Associated Press and The Democrat-Herald Stunned and grief-stricken Oregonians preoccupied with the terrorist attacks on the East Coast coupled with the worsening economy could have a disastrous effect on donations to local charities at the end of the year, traditionally the time of greatest giving. Local food banks, shelters and youth clubs find themselves in competition with disaster relief agencies on the East Coast, which have collected an estimated $750 million in pledges since the Sept. 11 attacks. Officials at the Linn County United Way said they will have a better idea in late November or early December whether giving is up or down. "So far, we're seeing people that people want to support the local community," said Dani Bolda, campaign and marketing director for United Way. Her organization has decided that it is too early and too sensitive a time to start an ad campaign asking for special financial help for the agency's 25 nonprofits. A golf marathon fell thousands of dollars short of fund-raising goals for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon, said Butch Holden, chapter president of the national volunteer program for youth. Holden, like the managers of other Oregon nonprofit agencies, didn't want to compete with those helping victims of terrorism. "It's very difficult to say `Keep your dollars in town.' It sounds unpatriotic, especially for this retired Marine," he said. Still, Oregon charities are hoping donors won't forget the needs of those at home and worry about what is at stake if local nonprofits suffer. "There's a shortfall in the state budget. A lot of people are losing their jobs," said Greg Chaille, director of the Oregon Community Foundation, which distributes millions of dollars in grants throughout the state each year. The attacks came with the approach of the holiday season, prime time for fund-raising galas and campaign drives. The Central Oregon Battering and Rape Alliance started one of three annual mail fund-raisers in mid-September. The same mailer that returned $10,000 during a six-week period last year has brought in only $1,000 in three weeks this year, said COBRA development director Chris Stecher. Some agencies, however, have seen an outpouring of donations since the attacks. The Willamette Chapter of the American Red Cross had been stretched for operating cash because of a large apartment fire in Woodburn last month, according to executive director Karen Schultz. Now, she said, contributions are quickly swelling the agency's budget. "We're just buried," Schultz said. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing