At the Los Angeles Central Library, Zócalo will host a panel of experts on how non-profits can survive the economic downturn. Like nearly everyone else, those working in non-profit organizations are concerned with the bleak economic forecast: a diminished public purse, shrunken private foundation portfolios and donor wallets slapping shut. Yet in the fretting corridors outside conference centers, community rooms and local meeting halls nationwide, it’s actually possible to detect a heartening and persistent belief in the resilience of American civil society. The panel will examine what causes some nonprofit leaders to possess such impertinent optimism when the economy appears so grim, and how their organizations can survive. If you are attending the event tonight, we welcome your comments in the field below.