The Chronicle of Philanthropy just published an interactive online tool to show you how America gives its money to organizations.
You can see:
- Total contributions
- Contributions by household
- Discretionary income by household
- Percentage of income given by household
Select USA, state, metro area, county, town, and zip. There is a wealth of information you can choose from—and download. For example, choose metro and click on Richmond, VA, and you learn that total contributions are $739.8 million with a median contribution of $2,768 and a median discretionary income of $58,201. That’s 4.8% of income given. You can also get a breakdown of demographics, giving by income level, and a giving comparison.
The tool is the outcome of an extensive study to chart giving patterns in every state, city, and zip code. The study that examined itemized deductions of taxpayers who earned $50,000 or more in 2008 found that generosity rates vary sharply by state and region after accounting for the cost of living (income after taxes, housing, food, and other necessities).
The study found that the rich are not the most generous—the middle class gives a bigger share of their discretionary income(7.6% vs. 4.7%)—and that “rich people who live in neighborhoods with many other rich people give a smaller share of their incomes to charity than rich people who live in more economically diverse neighborhoods.” (2.8% vs. 4.2%).
Religion is a major influence on giving patterns, according to the study—with regions that are deeply religious more generous than others. The Chronicle notes that Utah and Idaho, with large Mormon communities, are two of the top nine states. Mormons traditionally tithe 10% of their income. But if religious giving is not counted, then some states catapault to near the top of the generosity list.
