During downturn, corporate giving focuses on basic needs

Even though the recession hurt corporate charitable giving last year, some areas of giving increased, including health and education, said the presidents of the Walmart Foundation and the GE Foundation. Margaret McKenna, president of the Walmart Foundation, and Bob Corcoran, president of the GE Foundation, answered readers' questions in an online chat Tuesday sponsored by USA TODAY and The Chronicle of Philanthropy. "In the current economic downturn, we have focused on basic needs. For instance, hunger relief has become our main priority," said McKenna. In May, Wal-Mart announced a $2 billion initiative aimed at hunger relief. "This includes $250