The economy continues to cause trouble for many charities

• Medical Teams International, a relief agency with headquarters in Portland, Ore., laid off nine staff members this week, reports The Oregonian. The charity said its donations dropped 15 percent last year from 2007.

• The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra laid off five of its 67 administrative staff members this week in an effort to save money, reports The Baltimore Sun. In addition, the organization will not be filling some open staff positions. Since September, the orchestra’s endowment has dropped 23 percent in value, to $47-million.

• The Homelessness Prevention Program, a nonprofit group in New York that helps about 7,000 people fight eviction each year, will lose its state money in April, according to the proposed budget, reports The New York Times.

“This destroys the ability to keep housing for many, many people,” says Carolyn McLaughlin, executive director of the Citizens Advice Bureau, a nonprofit organization that oversees the Homelessness Prevention Program.

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