HANCOCK COUNTY – In a recent analysis, Hancock County was found to be the fourth most generous county in Indiana when it comes to charitable giving.
The county reportedly had 5.2% of tax returns itemizing charitable contributions in 2023, compared to 10.8% in Hamilton County and 10.7% in Boone County. Hendricks County came in third at 6.7%.
The numbers were gathered by SmartAsset, an online destination for consumer-focused financial advice.
The news comes as no surprise to local nonprofit foundation directors, who have long praised Hancock County donors for their generosity.
“It is no surprise to me that Hancock County is one of the most charitable counties in our state. I see it every day in the generosity of our donors and volunteers,” said Allyson Smith, executive director of the Hancock Health Foundation.
“These people are dedicated to serving their community, to giving back and helping those less fortunate, and to instilling those same values in their children and grandchildren,” said Smith. “Hancock Health would not be what it is today without those who have generously given their time and money in support of our mission.”
Renee Oldham, executive director of the Mt. Vernon Education Foundation, had similar things to say.
“In my experience, Hancock County stands out for its strong sense of community and willingness to give back. The fact that 5.2% of tax returns from Hancock itemize charitable donations speaks volumes about the generosity of its residents,” she said.
Oldham said the local community is known not only for giving money but for generously giving of its time and talents, as well.
“Compared to other areas, what I find unique here is … the way people come together, supporting local causes with their time and energy,” said Oldham.
“Whether through their schools, churches, local food drives, fundraising events or volunteer work, the spirit of giving in Hancock County is truly remarkable. It’s a community where generosity goes beyond numbers. It’s embedded in the way people live and support each other,” she said.
According to the recently released Smart Asset study, several other counties were right behind Hancock County in their rate of charitable giving. Following is a list of the top 10 counties, along with their percentage of returns itemizing charitable contributions:
Hamilton County – 10.8%
Boone County – 10.7%
Hendricks County – 6.7%
Hancock County – 5.2%
Johnson County – 5.0%
Marion County – 5.0%
Porter County – 4.9%
Floyd County – 4.8%
Lake County – 4.7%
Monroe County – 4.7%
According to the National Philanthropic Trust, which tracks studies and reports on charitable giving throughout the United States, Americans gave $557.16 billion in 2023.
That number reflects an overall 2.1% decline from 2022, while corporate giving increased 3% and foundation giving increased 1.7% over the previous year.
Giving by bequests through a trust or will increased by 8% in 2023, compared to 2022.
According to the NPT, the largest amount of charitable giving by individuals went to religion (24%), human services (14%), education (14%), grant-making foundations (13%) and programs benefiting the public or society (10%).
Giving in 2023 increased in many sectors, with double-digit growth in gifts for foundations (15.4%), public-society benefit (11.6%) and education (11.1%).
The NPT reports that for middle income earners, the average yearly charitable donation is approximately $3,296, while the average charitable donor in the U.S. is 64 years old and makes two charitable donations a year.
When asked about their top motivation for giving, the majority of donors (69.5%) reported personal values and beliefs as being their top motivator.
The majority of donors (64%) prefer to give online with either a credit or debit card.
The NPT also shared that there are more than 1.8 million recognized nonprofit organizations in the United States.
Of those, approximately 340,000 are focused on religion, 255,000 on education, 154,000 on human services, and 129,000 on arts and culture.
The NPT also reports that an estimated 60.7 million American adults (23.2%) volunteered between September 2020 and 2021, contributing an estimated 4.1 billion hours valued at approximately $122.9 billion.
