Thursday, Oct. 16, 2003 | 11:09 a.m.
The backbone of the Las Vegas area's charitable funding efforts currently come from a mere 62 foundations and corporate giving programs.
Corporate executives and individuals supporting those foundations and programs want some help from the rest of the community. That was the message delivered Wednesday at a philanthropy summit organized by Nevada Gives, a grant-funded initiative of the Business Community Investment Council (BCIC) and the Nevada Community Foundation.
"Only 62," said Jenny Des Vaux Oakes, assistant vice president for Sierra Health Services Inc., who took part in a panel discussion at the summit. "That's pretty meager. There are a lot of companies out there that should be stepping up, but they aren't."
Nevada Gives, which is being funded through a $150,000, three-year grant from Washington, D.C.-based New Ventures in Philanthropy, has set a goal of increasing that pool of business and individual donors.
"This is our hometown," said Gina Polovina, vice president of government and community affairs for Boyd Gaming Corp. and president of BCIC. "We have an opportunity and responsibility to improve the quality of life for us and future generations."
Based on the Southern Nevada Community Assessment, released last month and presented at the summit by the Nevada Community Foundation, there is plenty of work to be done in Las Vegas.
The assessment said one third of all Southern Nevada residents earn at or below a living wage, and seven of 10 households' primary concerns were economic in nature and had to do with the ability to pay for basic services.
The assessment also said that one fifth of all area households headed by women are poor and that number increases to one third if the women have children under the age of five.
Education also ranked high among the concerns of the 600 area residents surveyed for the assessment. A full 70 percent said paying teachers a higher salary was an issue in the community. Also among the concerns were crowded classrooms, drop-out rates and low student achievement.
The report also showed that an estimated 400,000 residents were without health insurance in Southern Nevada for more than six months in 2000 and 2001.
Brian Greenspun, president and editor of the Las Vegas Sun and a keynote speaker at the summit, said the nature of charitable giving in Las Vegas has changed as the community has grown.
"Mobsters built this town," Greenspun said, adding that they also took care of it.
"They gave because they could, but in Las Vegas they had a chance for a different life," he said. "They paid for it willingly ... That was when Las Vegas was small, and it was easy to pass the hat back then."
Now, the dominant companies in Las Vegas answer to boards of directors that probably have few, if any, local ties. That makes seeking local charitable involvement more difficult, Greenspun said.
He also emphasized that giving does not have to be based on cash contributions. He pointed to the Greenspun family's Sun Camp for local children and the adoption of a North Las Vegas elementary school.
"Anybody can do it with money," he said. "The idea of doing it without writing a check creates the opportunity to be more creative."
He also leveled criticism at those companies in the community that do not contribute.
"To be part of a charitable effort makes us all better people," he said, cautioning against leaving those tasks to others. "Such an attitude allows people to escape the normal responsibilities of citizenship."
Elaine Wynn, a director with Wynn Resorts Ltd. and the second keynote speaker at the summit, surprised the crowd with her opening remarks.
"One of the oldest pet peeves I have is that I don't like it when people tell you how to spend your money," she said. "I honestly think that people and companies that work very hard ... really have the right to spend their money the way they see fit.
"No one has the right to extract charity from someone."
Wynn said that the community benefits, however, from the fact that most people and companies do not choose the path of self indulgence and instead give something back.
For charitable organizations looking to raise those needed funds, she said developing a link to potential donors is a key. She said those that have an emotional link to the cause or organization are more likely to give.
"You have to figure out how to establish that link," Wynn said.
"I always say 'Start at the top.' I don't send my staff to go ask for a donation from an organization. A $5,000 gift is just as important to me as $30,000," she said.
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