Fred J. Ali, head of the Weingart Foundation, channeled most of the foundation's giving into payments for charities' operating costs.

Edward Caldwell, for The Chronicle

Sherilyn Adams, of Larkin Street Youth Services, laid off three workers in January.

Chris Casaburi, for The Chronicle

James Piereson, of the William E. Simon Foundation, is urging conservative groups to change their fund-raising approaches.

From the issue dated February 12, 2009 About Philanthropy and the Economy STAFF LAYOFFS, normally viewed by charities as a last resort in tough times, are beginning to batter the nonprofit world. CHARITY ENDOWMENTS suffered serious losses in 2008, forcing many groups to cut their operations and rethink their approaches to investing. GRANT MAKERS HAVE LOST about a third of their assets in the stock-market slide, but many nevertheless plan to maintain or increase their level of giving this year, according to a new Chronicle survey. CHANGES IN INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, and even investment managers, are in store for many grant makers as they wait for the economy to turn around, a survey by the Council on Foundations indicates. THE KENNEDY CENTER, in Washington, has begun a program to provide management assistance and consultation free to arts groups around the country struggling to survive the downturn. TWO NEW REPORTS from Moody's Investors Service deepened the gloomy economic outlook for nonprofit organizations. HOW NONPROFIT WORKERS can sharpen their skills to avoid getting laid off — and other suggestions from career experts on how to navigate the tough job market. About Giving FAMILY FOUNDATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES awarded $18.5-billion in grants in 2007, 13 percent more than the previous year, the Foundation Center reported. IN A LETTER TO THE PUBLIC, Bill Gates urged governments, foundations, and wealthy individuals to respond to the global recession by giving more, not less, to the world's poor. A PLEDGE OF $100-MILLION from a software entrepreneur and his wife will create a research institute dedicated to developing a vaccine against AIDS. THE DEATH IN JUNE of the renowned director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Anne d'Harnoncourt, has prompted an outpouring of gifts of artwork to the institution. THE FACE OF PHILANTHROPY: World Bicycle Relief gives bikes to needy people in poor countries to help them become self-sufficient. THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN received a total of $36-million from two donors for an engineering institute; other new big gifts. RECENT GRANTS by foundations, corporations, and other grant makers. About Managing AS THE SENATE took up its economic-stimulus legislation last week, nonprofit groups pressed hard to preserve provisions to help charities and foundations weather the downturn. A YOUNG PENTECOSTAL MINISTER, Joshua DuBois, is expected to be tapped to head the White House office charged with helping religious organizations in their efforts to fight social problems. THEY'RE NOT ANNOUNCED YET, but the outlines of a new White House Office of Social Innovation and of a "social-investment fund" to promote successful solutions to social problems are coming into focus. FAMILY-PLANNING GROUPS were pleased with President Obama's quick repeal of a rule prohibiting federal aid to charities that counsel women overseas on the availability of abortion. CONSERVATIVE GROUPS, and the foundations that support them, are looking for ways to adapt to the new climate in Washington and on Wall Street. CONSERVATIVE THINK TANKS are increasingly turning to grass-roots approaches as they seek new supporters. A VIRGINIA CHARITY that was ordered in the fall to pay $6.2-million to donors who charged it had misled them has filed for bankruptcy. THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE has been blocked by the courts yet again in its attempt to audit a Minnesota church. UPDATE ON CAMPAIGNS for endowments, capital improvements, and other needs. INTEREST RATES for planned gifts, issued by the Internal Revenue Service. About Technology INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY has paid off for many arts and cultural groups that are exploiting an array of online tools to help them get through the recession. A WEB-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEM, custom-made and incrementally improved, helps the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation track its far-flung efforts to help children in poor countries. SOCIAL-NETWORKING SITES have emerged as a key place for job-seeking nonprofit managers to make valuable professional contacts. AN ONLINE DATA BANK that allows Pennsylvania arts groups to easily apply for grants and manage financial information has proved so successful that the idea is spreading to other states. About Philanthropy Careers GROWING UP IN LOUISIANA in the shadow of the oil industry set Anne Rolfes on a path that led her back home to start a charity that fights pollution caused by the refineries (Entry Level). A "HUGE FAN" of Morning Edition and other public radio programs, Vivian Schiller now gets to enjoy them from the inside, as president of National Public Radio (New on the Job). HABITAT FOR HUMANITY'S FOUNDER and a longtime leader of the housing charity, Millard Fuller, died last week of congestive heart failure. Also in this Issue OPINION: Marc S. Tucker on the misplaced hope that America's schools can be fixed by a small band of social entrepreneurs, Neil T. Kawashima on the repercussions of selling donated artwork, and Jonathan Fanton on the need for foundations to attend more closely to the housing crisis. LETTERS: touting the wisdom of creating a public-service academy and parsing the economics involved in measuring the social value of foundations. NEW BOOKS: A discussion of "creative capitalism," a handbook on museum marketing, a collection of essays on nonprofit organizations and business, and an examination of European philanthropy, plus summaries of other publications on a foundation effort to help needy people find jobs and foundations that want to support advocacy efforts. PEOPLE: Appointments and promotions in the nonprofit world. AWARDS: Honors for people and organizations in philanthropy.