On Giving Tuesday, Maine's generosity ranks high
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Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3, is an international appeal for charity. Information about many Maine nonprofit groups is found in the Mainebiz Giving Guide. (See story for link to download the digital version.)
Today is Giving Tuesday, celebrated since 2012 five days after Thanksgiving as an international appeal for charity amid the commerce of the holiday season. Mainers well understand the importance of giving — not just today, but throughout the year.
The state has consistently been named among the country’s most generous. In fact, Maine ranks No. 10 in a study of the most charitable states, released today by financial website WalletHub.
The analysis, which considered over a dozen metrics including percentage of residents who donated food and the portion of their income given to charities, is conducted annually. Last year, Maine ranked No. 14.
Maine also ranks among the top 10 states for volunteerism, with an estimated 425,000 people — more than 30% of the population — contributing 39 million hours, valued at nearly $1 billion, to help those in need.
In addition, the WalletHub study ranked Maine No. 5 in the per-capita number of charitable organizations based here. Public charities employ one in six Maine workers, and overall, Maine nonprofit groups contribute $12 billion a year to the state’s economy through wages and purchased goods and services.
But expenditures at Maine charitable organizations have been growing 5.3% annually, and many of them need assistance if they are to help others who need assistance. That’s one of the reasons Mainebiz has compiled our 2019 Giving Guide, which includes insights about the state’s nonprofit sector and profiles of 38 nonprofit institutions.
To view a digital edition of the Mainebiz Giving Guide, click here.
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