View Research by Author - Carol J. De Vita

For nearly 20 years, De Vita has studied the role, capacity, and financial well-being of nonprofit organizations, including faith-based organizations, in low-income areas. She currently co-directs two evaluation studies that are assessing the implementation and performance of federal stimulus money received by the Strengthening Communities Fund (SCF) and the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) programs. Other recent studies include: an assessment of the role of faith-based and community organizations in providing relief and recovery services after Hurricane Katrina; an evaluation of the American Red Cross Recovery Grant Program after the 9/11 attacks, and the diversity of nonprofit leadership in California and the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. region.

Ph.D., Social Welfare Policy, Brandeis University

1988-97: Senior Research Demographer and Director of Publications, Population Reference Bureau

Publications

This policy brief summarizes the findings of a larger report on racial-ethnic diversity in California's nonprofit sector (see www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=411977). It documents the extent to which California's nonprofit boards, staff, and executive leadership are racially and ethnically diverse, and analyzes diversity by an organization's size, type, funding patterns, and geographic location within the state. The brief examines how California nonprofits with diverse leadership have been affected by the current economic downturn, and presents three models for measuring diversity using different definitions of organizational diversity.

This series of fact sheets provides a quick overview of the nonprofit sector in each of the nine parishes that comprise Central Louisiana – Allen, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Vernon, and Winn. Each fact sheet provides information on the number of nonprofits and congregations found in the parish; the types of services offered; basic financial measures, such as total revenues, expenses, assets, and liabilities; sources of revenue; and a measure of fiscal health. The fact sheets also include basic demographic information for the parish, such as total population, median age, race-ethnic composition and median household income. A companion report, A Profile of Nonprofit Organizations in Central Louisiana, provides a detailed analysis of the size, scope, fiscal health, and other dimensions of the sector.

Nonprofit organizations in Central Louisiana are an integral part of community life, helping people in need and providing cultural and civic opportunities to local residents. Yet most people have only a vague idea of the number and types of nonprofits in the region or the financial resources needed to support and sustain this work. This report is a comprehensive study of Central Louisiana's nonprofit sector. It examines the size, scope, and financial underpinning of the sector, and explores the extent to which nonprofits and religious congregations collaborate with each other and with other groups. It also reports the challenges that nonprofit and faith-based leaders see as critical to the region. A companion report, Central Louisiana in Focus, provides a statistical fact sheet for each of the nine parishes in the region.

Charitable giving in North Carolina has been on the upswing for nearly ten years, but the economic downturn is affecting individuals' ability and willingness to give. Using tax returns stripped of personal identifiers, the report examines charitable giving by North Carolina tax payers and those in the Research Triangle. Overall, charitable giving by North Carolinians is higher than the national average both in terms of dollars given and the share of gross adjusted income given. Yet, despite its relatively high levels of income, Triangle residents give less to charity than the average Tar Heel. Even among high-income earners (those with adjusted gross income of $100,000 or more), Triangle residents give about the same amount in absolute dollars, on average, but about a half percentage point less than their statewide peers. Regional and county variations in giving suggest that fundraising appeals must be carefully targeted to be successful.

This research brief examines the relief and recovery services provided by faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) in the Gulf Coast region after hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The study included a telephone survey of 202 FBCOs that provided services and in-depth case studies of eight organizations. The brief explores how FBCOs functioned during this time-i.e., what they did, who they served, and with whom they collaborated-and offers lessons learned for planning for future disasters. The brief summarizes the findings from the full report "The Role of Faith-Based and Community Organizations in Post-Hurricane Human Service Relief Efforts," available at http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=1001245.

The events surrounding hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 produced one of the largest disaster responses by nongovernmental, charitable organizations, including both faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs). This report is based on a telephone survey of 202 FBCOs that provided disaster-related human services and in-depth, field-based case studies of eight organizational responses after the hurricanes. The survey findings address what types of services were provided, to whom, and the collaborations used by FBCOs to deliver services. The case studies explore what motivated the response in 2005 and suggest how such efforts might connect with the larger disaster response and human service delivery systems to provide needed services in future disasters (For more information, contact Principal Investigators Carol J. De Vita and Fredrica D. Kramer).

This brief profiles community-based nonprofits in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that are helping newcomers adjust to their new social and political environment, while affirming their cultural identities. The brief focuses on nonprofit groups that serve Asian, Middle Eastern and African populations and examines the characteristics of these organizations in terms of their number, size, location, and scope of activities. The findings provide a unique picture of the community-based resources that are helping immigrants incorporate into American life.

Over the past decade the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area has become increasingly diverse, driven in large part by the growth of the Latino population. By 2006, almost 610,000 Latinos lived in the region. Today's immigrants, like those before them, contribute to the development of civil society organizations and rely on them for services and activities. Yet little is known about these organizations and the ways they help newcomers build and engage in civil society. This brief provides an overview of nonprofits and religious congregations in the Washington, D.C. region that focus on providing services and support to the Latino population.

The extent of our nation's preparedness to address large-scale disasters will likely receive renewed attention around the anniversaries of Hurricane Katrina and the attacks of 9/11. This commentary recommends that disaster planning address not only the immediate and short-term responses to disaster, but also the longer-term social service needs of disaster victims, such as mental health services and case management. The Urban Institute's study of the American Red Cross September 11th Recovery Program provides a sense of the need for such services and their value to those affected by disaster. Integrating longer-term recovery services into disaster planning can help ensure their availability in the wake of future disasters.

Nonprofit organizations are a crucial link in our nation’s emergency preparedness and disaster response efforts, but their role is not always well integrated into disaster planning. After both Hurricane Katrina and 9/11, nonprofits provided immediate and longer-term assistance to help people cope with devastating life changes and the emotional aftermath, but the importance of long-term services is not well understood or even acknowledged by victims and policymakers alike. This brief highlights the lessons learned from the Urban Institute’s assessment of the American Red Cross September 11th Recovery Program, which provided grants to community-based organizations to provide longer-term case management, mental health services, and other services to facilitate recovery to eligible individuals.

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