By Danae King, The Columbus Dispatch
COLUMBUS – When it comes to charitable giving, Columbus residents could dig a little deeper into their pockets.
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The city is among more than 60 of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the country that could give more compared to the national average, according to a report released Tuesday by The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
The study examined how much people who itemize their tax deductions give to charity, by income bracket. The brackets used were those earning $50,000 to $74,999; $75,000 to $99,999; $100,000 to $199,999; and $200,000 or more.
The study concludes that fewer Americans overall are giving to charity, a change that possibly was related to the Great Recession.
“People say to themselves, ‘It turns out that my house isn’t going to appreciate 15 percent every year. I could lose my job that I thought was really steady and safe. And so I’m going to adjust my giving pattern,’” Texas A&M University economist Jonathan Meer said in a statement. He said he’s found similar results in his research.
Overall, Columbus itemizers give about 2.7 percent of their income to charity; the average nationally for the biggest metropolitan areas is 3.1 percent, according to the report. Smaller Ohio cities ranged in giving, which researchers say also could be affected by cost of living.
The Mansfield metropolitan area had the largest percentage of giving in the state, with 3.7 percent, according to the report. After that was Springfield, 3.5 percent; Lima, 3.3 percent, Canton/Massillon, 3.2 percent; Cleveland/Elyria, Toledo and Youngstown, 2.8 percent; Akron and Cincinnati, 2.7 percent; and Steubenville, 2.5 percent.