New England states make more, give less, annual survey of charitable giving finds

Duluth News Tribune ^ | 11/10/04 | LAURA WALSH

[chambley1]

HARTFORD, Conn. - Connecticut ranks first when it comes to making money - but joins New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island at the bottom of an annual index of charitable giving.

The Catalogue for Philanthropy's 2004 Generosity Index showed Mississippi, for the eighth straight year, as the nation's most giving state. It was followed by Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee.

The survey is based on residents' average adjusted income and itemized charitable donations reported on 2002 federal tax returns, the latest year available.

The index does not take into account non-itemized giving or volunteering, said Carol Schofield of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy.

Connecticut has the nation's highest average adjusted gross income, at $64,724; its residents donate $175 less to charity than the national average of $3,455. That ranks Connecticut 44th on the index, a slip of seven places from last year.

Connecticut was followed by Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and, at No. 50 on the index, New Hampshire.

Among the top givers, rounding out spots seven through 10 were South Dakota, Utah, South Carolina and Idaho.

The latest index reflects a country still coping with an economic slump - the national average gross income in 2002 dropped nearly 2.4 percent to $45,953. Despite the drop in income, the average individual donation fell less than 1 percent.

Exceptions to the trend were found in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont, where the decline in giving exceeded the decline in income.

Mississippi - the poorest state in the nation - consistently earns its place as No. 1 on the list by generating the greatest disparity in income and charitable contributions.

The average itemized filer in Mississippi reported $4,484 in donations in 2002. That beats the national average by $1,029.

The Massachusetts-based Catalogue for Philanthropy publishes a directory of nonprofit organizations. It created the index seven years ago.

ON THE NET

http://www.catalogueforphilanthropy.org/

[coconutt2000]

Duh, liberals...

[chambley1]

"The Catalogue for Philanthropy's 2004 Generosity Index showed Mississippi, for the eighth straight year, as the nation's most giving state. It was followed by Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee"

Red states, go figure!

[Alex Murphy]

Now there's a surprise.

[Corporate Law]

As usual, it shows they are only generous with other people's money.

[DoctorMichael]

**LOL**

[Sybeck1]

Myself living in Mississippi, its hard to see to many of those I know here itemizing.

[LibSnubber]

Tell me something I didn't know! Living in Louisiana - I realize how generous a people we are down here. But this proves once again that libs are selfish, self-centered power-hungry egomaniacs with god-complexes who talk the talk but do not walk the walk. Hope they're proud of themselves.

[LizardQueen]

It's because we're taxed out the wazoo.

BTW, I'm damn sick and tired of everyone living in a blue state being labeled a "godless liberal scumbag". There are a lot of us here who vote red, not blue. We're just currently outnumbered.

Before throwing stones clean up the blue voters in your own backyards, please.

LQ

[Publius Valerius]

I consider my taxes charitable donations. That's why I don't give, but, thank God, I don't live in the NE.

[TXBubba]

Before throwing stones clean up the blue voters in your own backyards, please.

I wish we could clean up the blue county to our south....Travis. But it is full of re-located blue state people.

[weegee]

They are philanthropic with OPM (Other Peoples' Money) at the threat of legal prosecution (pay your taxes or else).

Meanwhile Terry Heinz Kerry paid less than 13% tax on her income last year. That does not include interest on her vast fortune.

F. Democrats. Some people are still more equal than others under socialism.

[ppaul]

The article is misleading. The Blue state folks are very generous when it comes to spending OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY!

[njwoman]

Thanks for a post. Already used these facts in the conversation with the co-worker Democrat today and book-marked the web-site for future discussions with the liberals... :-)

[Doe Eyes]

You would think that a high income state would support a low income tax candidate. Why don't they?

[Final Authority]

It is not, Duh, liberals, it is Duh, Roman Catholics. Members of the Catholic Church, based on hearsay and empirical evidence, contribute much less per active family than does an active Protestant family from a similar background. In two churches in my town, one Methodist and the other Roman Catholic is a good example. My wife and children as do I attend the Catholic Church as I pledged to her that our children would be brought up in this church although I am a Methodist we contribute to both. In the Methodist church there are approximately 250 giving entities, some families and others individuals and the usual weekly offering is about $3500. In the Catholic Church there are 2200 families at last count and we have never exceeded $6400 for the weekly offering. Both churches have capital funds and the Methodist church which recently purchased commercial property on which to expand, build a new classroom building and pave a large parking lot, paid off the mortgage in less then two years. The Catholic Church 8 years ago built a $900,000 addition and is still asking for capital donations to retire the debt.

Being that NE is largely Catholic I think this may have much to do with the disparity.

[EdReform]

See also: Generosity Index 2004: (2002 US State Data) [there's a pattern: blue/lib States tightfisted] ( reply #7 by HawaiianGecko )

[njwoman]

Out of 21 counties in NJ, Bush won 10 counties and those counties were the wealthiest in the state. The lower income counties voted for Kerry.

[Doe Eyes]

So this article is based on a false premise?

[Baytovin]

Liberals are always going on about them being the only ones who care about the needy. The difference between them and us is that they want to do it with other people's money...not theirs!