Giving Tuesday 2019: Illinois Among Year’s Most Charitable States

ACROSS ILLINOIS — With #GivingTuesday in full swing and the U.S. ranked as the most generous country over the last decade by the World Giving Index, personal-finance website WalletHub recently compared the country's 50 states based on 19 key indicators or charitable behavior, and found Illinois among the country's 2019 Most Charitable States. Illinois rounds out the list, sitting at number 20.

The data set WalletHub analyzed ranges from volunteer rate, to share of income donated, to share of sheltered homeless, according to the report.

Most Charitable States

1. Minnesota

2. Utah

3. Maryland

4. Oregon

5. Ohio

6. Pennsylvania

7. North Dakota

8. Virginia

9. Washington

10. Maine

11. New Hampshire

12. Alaska

13. Georgia

14. Colorado

15. Arkansas

16. North Carolina

17. Wisconsin

18. Wyoming

19. New York

20. Illinois

In addition, WalletHub included its picks for 2020’s Best Charities and a Charity Calculator to help donors decide where and how to give.

Among the several people on WalletHub's panel of experts for this report, is Mark Schuller, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Nonprofit and NGO Studies at Northern Illinois University.

Key stats from the report include:

• The charities with the highest ratings from WalletHub include Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, PetSmart Charities and Fisher House Foundation.
• Vermont has the most charities per capita, 27.06, which is 4.7 times more than in Nevada, the state with the fewest at 5.76.
• Utah has the highest volunteer rate, 51.00 percent, which is 2.2 times higher than in Florida, the state with the lowest at 22.80 percent.
• Utah has the most volunteer hours per capita, 57.48, which is 3.3 times more than in Mississippi, the state with the fewest at 17.23.

More details: 2019’s Most Charitable States