The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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October 18, 2010

Our View: Charities thrive on optimism, generosity

The Free Press

It should be no surprise that the recession has brought a drop in charitable giving.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported this week that charitable donations in the United States went down 11 percent in 2009, the biggest drop in 20 years.

Against that backdrop, it is heartwarming to see some local charities optimistically forging ahead with major fund drives to expand and enhance their services.

VINE Faith in Action earlier this month got the go-ahead from Blue Earth County to buy the county-owned Nichols building for $1. The group needs to raise an estimated $1.7 million to renovate the building, which would likely have been razed otherwise.

VINE plans to use part of the building for its growing operations and lease the rest of the space.

This week, ECHO Food Shelf announced it plans to move out of its cramped digs on Second Street to the former DeGrood’s building. ECHO is launching a $600,000 fund drive for the new building.

The bold plans represent two realities: VINE, ECHO and other charities continue to see a growing demand for their services as people struggle financially and the population ages; and it shows that nonprofits in the Mankato region are confident the community will come to their support.

The region has always been known for its generosity. People donate money and time to local charities, which are viewed as efficient and necessary. (They even dig deep for unwanted pets as evidenced by success in building a new Blue Earth Nicollet County Humane Society shelter.)

The local giving is part of strong nonprofit support in Minnesota. While no firm numbers are yet available, Minnesota seems to be faring better when it comes to the level of giving during the recession. The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits reported that while nearly half of charities reported a decline in donations, the other half held steady or saw a slight increases in giving.

Business giving has always been a big part of philanthropy in the state and locally. Minnesota-based companies have had a long history of being good corporate citizens, knowing that maintaining strong services brings a higher quality of life and stronger work force for everyone.

And according to a story by Minnesota Public Radio, individuals and businesses that may not be able to give as much financially as they had in the past, are increasing the amount of valuable volunteer hours they give to charities.

In tough times, society needs reputable charities that do not waver in their commitment and individuals and businesses that do all they can to support them.

Luckily for the Mankato region, we have plenty of both.

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