2019 Causes Count: The Economic Power of California\u27s Nonprofit Sector

California’s nonprofits bring more than $40 billion into California each year from out-of-state sources, and one in every 14 California jobs is at a nonprofit. Like the inaugural Causes Count report in 2014, this “Causes Count 2.0” report summarizes the noteworthy size, variety, diversity, activities, accomplishments, and overall magnitude and importance of California’s nonprofit sector. The research was conducted by The Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego, working alongside Calnonprofits staff. The research involved finding and scrutinizing many different sources of data to create this synthesized exposé of the breadth, depth, and strength of California’s nonprofit sector. Policymakers, nonprofit leaders, and philanthropic leaders will find this report has new and relevant data that can inform public policy, grantmaking plans, and strategies for individual nonprofits and ecosystems.https://digital.sandiego.edu/npi-stateofnpca/1002/thumbnail.jp

Assessment of Maintenance Strategies for Bio-stabilization of Mudslides on Wildfire-affected Slopes

UC-ITS-2021-48Wildfires in California have increased due to climate change, poor forests maintenance, and human factors. Post-wildfire mudflows frequently occur during rain events on burn scars due to loss of vegetation, change of surface morphology, and soil surface hydrophobicity. Spreading Xanthan gum biopolymer on slopes after wildfires may mitigate the risk of extensive erosion of hydrophobic soil layers during rain. Experiments test identified rain intensities from 15 mm/hr to 50 mm/hr and seven natural rain events on a separate set of experiments on fine, medium, and coarse sand slopes 10\ub0 to 25\ub0. Different approaches to Xanthan gum application are considered. Surficial erosion occurs due to rain and is extreme in untreated slopes in all three sand types. Sprinkling surfaces with pure Xanthan gum leads to erosion as well. However, when xanthan gum is mixed with sand in small quantities and wetted, gel-like connections form between sand particles, which prevents further erosion when allowed to harden. Experiments focused on cured Xanthan gum and sand mix covers yielded a better understanding of coupled conditions necessary for successful erosion mitigation and the advantages and limitations of the proposed approach. Furthermore, practical guidelines for improving burned scars are recommended