skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, March 15, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Second federal judge orders temporary reinstatement of thousands of probationary employees fired by the Trump administration; U.S., Canada political tension could affect Maine summer tourism; Report: Incarceration rates rise in MS, U.S. despite efforts at reform; MI study: HBCU students show better mental health, despite challenges.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump administration faces legal battles on birthright citizenship; the arrest of a Palestinian activist sparks protests over free speech. Conservationists voice concerns about federal job cuts impacting public lands, and Ohio invests in child wellness initiatives.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Farmers worry promised federal reimbursements aren't coming while fears mount that the Trump administration's efforts to raise cash means the sale of public lands, and rural America's shortage of doctors has many physicians skipping retirement.

Big-Donor Dollars: How Many Do Calif. Causes Actually Receive?

play audio
Play

Thursday, January 26, 2017   

LOS ANGELES – Amid the sharp contrast between the ultra-rich and desperately poor, a watchdog group has been following where big-money donation dollars are going.

A recent study by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) shows that only a small percentage of the money raised by many charitable foundations actually gets to the people they claim to serve.

And this comes at a time when the coffers of philanthropic groups have swollen, even during the Great Recession.

"The 1,000 largest U.S. foundations are still giving less than a third of their grant making to those populations," states Ryan Schlegel a senior research and policy associate at the NCRP.

According to the NCRP, the assets of the country's grant-making foundations increased by more than $320 billion in recent years.

It's not all bad news. On the list of top-20 givers is The California Endowment, which NCRP says gives 79 percent of California grants to social justice organizations.

Daniel Zingale, senior vice president at The California Endowment, attributes that group’s success to "active listening" to the community.

He cites as a recent example how The California Endowment caught onto the fact that lower-income Californians were experiencing a disproportionate number of suspensions and expulsions in secondary school.

Together with students and families, Zingale says the endowment helped raise the awareness of lawmakers and media to impact school discipline reform.

"There are dramatic reductions in those numbers of kids being kicked out, cut by as much as half in many parts of the state,” he points out. “So that's a real change, to have kids' discipline problems being resolved in a healthier way within the school setting rather than kicking them to the curb."

The NCRP studied giving between 2003 and 2013 and says the groups it studied have an opportunity to make a real impact on persistent poverty, systemic racism and violence directed at people on the margins of society.

John D. Rockefeller III initially funded the watchdog group.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
According to Wisconsin's Judicial Code of Conduct, judges are not required to recuse themselves based on an endorsement or campaign contributions. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Early voting for the Wisconsin Supreme Court race starts next week and, although the seat is technically nonpartisan, both candidates have clear …


Environment

play sound

As the warming climate continues to reshape the environment, its impact on people's health is becoming increasingly evident in Florida. Doctors and …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Maryland is facing a $3 billion budget deficit, and planned cuts in 2026 would include millions in disability assistance. But one advocate says those …


A rally for property tax cuts is set for Monday at the Indiana Statehouse. Organizers have encouraged attendees to wear green to signal their opposition to high property taxes. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Indiana lawmakers introduced a third property tax plan this week, aiming to protect local governments from funding cuts while offering minimal relief …

Social Issues

play sound

Nearly half of Americans age 50 and older are using credit cards to pay for basic living expenses, according to a new AARP survey, and a Minnesota …

Expanded oil and gas subsidies, included in current versions of upcoming federal tax legislation, would support a massive expansion of LNG projects to more than double national export capacity by 2030. (Jeeraphun/Adobe Stock)

play sound

Forty religious leaders from different denominations gathered in Texas this week to call for an end to fossil-fuel subsidies and expansion of related …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Researchers at the University of Michigan have found that Black students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Blac…

Environment

play sound

The Sierra Club's Utah chapter said electric utility PacifiCorp's long-term plan to embrace renewable energy has changed and is now placing more relia…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021