JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Americans donated over $471 billion in 2020. That’s up 5.1% from the previous year. With more disposable income available to most individuals and families, the personal-finance website WalletHub this week released its report on the Most Charitable States for 2022. It also released its picks for the Best Charities for 2022 and a Charity Calculator to help donors decide where and how to give.
’Tis the season for giving, and the latest World Giving Index shows that the United States is falling behind—dropping to 19th place among the most generous countries after years at the top of the list. However, U.S. donors in 2020 still gave more than $471 billion to charity, with 69% of the funds coming directly from individuals, according to the National Philanthropic Trust.
Americans do more than just reach in their pockets to help others, though. They also contribute their time—and plenty of it. Over 77 million people volunteer in the U.S., serving a combined total of 6.9 billion hours per year, the equivalent of $167 billion of service.
While the COVID-19 pandemic may have disrupted some volunteer opportunities last year and this year, it hasn’t stopped people from giving. In fact, last year’s total giving was actually 5.1% more than in 2019.
In the spirit of inspiring altruism, WalletHub determined the most charitable of the 50 states by comparing them across 19 key indicators of charitable behavior. Their data set ranges from the volunteer rate to the share of income donated to the share of sheltered homeless.
Generosity in Wyoming (1=Most Charitable; 25=Avg.):
- 5th – Charities per Capita
- 4th – % of Donated Income
- 17th – % of Population Who Donated Time
- 23rd – Volunteer Rate
- 23rd – Volunteer Hours per Capita
