Giving a little back

Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008 | 2:08 a.m.

With high gas prices and rising unemployment rates, everyone has been affected by the nation’s economic slump. But among the hardest hit are charities and organizations that help those in need.

Demand for services is growing and organizations are having difficulty keeping up.

For example, Catholic Charities, one of the Las Vegas Valley’s oldest nonprofit organizations, is trying to find ways to stretch a budget stressed by high food and gas prices. As Robin Urevich reported in Monday’s Las Vegas Sun, Catholic Charities’ clientele has doubled and even some of its donors have lined up for services.

The organization, which offers a wide array of services, expects to run out of money to help people with their rent payments by December, which is halfway through the organization’s fiscal year. And Clark County has cut its funding to Catholic Charities by 20 percent.

As well, a number of local philanthropic organizations that were created during the economy’s boom are facing shrinking budgets.

Donors are cutting back because of the hard times, and most nonprofit organizations predict no growth in the next year. Many groups’ fundraising efforts have lagged, although the United Way of Southern Nevada saw a 14 percent increase in its annual fundraising campaign. The United Way attributes the growth to finding previously untapped pools of donors.

Dan Goulet, who runs the local United Way, thinks people may be more likely to give to charities now because they see the desperate need. We hope he is correct. Las Vegas has long had a lack of adequate services, a void that nonprofit groups try to fill, and we should all try to support them in whatever way we can.