Liberty Belle
Well-known member
Coming from an atheistic liberal, this is good stuff. It is interesting to note that Senators John Kerry and Ted Kennedy, both filthy rich because of money made by someone else, represent Massachusetts, one of the most miserly states.
Gray Watson Personal Thoughts
Generosity Index
I think that the following information sucks and bears republication.
The Catalogue for Philanthropy's puts out a Generosity Index each year and I have copied (without permission) the US State comparison data below. This data is based on tax returns looking at overall income versus charitable donations deducted.
What is shows is that the NE is the worst in terms of philanthropic giving. I live in Massachusetts which is #44 out of the 50 states in terms of giving -- we are #2 on the wealth scale and #20 on the giving scale. Mississippi (#1) is #49 in wealth but #6 in giving. Well done!
The "bible belt" states do very well which seems to indicate that a good bit of the money in question is given to religious organizations. It may also indicate that religious people tend to be more giving in general -- which one might expect. Although an impressive statistic, it is depressing to myself, an atheist. I'd like to think that those people who are not religious have their own causes that they are passionate about. It seems to be wishful thinking.
Also, it seems to explain why the Republican party does so well in these areas since they can raise more money. Here we are in the NE, the bastion of the liberal, and we give relatively nothing. Super. Great.
Generosity Index -- US State Data for 2002
Index State Rank
Wealth Giving Relation
1 Mississippi 49 6 +43
2 Arkansas 45 7 +38
3 South Dakota 43 5 +38
4 Tennessee 37 4 +33
5 Louisiana 44 13 +31
6 Alabama 41 11 +30
7 Oklahoma 42 14 +28
8 Utah 27 2 +25
9 Nebraska 33 9 +24
10 South Carolina 39 17 +22
11 Idaho 35 18 +17
12 Texas 20 3 +17
13 Wyoming 16 1 +15
14 West Virginia 48 33 +15
15 North Dakota 46 32 +14
16 Florida 18 8 +10
17 Georgia 19 10 +9
18 North Carolina 26 19 +7
19 New Mexico 50 44 +6
20 Missouri 29 24 +5
21 Kansas 25 21 +4
22 Montana 47 46 +1
23 Indiana 31 30 +1
24 Kentucky 40 40 0
25 Alaska 28 29 -1
26 Iowa 38 42 -4
27 California 4 12 -8
28 Ohio 34 43 -9
29 New York 5 15 -10
30 Vermont 30 41 -11
31 Pennsylvania 22 34 -12
32 Maine 36 49 -13
33 Washington 8 22 -14
34 Connecticut 1 16 -15
35 Hawaii 32 47 -15
36 Illinois 10 25 -15
37 Maryland 7 23 -16
38 Virginia 11 27 -16
39 Oregon 23 39 -16
40 Nevada 12 28 -16
41 Colorado 9 26 -17
42 Delaware 14 31 -17
43 Arizona 21 38 -17
44 Massachusetts 2 20 -18
45 Michigan 15 37 -22
46 Minnesota 13 36 -23
47 Wisconsin 24 48 -24
48 New Jersey 3 35 -32
49 Rhode Island 17 50 -33
50 New Hampshire 6 45 -39
Gray Watson Personal Thoughts
Generosity Index
I think that the following information sucks and bears republication.
The Catalogue for Philanthropy's puts out a Generosity Index each year and I have copied (without permission) the US State comparison data below. This data is based on tax returns looking at overall income versus charitable donations deducted.
What is shows is that the NE is the worst in terms of philanthropic giving. I live in Massachusetts which is #44 out of the 50 states in terms of giving -- we are #2 on the wealth scale and #20 on the giving scale. Mississippi (#1) is #49 in wealth but #6 in giving. Well done!
The "bible belt" states do very well which seems to indicate that a good bit of the money in question is given to religious organizations. It may also indicate that religious people tend to be more giving in general -- which one might expect. Although an impressive statistic, it is depressing to myself, an atheist. I'd like to think that those people who are not religious have their own causes that they are passionate about. It seems to be wishful thinking.
Also, it seems to explain why the Republican party does so well in these areas since they can raise more money. Here we are in the NE, the bastion of the liberal, and we give relatively nothing. Super. Great.
Generosity Index -- US State Data for 2002
Index State Rank
Wealth Giving Relation
1 Mississippi 49 6 +43
2 Arkansas 45 7 +38
3 South Dakota 43 5 +38
4 Tennessee 37 4 +33
5 Louisiana 44 13 +31
6 Alabama 41 11 +30
7 Oklahoma 42 14 +28
8 Utah 27 2 +25
9 Nebraska 33 9 +24
10 South Carolina 39 17 +22
11 Idaho 35 18 +17
12 Texas 20 3 +17
13 Wyoming 16 1 +15
14 West Virginia 48 33 +15
15 North Dakota 46 32 +14
16 Florida 18 8 +10
17 Georgia 19 10 +9
18 North Carolina 26 19 +7
19 New Mexico 50 44 +6
20 Missouri 29 24 +5
21 Kansas 25 21 +4
22 Montana 47 46 +1
23 Indiana 31 30 +1
24 Kentucky 40 40 0
25 Alaska 28 29 -1
26 Iowa 38 42 -4
27 California 4 12 -8
28 Ohio 34 43 -9
29 New York 5 15 -10
30 Vermont 30 41 -11
31 Pennsylvania 22 34 -12
32 Maine 36 49 -13
33 Washington 8 22 -14
34 Connecticut 1 16 -15
35 Hawaii 32 47 -15
36 Illinois 10 25 -15
37 Maryland 7 23 -16
38 Virginia 11 27 -16
39 Oregon 23 39 -16
40 Nevada 12 28 -16
41 Colorado 9 26 -17
42 Delaware 14 31 -17
43 Arizona 21 38 -17
44 Massachusetts 2 20 -18
45 Michigan 15 37 -22
46 Minnesota 13 36 -23
47 Wisconsin 24 48 -24
48 New Jersey 3 35 -32
49 Rhode Island 17 50 -33
50 New Hampshire 6 45 -39
