Port, Saukville Make Top 50% on Nation's Charitable Communities List

Port Washington and Saukville are in the top 50 percent when considering charitable giving and comparing it municipalities around the country, according to a report released Monday by The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The report, titled "How America Gives," examined Internal Revenue Service data from 2008 — the most recent year available — and provides detail down to the ZIP code level about the generosity of people in particular geographic areas. Port ranks at 30.6 percent, while Saukville comes in at 45 percent.

The report's website also includes an interactive database that allows users to research charitable giving by state, community or ZIP code.

Overall, Port Washington ranked 3,531 of 11,522 municipalities studied, with its residents donating $4.8 million total to charity. Saukville ranked 5,208 with $1.9 million in donations. , according to the report, and the Milwaukee area ranks 42nd of the 50 largest metropolitan areas.

Data was organized into four categories:

• Total contributions
• Median contributions
• Median discretionary income
• Percent of income given.

In Port Washington, donations hardly varied with changes in income:

• Households with an annual income between $50,000 and $100,000 gave 3.7 percent of that income.
• Households with income between $100,000 and $200,000 contributed 3.1 percent.
• Households with income above $200,000 gave 3.7 percent.

In Saukville, things were pretty similar.

• Households with an annual income between $50,000 and $100,000 gave 3.3 percent of that income.
• Households with income between $100,000 and $200,000 contributed 3.3 percent.
• Households with income above $200,000 gave 3.2 percent.

Port Washington's highest donating age group is people age 45 to 64, with 28.1 percent donating. Those under age 20 were the next highest donating group, with 24.5 percent giving to charity.

In Saukville, these trends were even higher, with 30.1 percent of people age 45 to 64 donating. Those under age 20 were again the next highest donating group, with 26.2 percent giving to charity.