St. George ranks 5th in the nation for most generous giving – St George News

For illustrative purposes only | Photo by Boonyachoat, iStock / Getty Images Plus, St George News

ST. GEORGE – When it comes to large monetary donations to charities, the well-to-do residents of St. George give more than most cities of their size nationwide.

Outside the Switchpoint Community Resource Center, St. George, Utah, Oct. 14, 2021 | Photo by Chris Reed, St George News

According to a survey of tax retUrns by SmartAsset, St George ranks fifth among 384 metropolitan areas for monetary donations to charity from the wealthy. Nationally, 47% of tax filers who earn upwards of $200,000 gave to charity. In St George, 65% donated money or gifts.

Apparently the “Peach State” works as hard as the “Beehive State” when it comes to large contributions to nonprofit organizations, the survey noted.

“The top 10 metro areas in Utah and Georgia exceed the national average by nearly 20%,” according to SmartAsset. “In these areas, more than two in three high-earning filers claimed charitable tax deductions.”

Utah also ranks at the top for its volunteer rate, said Glenna Beyer, development and fundraising director at DOVE Center in St. George. The nonprofit organization provides shelter and supplies for victims of domestic violence in Washington County.

“Philanthropy in Southern Utah mirrors the growth of our rapidly increasing population. I’ve seen a steady rising trajectory of philanthropic giving, but I wouldn’t say it has been a sharp uptick,” Beyer said. “We are grateful for our loyal donors who support us with financial gifts and gifts-in-kind. We also value the generous amount of time given by our many volunteers.”

Switchpoint Community Resource Center of St George, a nonprofit providing food, shelter and resources to the local homeless community, has seen an uptick in monetary donations from their last two fundraising events in April and November of 2022, Development Director Linda Stay said.

“More so in April as it was our first fundraiser in two-and-a-half years due to COVID-19,” she said. “We garnered new donors that really stepped up with large donations.”

Board members from the Dove Center pose for a picture after the announcement of October as Domestic Violence Awareness month during a scheduled meeting, Ivins, Utah, Oct. 3, 2019 | Photo by Ryann Richardson, St George News

More than 65% of tax filers who earned at least $200,000 in the St. George metro area reported making charitable contributions, the fourth-highest according to the study. As a percentage of income, this means charitable contributions accounted for 5.61% of annual earnings, or roughly $42,600 per donor. According to SmartAssets data, that is significantly more than most metropolitan areas they studied.

“IRS data only captures charitable contributions as noted on one’s tax return,” the study noted. “Nationwide, tax filers earning $200,000 or more deduct an average of $30,600 for charitable contributions.”

Although Beyer couldn’t say for certain, the rise in development from those moving to Southern Utah, known for its warmer weather, outdoors, majestic views and wilderness, could be the reason for St. George’s high national ranking.

“If I had to guess, I would say there is lots of new wealth in the St. George area, just based on the amount of luxury and upper-class single family homes that are being built. I would also guess that many of those individuals are retired from high-paying jobs and have substantial assets,” she said. “While this might seem encouraging, money alone does not make someone philanthropic. Philanthropy is based on both an individual’s ability to make a gift and their affinity towards the organization.”

As far as Utah metropolitan areas, Provo-Orem topped the chart, followed by second place Logan, fifth place St. George, Salt Lake City in seventh place and Ogden-Clearfield in 10th place. The other five top 10 communities “where rich Americans give the most” are all in Georgia, according to the data.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

Haven Scott was born in Provo and moved to Cedar City in 1987. A member of Cedar High School’s Class of 1994, where he fell in love with journalism at The Cedar Post, he then earned his bachelor’s degree in media studies (2015) and a master’s degree in professional communication (2018) from Southern Utah University. His hobbies include correcting his children’s spelling on social media, spoiling his grandchildren, camping, spending time outdoors and watching local sporting events.

Comments are closed.