MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- A new study suggests residents of the “Volunteer State” are not as generous with their time as the nickname suggests.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy magazine says that only about one-in-four Tennesseans volunteer their time, a full percentage point below the national average.
Tennesseans are more generous with their cash, ranking fourth among the 50 states, donating 6.6 percent of their disposal income annually.
Tennessee’s charitable donations totaled about $2.7 billion in 2008, the most recent year for which figures are available, or an average of more than $3,800 per resident. By contrast, the average New Yorker gives just $2,200 per year.
The magazine says the Southern States are the most generous in the nation, if you include donations made to religious charities. However, the South falls behind the Northeast and the West in donations if faith-based giving is excluded.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy says that among the nation’s 50 largest metro areas Memphis is the second-most generous urban area, while Nashville ranks fourth.
See the full reportfrom the Chronicle of Philanthropy.