Even though corporations of all sizes and types are reporting profit levels not seen since the mid-1980s stock boom, mergers and acquisitions mean these same companies are giving less to charitable and nonprofit causes, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

A report from the Conference Board - which produces the Consumer Confidence Index and the Index of Leading Economic Indicators - reports that corporate giving declined to an average 0.8 percent of pre-tax income from a 1991 peak of more than 1 percent of pre-tax corporate income, the Sun-Times reports.

The reason "corporate giving has stagnated," according to the Conference Board is because most executives don't want to make any financial commitments from the time their company begins merger or acquisition plans through the time it takes for the merger and related downsizing is completed.

Two local examples cited by the Sun-Times are British Petroleum's takeover of Amoco and SBC Communications's efforts to buy Ameritech Corp.

Amoco and BP had separately committed about $5 million a year for Chicago-area nonprofit groups. Executives for the merged BP Amoco say the single corporation will continue that support level, but they can't provide specifics until the merger is worked out completely, the newspaper reports.

Ameritech contributed $4 million to Illinois-based charities last year, but SBC Communications is Texas-based and its executives have not yet made specific commitments.

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