August 21, 2008

A Gloomy Giving Outlook

By Noelle Barton and Caroline Preston

Many businesses expect donations to remain flat this year

Many of the nation's largest companies expect their charitable giving to remain flat or decrease this year amid turmoil in the country's housing and financial markets, according to a new Chronicle survey.

Of the 77 businesses that offered predictions for how much they would donate in 2008, 50 said their giving would remain the same as last year, 21 expected an increase, and six said their donations would