Oregon Public Broadcasting

More than one in three Americans tell pollsters that they're giving less to charity in this recession.

The consequences are showing up on the bottom lines of large Northwest charities including the one that commissioned this survey. Correspondent Tom Banse has more.

Suburban Seattle-based World Vision polled a thousand U.S. adults.

Vice president Lana Reda says the Christian relief agency wants to understand how the recession affects people's generosity.

Lana Reda: “The study says that three out of four say the current economic climate has affected their charitable giving. They could be giving more. They could be giving less. They could be giving differently. It's causing Americans to pause and say, ‘What are my priorities?'”

One in ten responded they've upped their giving, but the headline is the one in three who are donating less.

This summer, World Vision had to lay off 50 people from its U.S. staff. It also cut vacant positions.

Portland-based Mercy Corps laid off 22 from its stateside staff earlier this year.

Lana Reda says her sponsor-a-child programs are holding their own. She attributes that to the “personal connection” donors feel toward the child. But total private donations are down.