What does this measure?

Contributions to charitable organizations, measured as an average per tax return with itemized contributions.

Why is this important?

Charitable giving supports a wide variety of organizations, including those that provide essential services to the community and people in need. The level of giving shows residents' willingness to invest in programs and organizations serving the community.

How is our state doing?

In 2015, Delawareans contributed an average of $4,413 per tax return to charitable organizations, an increase of 13% from 2011, but nearly $1,600 less per tax return on average than the nation. Among individual counties in 2015, New Castle contributed more than the state at $4,542 per tax return, while Sussex and Kent counties were slightly lower at $4,281 and $3,965 per return respectively. Each county saw a rise in giving from 2011 to 2015, with the largest increase of 15% occurring in Kent County.

Notes about the data

Total contributions and average contributions were inflated to 2016 dollars. Data are not comparable before 2011.