Regional Report Series:
Inland Empire and the San Joaquin Valley
California’s
Inland Empire and San
Joaquin Valley are growing at an extraordinary pace, fueled
by new residents seeking affordable housing. This dramatic growth
raises questions about the capacity of the nonprofit sector to support
the regions’ civil society and respond to the needs of new
residents.
With the support of the
James Irvine Foundation, we will respond to this question by
producing a Nonprofit Sector Regional Report for each region. These
studies will outline the scope of the nonprofit sector, highlight
the sector’s economic impact, analyze the geographic coverage
of service-providing nonprofits, and compare these regions to areas
elsewhere in the state as well as to the state as a whole.
The analysis will draw on broad quantitative data and focused case
studies to develop a comprehensive report. These reports will also
highlight the fields of nonprofit arts and education through case
studies. Cases will be selected as examples of nonprofits addressing
challenges of each region in illuminating and innovative ways.
Our quantitative analysis will address the following questions:
- How many nonprofits are in each region and what fields
are they working in?
- Where are the regions nonprofit organizations and how are they
located relative to social needs?
- What revenue
sources do nonprofits rely on?
- What does the nonprofit sector contribute to the economy of
each region, measured by expenditures and employment?
Current Activities
Inland Empire
Institute staff recently presented some preliminary data analysis
and
findings to a local advisory committee of leaders in the Inland
Empire
nonprofit sector. This committee will work with the Institute to
highlight specific questions or issues that we should focus on,
provide some qualitative insights to help with the interpretation
of quantitative data, and identify case studies, access local data,
and interpret results as necessary. In addition to the advisory
committee, local partners on this project now include the
Community Foundation of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties
and the High
Desert Resource Network.
In a unique collaboration supported by the Weingart
Foundation, the UCLA
Center for Civil Society will augment our aggregate data analysis
with a series of focus groups. These sessions will capture the insights
of various nonprofit staff to better understand community needs
throughout the region as well as the leadership capacity and infrastructure
needs of the nonprofit sector. UCLA will also produce vignettes
which illustrate typical capacity challenges and best practices
uncovered in the focus groups.
San Joaquin Valley
Institute staff are currently analyzing IRS data, interviewing leaders
in
the San Joaquin Valley nonprofit sector, and recruiting an advisory
committee for the study.
Related Literature
The
Third California: The Golden State's New Frontier
California Foundations 2004: Trends and Patterns
California’s
Inland Empire: The Leading Edge of Southern California’s Growth
The
Central Valley at a Crossroads: Migration and Its Implications
Central
Valley Opinion Survey 2006
State
of the Great Central Valley 2005
California's
Central Valley: An NPR Profile of the State's 'Backstage' Rural
Breadbasket
For more information, contact Carol Silverman, Research Director,
at 415-422-2164 or silverman@usfca.edu.
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