Ohioans like to give back. That is one of the key findings of new data released from WalletHub on Monday.
According to the website, Ohio is considered the fifth most charitable state in the U.S., and is also recognized in several other categories, including states with the highest population of individuals donating food items to those in need. Ohio also was recognized positively as being one of the poorest, but most charitable states, regardless of income.
The Buckeye State falls just behind Utah (#1), Minnesota (#2), Maryland (#3), and Oregon (#4).
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The five least charitable states include Rhode Island (#46), Mississippi (#47), Louisiana (#48), New Mexico (#49), and Arizona (#50).
The metrics are calculated based on volunteer rates, community-service requirements, and charity regulations.
Other findings from the piece note that in general, states that lean more to the left - politically speaking- tend to be more charitable than heavily Republican states.
The website also found that, despite the Coronavirus pandemic, states have stayed incredibly charitable in 2020.
"While the COVID-19 pandemic may have disrupted some volunteer opportunities in 2020, it hasn’t stopped people from giving. In fact, donor grantmaking was up 16% in the first four months of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019" the website says.
WalletHub is currently running a tool on its website ahead of holiday giving to estimate how best funds and volunteer hours can be donated to make the most impact this year. That tool can be found here.
