STATE OF THE NONPROFIT SECTOR IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Annual State of the Sector Report, 2002 – 2012 Examines the role of nonprofit sector in Los Angeles County Focus on civic engagement Things the sector must do in order to build social capital Data on 6108 nonprofit organizations in 1,766 Census Tracts in Los Angeles County

Defining Social Capital Pierre Bourdieu (1930 – 2002) 'Social capital is the 'the aggregate of the actual or potential resources which are linked to possession of a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition' (Bourdieu 1983) Robert Putnam (born 1941) 'Whereas physical capital refers to physical objects and human capital refers to the properties of individuals, social capital refers to connections among individuals – social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them. In that sense social capital is closely related to what some have called “civic virtue.” The difference is that “social capital” calls attention to the fact that civic virtue is most powerful when embedded in a sense network of reciprocal social relations. A society of many virtuous but isolated individuals is not necessarily rich in social capital' (Putnam 2000)

Point Density of Nonprofit Organizations Greatest NHSO Concentration in Downtown Los Angeles

Poverty Rate in Last Decade

Los Angeles County Poverty Rate by Census Tract

NHSO Revenue Stream

Declining Expenditures across all Counties

UCLA Center for Civil Society interested in studying NHSO by count of people living below poverty line by 100,000 people in population in order to assess which tracts require attention for further study Area in Westchester outlier (due to small population numbers from Census Data)

Canoga Park Lomita Downtown Los Angeles Hawaiian Gardens Veteran’s Administration Tujunga Long Beach Bixby Knolls Torrance Norwalk North Long Beach

Organizations servicing African Americans hardest hit White Board Members seems crucial Surviving organizations on average 7 years older Median revenue stream 4 times larger for surviving nonprofits Program evaluation and strategic plan are crucial

Findings from Study  The data show that in all five counties, small organizations occupy a greater share of the nonprofit sector.  Ten to 20 percent of the surviving nonprofits were so understaffed and stressed that they had trouble finding the time and data to complete the survey.  Sixty percent of the human services nonprofits reported that their revenue had decreased or stayed the same in the previous three years.  Forty-one percent had cut programs.  Eighty-one percent reported staff turnover in the last three years.

Findings from Map Analysis  Areas most needy of new NHSO are: Bixby Knolls, Canoga Park/Chatsworth, Lomita, Long Beach, North Long Beach, Norwalk, Tujunga, and Veteran’s Administration  Directional distribution map shows most vulnerable nonprofits weighted by the high density poverty areas. Ellipse includes area just south of Downtown LA and Long Beach, east of beach cities and west of Hawaiian Gardens

Recommendations  Increase data gathering and sharing, collaboration and strategic planning across the nonprofit, philanthropic, government and academic sectors that may combat the geographic and limited resource challenges.  Focus on poverty first. This report provides further evidence that the Great Recession, like all economic downturns, has been devastating for low and no income populations.  Promote, cultivate, encourage and inspire increased private and personal giving in Los Angeles.  Strengthen advocacy. Participation in advocacy activities, like collaboration, has increased over the last decade. This may be the only means for survival for many groups.  Consider and re-consider opportunities for collaboration, partnership, and mergers that would lead to stronger safety nets for the most vulnerable.  Engage in capacity-building activities that will lead to stronger dialogues and opportunities for advocacy and collaboration.

Sources  UCLA Center for Civil Society Annual State of the Sector Report Findings, recommendations, and charts pulled directly from report  Social Capital Quotes by Bourdieu and Putnam pulled directly from website  Poverty, Median Income and No Vehicle Data Data from 2010 American Community Survey