In America, not all states are created equally, or should I say contribute equally, in terms of generosity. The states that are most committed to giving back to their community, whether in money or time, may actually surprise you.
WalletHub recently conducted a search to determine the most generous in the United States. The research was based on eight metrics: volunteer rate, percentage of taxpayers in each state who donate to charity, the number of public charities per 10,000 residents, and the growth in charitable giving. Furthermore, the rankings consider the percentage of the population in each state who claim to have donated their time and money, as well as the percentage of adjusted gross income donated.
So who sits at the top of the list of most charitable states?
Utah has once again claimed the top spot for 2015. Utah holds the highest volunteer rate, the highest percentage of donated income, and the highest percentage of people who claim to have donated time and money. Surprisingly, Utah was able to hold the stop spot this year despite having the lowest number of charities per capita.
Maryland sits at number two on the list, holding the highest percentages of residents that claim to have donated money. Idaho came in close behind at third, with one of the highest volunteer rates to their name. We then have Oregon and South Dakota rounding out the top five.
Rhode Island, came in at the complete opposite end of the spectrum, with one of the lowest percentages of donated income. However, the state did have one of the highest percentages of residents who claim to have given money.
This information will hopefully inspire more people to get out there and volunteer their time or resources to help their local communities. For all of you that lent a helping hand in 2015, keep up the good work.