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11/18/2014
When it comes to charitable giving, Mississippi ranks No. 2 in the nation. That’s the finding of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, in a new analysis of 2012 IRS data.
In other words, Mississippians gave more than $1.5 billion to charity in 2012, with Noxubee County being the “most generous” in the state, according to the Chronicle. For every $1,000 they earned, Mississippians donated $49.90 to charity.
Only residents of Utah out-donated us, giving $65.60 per $1,000 earned. The least generous state? New Hampshire, at $17.40.
The analysis also revealed that middle- and lower-income Americans increased the share of income they donated to charity, even as they earned less, on average, than they did six years earlier. (An interactive national map at the website philanthropy.com lets you search the amount of giving down to the ZIP code level.)
I’d always heard Mississippi ranked high in charitable giving but these hard facts confirm it. This time of year, when charities receive a sizeable chunk of their annual donations, it’s good to remind ourselves just how important our donations are.
In the coming weeks, your mailbox may be filled by appeals from various charitable organizations vying for your donation dollars. Most of them will come from organizations you recognize. Just be aware that scams abound during the holiday season. Know to whom you are donating, and never allow a telemarketer to coerce you into mailing a check or money order. Legitimate charities don’t operate that way. (If you feel you are the victim of fraud, I suggest you report it to the state attorney general’s Consumer Protection Division at 800-281-4418.)
Reputable organizations know how to get the most from our donation dollars. The Mississippi Food Network, for example, uses monetary donations to buy food in bulk for distribution to partner organizations who feed the hungry. Every dollar donated to MFN provides seven meals to hungry Mississippians. The food bank distributes more than 1.5 million pounds of food and feeds more than 150,000 people every month. One of its programs ensures that low-income children who rely on school meal programs continue to receive nutritious meals when school is out. Find out more about MFN online at msfoodnet.org.
And if you think those ringing Salvation Army bells herald only the holiday shopping season, think again. The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle fund-raising drive fuels the organization’s emergency disaster efforts and other services too numerous to list here.
After the EF4 tornado struck the Louisville area in May, Salvation Army volunteers arrived on the scene within hours to provide food, water and support from three mobile feeding units for the stricken community. That same month, the Salvation Army’s Greenville Command began raising funds to buy a new mobile feeding unit, or canteen, the first to be located permanently in that part of the state where hunger is a pressing issue.
Every Mississippian stands to benefit from a charity in one way or another. If you haven’t already, please consider supporting them with a generous donation this season. It is, after all, a Mississippi tradition.
