In Today's Economy There is a Bright Side
With all of the news about Bear markets and recession, it was a pleasant surprise to pick up my local newspaper today and see that my hometown Birmingham, Ala., was ranked as the number one giving city in America. This ranking may surprise some people, but to those of us who have worked in philanthropy know this already.
The Birmingham News sited that Birmingham received this ranking after conclusions reached in a study conducted by the Tijeras Foundation of New Mexico, in which respondents in 60 major metropolitan areas were surveyed about their giving habits related to personal income. People in Birmingham give 3.6 percent of their household income. The study points to the fact that giving tends to be higher in cities in which the people are more religious. The South in general is very charitable; giving is part of the culture of the people. People in the South also traditionally help those in need, which is in large part based on the history of extreme poverty in the South. The article goes on to state that lower-income people in the South also give what they can.
Another interesting thing to note, is that a number of people in the Birmingham area also give of their time and talents as volunteers.
Other Southern cities that come in behind Birmingham in the rankings are Memphis, Columbia, S.C., Greenville, S.C., and Atlanta.
Click here to read the full Birmingham News article.
The Birmingham News sited that Birmingham received this ranking after conclusions reached in a study conducted by the Tijeras Foundation of New Mexico, in which respondents in 60 major metropolitan areas were surveyed about their giving habits related to personal income. People in Birmingham give 3.6 percent of their household income. The study points to the fact that giving tends to be higher in cities in which the people are more religious. The South in general is very charitable; giving is part of the culture of the people. People in the South also traditionally help those in need, which is in large part based on the history of extreme poverty in the South. The article goes on to state that lower-income people in the South also give what they can.
Another interesting thing to note, is that a number of people in the Birmingham area also give of their time and talents as volunteers.
Other Southern cities that come in behind Birmingham in the rankings are Memphis, Columbia, S.C., Greenville, S.C., and Atlanta.
Click here to read the full Birmingham News article.
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