LOGAN – With the holiday season right around the corner, Utahns have again been ranked as among the most generous Americans when it comes to supporting their needy neighbors.
A recent study of the most charitable and volunteer-oriented states found that Utah leads the nation in annual charitable giving, with estimated annual giving of $1,650, representing about 2.8 of the state’s overall spending.
In addition to its annual charitable giving, Utah is ranked fourth among the fifty states in terms of its rate of volunteerism and fourth in terms of the strong presence of non-profit organizations within the state.
Across a broader spectrum of generosity, according to data analysts at Avantis AI, Utah comes in behind Texas when similar evidence of the spirit of giving is factored into a 100-point composite score.
While Texans’ annual giving ($1,250) trails that of Utahns, the Lone Star State’s composite score is 77, compared to Utah’s 74.6.
The Avantis AI study is based on key state metrics such as the percent of annual spending on charitable giving; the estimated number of second-hand stores per 100,000 residents; volunteer rates; and the number of non-profit organizations per capita, as reported by trusted organizations such as the National Center for Charitable Statistics.
The study found that nearly one-third of all Utahns perform some form of volunteer work and that the state hosts 130 non-profit, non-governmental organizations.
That study also tends to confirm the long-standing reputation of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as being the most charitable of all Americans.
In addition to Utah and Texas, other states in the top ten ranking for charitable giving include California (with estimated annual charitable giving of $1,450); Alabama and Georgia (tied with $1,350); Virginia, Mississippi and Illinois (tied with $1,250); Louisiana ($1,150) and Missouri ($1,050).
For more information on the nationwide study, please go to https://www.avantisai.com.