First in a series of three special issues

In March, we reported to you from these pages about how the mortgage crisis was impacting Napa County residents, and the nonprofits they access for services. Since then, the collapse of the housing market has sent shockwaves through the entire economy, and now we are officially in recession.

Everyone is struggling--working families, seniors living on fixed incomes, businesses of all sizes, nonprofits and government agencies. Even foundations that make grants to support charitable projects are watching the stock market tumble and, as a result, are tightening their belts and reducing their distribution budgets.

To assess how economic conditions are impacting nonprofits, we held two meetings. The first was a conversation among the major funders of social and human services programs in the Valley, including nonprofit foundations, as well as Napa County's Health and Human Services Agency, which contracts with many nonprofits to provide services to our most vulnerable residents. We discussed how the economy is affecting our ability to make grants and what we were hearing from nonprofits.

For the second, we convened Executive Directors of nonprofits working in the "safety net" (food and shelter) sector, plus family resource centers, which are the first stop for many struggling families seeking help. In this meeting we talked about how the economy is affecting each nonprofit organization, their clients, and the sector as a whole.

In three consecutive issues of Community Link, we will present our findings, plus a plan of action to support Napa County's working families. In this first installment, we outline what residents and nonprofits are experiencing.

Marla Tofle
Director of Philanthropic Services