Dexter Village Ranks High in Charitable Giving

Whether it's money to local synagogues or churches, food banks or animal shelters, metro Detroit residents are givers.

Those are among the findings of a six-month project by The Chronicle of Philanthropy researching "giving habits" of Americans. The research breaks down giving by zip code and is based on a year’s worth of IRS 1040 forms from households nationwide.

Researchers did a deep dive into various avenues of giving, including whether it was for religious or secular organizations and how much of one's household income was devoted to charity. For an apples-to-apples comparison, the data collected was on the percentage of post-tax income that was donated.

In Dexter for instance, residents gave about $9.4 million in 2008, ranking 4,315th - in the top 10 percent - among the 28,725 zip codes listed.

"We definitely have incredible support from the Dexter community from both businesses and individuals," Wendy Brightman, managing director of Ele's Place in Ann Arbor said. "Everything we do is anonymous, but the support is always free of charge. The Dexter Kiwanis, Rotary, and Lions clubs are a source of tremendous help for us."

Ele's Place is a local nonprofit organization that provides free grief counseling services for children ages 3 to 18 who have lost a loved one.

Dexter resident Cindy Glahn said giving is pretty much part of the culture of the community and is often instilled in schools, which could be one reason children grow up to give financially.

Glahn's children attended Dexter Community Schools where giving was showcased at the middle school through something as simple as raising money for charity through "Penny Wars."

"The community is awesome; people are very supportive of all the different fundraisers that go on throughout the year," she said.

Glahn, a member of the Athletic Booster Club of Dexter, said the club is often a direct recipient of that generosity.

"If it weren't for the support from local businesses, we wouldn't be able to provide nearly as many items to support our athletes," she said. 

In the past, donations have helped pay for video equipment and pucks for the DHS hockey team, a soccer scoreboard, and other miscellaneous items.

Giving as a region

Metro Detroit fell in the top four percent nationally, ranking 14th overall among the 366 metro areas, giving about $1.8 billion in 2008.

And at 22nd, Michigan overall was about in the middle of the pack when it comes to charitable giving, donating about 4.5 percent of income.

Across the country, Utah, Washington D.C.,  and Mississippi gave the most - 10.2 percent to 7.2 percent, respectively. The bottom three states were Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, ranging from 2.8 percent to 2.5 percent, respectively.

Among other findings:

• Because of the current economy, charities are more strapped for cash than ever, which is fueling more charitable giving among neighbors.
• Those who live in more conservative, or "red states",  are more generous than those in more liberal, or "blue states".
• Middle income people give more than the wealthy, especially if the wealthy live among the wealthy.

Paul Piff, a social psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, told NPR that during his years of research he also has found that higher income people in diverse economic areas give more than those who live in wealthy areas.

"The more wealth you have, the more focused on your own self and your own needs you become, and the less attuned to the needs of other people you also become," he told NPR's Pam Fessler.