Regional charitable giving below national average

By Cathy Locke, Sacramento Bee

Residents of the Sacramento region are less likely to give to charity than their counterparts nationwide – and the average amount given per household lags behind the national average.

These are among the findings of the Greater Sacramento Generosity Project scheduled for release this week, and the impetus for a campaign this fall to boost charitable giving.

The project, commissioned by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation and the Nonprofit Resource Center, found that 62 percent of households in the four-county region — El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo – give to charities, compared with 66 percent of households nationwide. The average annual contribution per donor household in the Sacramento region is $1,990, trailing the national average of $2,355.

Read the whole story