People Giving Less To Charities

U.S. charities are feeling the effects of the recession.

Four hundred of the country’s largest charities received 11-percent less in donations last year than the year before. That’s the biggest drop since the Chronicle of Philanthropy began keeping track of donations 20 years ago.

Take the Salvation Army as an example. While it raised $1.7 billion nationally last year, it was an 8.4 percent decrease from the year before.

The economic crisis is also being felt at the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission.

Over the summer, donations were down about 9-percent which doesn’t compute well with the number of people the rescue mission is trying to serve.

“What we’re seeing is the need is up 45 percent,” said Darla Burkett, Executive Director of the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission. “I have a 45-percent increase of people in need of food boxes, of shelter, basic needs coming through the doors everyday. We have an increase of hundreds of people everyday.”

The rescue mission serves 545 meals a day and provides shelter for 120 people. Both the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission and the Salvation Army say donations tend to increase during the holiday season.