Southern California Coalition For Responsive Philanthropy

Accusing major foundations of "red-lining" Los Angeles' poor neighborhoods, a coalition of community groups asked Rebuild L.A. Chairman Peter V. Ueberroth on Wednesday to help persuade the donors to redirect $125 million annually to an all-out attack on poverty. "With a few exceptions, Southern California foundations slight the people and communities most in need," said Beatriz Olvera Stotzer, co-chair of the Southern California Coalition for Responsive Philanthropy.

Accusing major foundations of "red-lining" Los Angeles' poor neighborhoods, a coalition of community groups asked Rebuild L.A. Chairman Peter V. Ueberroth on Wednesday to help persuade the donors to redirect $125 million annually to an all-out attack on poverty. "With a few exceptions, Southern California foundations slight the people and communities most in need," said Beatriz Olvera Stotzer, co-chair of the Southern California Coalition for Responsive Philanthropy.

Charitable foundations generally have not earmarked enough money for the needs of low-income people in Los Angeles County since the riots, a coalition of community-based groups said Wednesday. Although donations by foundations to poverty-related causes in Los Angeles County have increased somewhat since the 1992 riots, six of nine foundations studied did not meet poverty-giving goals the coalition set two years ago.

Claims by the Southern California Coalition for Responsive Philanthropy that the BankAmerica Foundation contributes too little to the poor are arbitrary and misleading ("Charities Failing the Poor, Group Says" April 14). The coalition complains that "only" 28% of the BankAmerica Foundation's nationwide giving in 1992 went to poverty-related programs. However, as Times reporter Susan Moffat points out, this figure does not include $3.5 million in corporate gifts to the United Way. Indeed, we contribute more money to the United Way than any other corporation in California.