Download the 2010 OC CORPORATE GIVING List (pdf)
Orange County’s corporate foundations and giving programs gave $119 million to local, regional and national charities last year.
That represents a 13% drop from a year earlier, when the same 31 foundations gave $137 million, despite a 6% increase in assets to $2.2 billion for the groups on this year’s list.
The giving programs, listed alphabetically on this week’s Business Journal’s directory, are charitable arms of some of the county’s largest employers from a cross-section of industries.
Nearly half of the grant makers on the list boosted giving.
Others cut back significantly.
Some of the corporate givers that granted more in 2009: Irvine-based heart valve maker Edward Lifesciences Corp.’s Edwards Life-sciences Fund; GSF Foundation, the charitable arm of Irvine-based Golden State Foods Corp., and the giving arm of Irvine-based Taco Bell Corp., part of Louisville, Ky.-based Yum Brands Inc.
Edwards Lifesciences Fund, established in 2004, nearly doubled its giving to $4.5 million from a year earlier. It made grants to 132 organizations in 2009, up from 82 in 2008.
Some of Edwards’ grant recipients include Ladera Ranch-based Laura’s House, a shelter and counseling program for women and children who are victims of domestic abuse, Costa Mesa-based Down Syndrome Asso-ciation of Orange County and Costa Mesa-based Orange County Performing Arts Center.
It had assets of $22 million.
GSF Foundation more than doubled its giving to $2 million.
GSF gave to Santa Ana-based Orange-wood Children’s Foundation, which helps foster kids, and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Orange County, among others.
Its assets decreased 33% to $876,000.
Taco Bell Foundation increased its grant making by 40% to $2.5 million. Taco Bell is one of the largest supporters of Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Largest Donors
The two largest donors on the list have headquarters elsewhere, but a large OC presence.
Atlanta-based UPS Foundation gave $44 million, down 7% from a year earlier, and Los Angeles-based Capital Group Cos., which has an Irvine campus, gave $22 million in 2009, a 5% decrease from a year earlier. United Parcel Service Inc.’s largest market is Southern California.
The next largest donor is Minnetonka, Minn.-based United Health Foundation, which gave nearly $8 million, down 2.5% from a year earlier. UnitedHealth Group Inc. has a sizable presence in Cypress.
The drop in local giving outpaced the national average.
Nationally, corporate foundation giving was down 3% to $4.4 billion in 2009, according to the Foundation Center, based in New York.
Corporate foundations make up a sliver of overall foundation giving, which decreased 8% nationally to $43 billion.
The bulk of the nation’s foundations are established by a family or an individual, rather than a corporation.
Nationally, individual and family foundations gave $31 billion in 2009, a 9% decrease from 2008.
There also are community foundations, where donors set up funds at the foundation. The foundation helps direct giving and manages the funds.
Most of the charitable giving groups on our list are corporate foundations, which are started by companies and funded by endowments and business profits. Corpor-ations operate foundations separately.
There are a few companies that operate giving programs that aren’t foundations, such as Santa Ana-based Ingram Micro Inc.
Corporate giving programs often encourage employee giving and volunteerism.
The company might match charitable donations that employees make to nonprofits. Some programs solicit employee input on selecting the charities that get grants.
Many companies incorporate their charitable arms into their community relations or public relations departments.
Drug maker Allergan Inc.’s Allergan Foundation, based in Irvine, gave $4.2 million in 2009 to hundreds of organizations including Costa Mesa Senior Center, Orange County Breast Cancer Coalition and Heri-tage Museum of Orange County.
Allergan decreased its charitable giving by 2% in 2009 from 2008.
The foundation has given more than $20 million since its founding in 1998.
In 2009, Allergan Foundation had a change in leadership.
Thomas Burnham, president of the foundation for 11 years, retired and turned over the reins to James Hindman, former Allergan senior vice president, finance and controller.
Giving Cuts
Other companies that decreased giving in 2009 include Beckman Coulter Inc.’s Beckman Coulter Foundation, Aliso Viejo-based Lennar Charitable Housing Foun-dation, Newport Beach-based Pimco Foun-dation and Burbank-based Walt Disney Co. Foundation.
Brea-based medical testing instruments and supply company Beckman Coulter Inc.’s Beckman Coulter Foundation, founded in 2007, gives primarily to health and science charities.
Beckman Coulter gave $996,000 last year, down 15% from a year earlier. It had assets of about $7.8 million in 2008.
Lennar Charitable Housing Foundation gave $628,000, down 67% from a year earlier. Its assets remained flat at about $3 million.
Lennar gives primarily to organizations that provide emergency shelter and housing, such as Habitat for Humanity of Orange County and Irvine-based Human Options.
Pimco Foundation cut its giving nearly in half to $1.1 million. Its assets shrunk 30% to $23 million.
Pimco helps support Santa Ana-based Olive Crest Treatment Centers, Santa Ana-based Court Appointed Special Advocates of Orange County Inc. and Garden Grove-based Orange County Food Bank.
Walt Disney’s foundation cut its giving 78% to $4 million for its year ended September 2008. For 2009, the company reported that it donated $28 million. Its assets decreased 36% to $8 million.
