Philanthropy In Communities Of Color

Philanthropy is often associated with wealthy people giving large amounts of money to charitable organizations and indirectly to people they don't personally know. Ethnic philanthropy is almost totally different: it consists primarily of people sharing modest wealth with other people, most of whom the givers know well. Too often communities of color are portrayed as takers rather than givers--this important study debunks that myth.

Communities of color are often portrayed as takers rather than givers, as significantly less generous than white Americans. But this important study of ethnic philanthropy finds strong and distinctive patterns of giving in minority communities. This book describes the specific practices and customs of giving money, goods, and services within the Mexican, Guatemalan, Salvadoran, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and African American communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. It finds that, rather than giving large amounts of money to charitable organizations that distribute it to strangers, members of these communities share their modest wealth with other people they usually know well. The study suggests that the amount of minority giving may be roughly consistent with that of white America, relative to personal resources, but the forms and beneficiaries of minority giving may be quite different -- giving to or helping needy individuals, families, and informal groups rather than supporting the mainstream charities usually studied by researchers.

Bradford Smith is Senior Researcher with the National Council on Crime and Delinquency and former Director of Research for the Institute for Nonprofit Organization Management. He is author of many research reports, most of them in the field of criminal justice, and was the principal author of the report, California Nonprofit Organizations 1995.

Sylvia Shue is a third-generation Chinese American with a Doctorate in Multicultural Education and she served, for this study, as the Asian Project Manager. She is a self-employed research consultant and program evaluator.

Jennifer Lisa Vest is [information to come]

Joseph Villarreal is Senior Administrative Analyst at the Alameda County Housing Authority.

Introduction

1. African Americans

2. Mexicans

3. Guatemalans

4. Salvadorans

5. Filipinos

6. Chinese

7. Japanese

8. Koreans

Conclusion

Appendix A: Methodology and Research Staff

Appendix B: Census Statistics

References

Index