Utah ranks No. 1 for volunteering and giving

Utah leads all 50 states in charitable behavior, according to a WalletHub study published Nov. 9.

The personal finance company compared states across 17 indicators and ranked Utah first overall with a score of 68.97 out of 100. Wyoming placed second at 67.33, and Minnesota came in third.

About 47% of Utah residents volunteer, the highest rate in the country. They also log more than 45 volunteer hours per capita each year, again the most of any state. Utah families donate roughly 3% of their adjusted gross income to charity on average, the largest share nationwide, according to the study.

Beyond organized service, more than 68% of Utahns reported helping neighbors with tasks such as house sitting, watching children or lending tools at least once in the past year, WalletHub found.

The state ranked third in the share of taxpayers who donate money. But it was not strong everywhere. Utah placed 16th in the study's broader "Charitable Giving" category, which factors in metrics like the number of charities per capita. Utah ranked 50th out of 50 in charities per capita, according to the study.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said the share of the population giving and the percentage of income people are willing to donate "are big factors in showing how charitable people are," according to Cache Valley Daily. Lupo added that many people cannot afford to give money, especially because of inflation, "but they generously donate their time, which is just as important."

Local organizations reflect that statewide pattern. In coverage published in September, the Lehi Free Press reported that hundreds of volunteers gathered Sept. 12 for the fifth annual Lehi Day of Service. Volunteers cleaned city parks, assembled food kits and tied blankets at Willow Creek Middle School. Lehi Mayor Paul Binns participated in the closing ceremony.

One honoree at that event, Cindy Kramer, was recognized for dedicating nearly 3,000 volunteer hours to Thanksgiving Point, including work at Ashton Gardens, the Butterfly Biosphere and Curiosity Farms.

In Alpine, sisters Linda Sego and Korrie Ford run Sister to Sister, a nonprofit that sends handmade teddy bears, quilts and chemo caps to children in orphanages, nursing home residents and people experiencing homelessness, according to Utah Valley Magazine. The group receives several boxes of hand-crafted donations each week from volunteers around the country. Their items have reached recipients from Zimbabwe to Honduras.

The WalletHub study drew on data collected as of Oct. 12 from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Internal Revenue Service, AmeriCorps, Feeding America and other sources.

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