People in the Midwest give more than those in other areas of the United States, according to a recent study by the New Tithing Group. At 1.05 percent and 1.04 percent, respectively, residents of Oklahoma and Nebraska (without Warren Buffett’s recent donation to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) were outmatched only by Utah (1.63 percent) in their level of giving as a percentage of assets. Kansas ranked 16th with 0.76 percent, trailing North Dakota’s 0.81 percent and South Dakota’s 0.80 percent.
Midwesterners may never have the assets of folks in Florida or New York, but the coastal states could learn the practice of giving from the heartland.
Posted by Angie Holladay
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- satatom on Open thread 11/22
- JimJohnson on Open thread 11/22
- Regular on Open thread 11/22
- Regular on Open thread 11/22
- DavidB on Health care reform would save state money
- DavidB on Minority status in Senate; majority approval at home
- JimJohnson on Open thread 11/22
- American_Way on Open thread 11/22
- American_Way on Open thread 11/22
- cosmos_originally on Open thread 11/22
12 Comments
Does that include dontations to churches? If so, I submit that the Midwest gives practically nothing to charity.
And by the way, what a pathetic percentage for rich societies; why don’t you compare with Muslim societies?
Door King,
Wouldn’t comparing Muslim societies to a largely Christian society be more or less the so-called ‘pathetic’ category you used.
Christians by tradition give 10 percent of their gross income. Not all do it, but I’m willing to bet not all Muslims give freely of their income.
If by your own classification, giving to churches does almost nothing, then you would have to exclude not only Christian, but Muslim as well. Can’t have it both ways ya know.
I, as well as countless others give to charities most of the time without keeping track. Some like the girl scouts, school fund raisers are not true charities but they do help the local community. I personally also support activities by the Police and Fire department to educate our children in safey and/or provide them with activities.
There are many other charities like the Salvation Army Bell ringers, the Red Cross and many others I and many others have given to.
So, Door King, what has caused all this hostility about giving?
I’m hostile?
Giving to charities is one thing, but being charitable is another.
I know that it is very difficult for me to even try to talk to people here because they are so ignorant. Once people realize that I’m Hispanic, they begin asking rude and inappropriate questions and I’m forced to defend who I am and what my family has done for this country. In fact, I know that if I simply left the posting at this I would receive a barrage of hate postings stating that I should “go back to where I came from,” etc.
Which is sad for a number of reasons. 1) Because it shows that people here assume the worst of people. 2) Becuause it shows the incredible racism in the community and 3) because it shows that unless you “conform” to what this community wants you don’t “belong.” It is sad.
Simply because I don’t feel like dealing with the hate mail I’ll give a rundown of who I am.
1) Mexican-American2) 5th generations one side, other always here (Native Mexican Indian)3) Grandfather permanently disabled in Korea, Father permanently disabled from combat in Marines, many uncles who served4) I’m from Ohio. Trust me, I would go back if my fiance wasn’t tied to Boeing. Although I spent a lifetime trying to get out of that place (and did so successfully when I attended and graduated from an Ivy-League school) in comparison to this place, it is far more open, charitable and tolerant.
So, I guess when they say the “Midwest” is charitable, they have be specific about which states they are referring to–because they certainly don’t mean Kansas.
The report needs to be READ CAREFULLY. The statistics refer only to people who make more than $200,000 annually. The average income of this group was $500,000. The average liquid assets (i.e. excluding home value and retirement funds) was $2.7 million.
Now, how much did these rich people living in various regions give, on average?Rocky Mtn : $20,000Southeast: $19,300Mountain South: $18,600Pacific: $18,400Midwest: $17,900Mid-Atlantic: $17,400Southwest: $16,700New England: $16,100
So in terms of dollar values donated, the Midwestis about average.
However, other factors are important. For example, most people who are wealthy are above age 60. Their children are usually grown, they own their own homes outright, and thus have more DISCRETIONARY income and assets than younger people. If people whose average net liquid wealth of $2.7 million only give, on average$18,000 to charitable causes, that’s less than 1% giving. In Kansas’s case the figure is 0.76%. BTW, this is not statistically significantly different from California’s and New York’s value .74%, because the calculation done by New Tithing used 2-digit liquid asset estimates.
What we may surmise is that the wealthy people analyzed here are by and large saving their money to hand down to their children, and giving token amounts to charity.
I’m not judging this to be right or wrong, but the storyline of “generous” Midwesterners doesn’t hold a lot of water.
Good catch, Heart; I had trouble with the content of Angie’s comments, as the data provided didn’t fit with other reports on charitable giving I had read; now I know why.
Y. is correct…. giving to charity does not alone make one charitable. Polls or studies are rather meaningless.. especially when they rely on a single segment of demographics for input. Just ask some of the street people how truly charitable Wichita is……
Y. is correct…. giving to charity does not alone make one charitable. Polls or studies are rather meaningless.. especially when they rely on a single segment of demographics for input. Just ask some of the street people how truly charitable Wichita is……
Angie is an example of why we should drive a stake through the (hearts) of most K-state graduates.
note: puns in parenthesis so republicans can get them
We need to teach young students how to do analysis. The New Tithing study only applied to VERY AFFLUENT PEOPLE. As an analyst, I call people with an average taxable income of $500,000 and liquid assets (stock, bonds, rental properties, business-ownership interests, vacation homes, etc.) of $2.7 million very affluent.This his refers to people in the top 1-2% wealth bracket.
But that’s not what Angie’s post informed WEBlog readers. Nor did she comment that ca. 1% or less for Midwestern and EVERY OTHER REGION’S very affluent donations were far less than they earn every year on their investments. Like if you are earning 8% annually on your investments, giving 1% of your liquid capital away is not DECREASING your net worth. Like Warren Buffett DID decrease his net worth. But most wealthy charitable givers do not. They’re giving a fraction of their net-worth INCREASE, and are still INCREASING THEIR net wealth.
We also don’t know how much they receive in tax deductions.
Crucially, deductions can be claimed for “donations” to 501 (c) 3 organizations whose activity is POLITICAL, such as airing TV “issue” ads, “helping” pastors to promote certain political candidates and lobbying represtantives, with the goal of creating MORE WEALTH for “givers”. This is NOT CHARITABLE GIVING. It is SPENDING MONEY to MAKE MORE MONEY.
Y,I know what you mean. I have it a bit different though. I mean, I’m Filipino American, but just because I have brown skin and have a significant amount of Spanish blood and a Spanish surname, I’m automatically categorized as being “Mexican” around these parts. People are gonna judge you no matter where you are, i’ve had my share of intolerance even in New York from people who weren’t white by the way. Racism goes both ways, but I wish that before people made up their minds about me, they would at least have the presence of mind to ask me about my genealogy. Kind of makes me wish I was black. :)