Charities: Tough Times Call for Smarter Giving

May 24, 2009, The Wall Street Journal — When wallets get lean, checkbooks tend to stay closed -- and checks to charity become rarer.

Amid the recession and stock-market losses, philanthropy consultants say all donors are re-evaluating their giving. Those who would normally give new charities a chance are sticking with groups they know. Some are giving smaller gifts or none at all. Over the past year, a number of corporations have ended or trimmed their matching-gift programs.