There was an interesting article in the Philadelphia Inquirer today reporting on analysis of the 2007 BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey that shows that the poor are in some respects the most generous in charitable giving. The poorest fifth of America’s households (and we’re talking here about households with an average income of less than $11,000)Continue reading “Who are the most generous among us?”
Author Archives: Bill
Can microfinance work in the U.S.?
When most people hear “microcredit” or “microfinance,” they think of efforts to addressing poverty in the developing world, as in the village banking model popularized by Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and others. The United Nations designated 2005 the International Year of Micro-credit, and Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank, won the Nobel Peace Prize inContinue reading “Can microfinance work in the U.S.?”
Los Angeles Foreclosures
We hear nearly everyday about the growing number of foreclosures in our country, particularly in boom-and-bust markets like Los Angeles. This chart provides a historical picture that shows what a unique moment we are in. In the last LA housing bust during the early 1990s, foreclosures doubled from under 15,000 in 1992 to over 33,000Continue reading “Los Angeles Foreclosures”
Skid Row on the silver screen
With some trepidation I finally saw “The Soloist” movie last week. Knowing that it was based on a true story and book I really liked and would be a visual representation of complicated issues and problems that are easy to stereotype and over-simplify, I was prepared to not like this movie. My verdict? I giveContinue reading “Skid Row on the silver screen”
Philanthropic patience
For those of us who have toiled to raise funds from philanthropic foundations to support community efforts, the above words may seem at first to be oxymoronic (like “military intelligence” or “honest politician”). Foundations are famous for having a specific type of attention deficit disorder that looks for just the latest and greatest innovation andContinue reading “Philanthropic patience”
Consequences of unemployment
We’re familiar with the normal consequences of layoffs and unemployment: lost income, health insurance and increased stress and anxiety. The LA Times had an interesting article this week highlighting how “California’s rising unemployment rate is driving a steep increase in child support cases, as the newly jobless appeal for increases in monthly payments or argueContinue reading “Consequences of unemployment”
The other side of Bolivia
I had the opportunity to travel to Bolivia last week to visit several projects working to improve the lives of poor residents. Bolivia is a landlocked nation home to about 10 million people and one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere. It ranks 111th on the Human Development Index out of 179 countries.Continue reading “The other side of Bolivia”
The solution to homelessness
“The Soloist” movie comes out in theaters in a couple days, and here’s hoping that it’s a great film, lots of people see it, and it generates an effective mobilization of public, private and personal resources to effectively end homelessness and provide the mentally ill with the services they need. I’d prefer that, rather thanContinue reading “The solution to homelessness”
Have we hit bottom?
Last week, the Obama administration and the media began portraying the economy is a more favorable light, asserting that we’re at or near the bottom of the recession. Today, looking for good news anywhere they can find it, the Los Angeles Times claims that “Southern California home prices may be stabilizing,” because the median homeContinue reading “Have we hit bottom?”
Human suffering
Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing. Luke 23:34 I’ve been reading Mountains Beyond Mountains, a great book by Tracy Kidder about the work of Paul Farmer and Partners in Health recently. It tells the story of how the dedication of one talented person can mushroom into a global effortContinue reading “Human suffering”
Bill Pitkin 