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- Utah ranks second among the most charitable states, with high volunteer rates.
- The state ties for first in donated income percentage, significantly exceeding others.
- Experts advise critical evaluation of charities due to recent trust issues.
SALT LAKE CITY — In 2023, 73% of the world's adult population acted charitably to a stranger through donations, service, or some other form, according to the 2024 World Giving Index. Seventy-five countries improved their "world giving index score" last year, with the United States falling as the sixth country overall when ranking the most generous countries globally.
In its annual report, WalletHub determined which states in the country were labeled most charitable. With its dense religious population, Utah often ranks first or second nationally.
Top five most charitable states:
- Wyoming
- Utah
- Minnesota
- Maine
- Delaware
"Utah is the second-most charitable state, boasting the highest volunteer rate at roughly 41% and the most volunteer hours per capita at around 38 hours," per the report. "On top of volunteering for organizations, Utahns are also happy to do favors for their neighbors, with nearly 62% of the population reporting that they helped out with tasks like house sitting, watching children or lending tools at least once in the past year."
Utah's population had the highest percentage of service and the highest number of people who donated their time, both three times more than Florida, which had the least in each category. The Beehive State also tied for first with Arkansas and Wyoming on the percentage of donated income, which was seven times more than West Virginia, which saw the least.
Since 1977, the U.S. has been donating in record numbers with few exceptions, according to J.P. Morgan. Some people do it out of the goodness of their heart, some because they get a good tax benefit from it:
"The tax benefit of giving — an upside of giving that cannot be ignored — went into effect in 1917 in the U.S. and played an important role in bolstering giving among individuals and corporations. Since then, U.S. tax filers who itemize their deductions have generally been able to deduct qualifying charitable contributions from their U.S. federal taxable income if certain requirements are met, subject to applicable limitations. This incentive also catalyzed a snowball effect in which many foundations were formed specifically to receive charitable gifts that were now tax-deductible."
People also tend to be their most charitable toward the end of the year, labeling November and December as "giving season."
Nonprofits Source shared the following U.S. statistics:
- December accounts for 30% of yearly donations.
- The final three days of the year contribute 10% of annual giving.
- 77% of people feel that everyone can make an impact by supporting causes.
- On average, individuals support 4.5 different charities.
- Women make 64% of all donations.
- 69% of people participate in charitable giving.
When deciding which charity to donate to, "Due diligence is key," Bob Spires, an associate professor at the School of Professional and Continuing Studies at the University of Richmond, told WalletHub.
"There have unfortunately been a number of high-profile scandals related to charities in recent years, which have caused an overall drop in the public's trust of charities," he said.
"Make sure you think critically about those financial reports and balance what you see with what the organization is actually doing. People who are looking for a charity to support should also look for a variety of ways to get involved. If the charity is only asking for money and has no other way to engage, that tells you something important," he said.
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Emma Pitts
