Study shows Alabamians are among the most charitable people in the nation

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us, the country switched gears yesterday for Giving Tuesday, a day set aside to encourage generosity and giving.

“It’s a simple idea,” says the movement’s website. “Just find a way for your family, your community, your company or your organization to come together and give something more.”

Giving Tuesday started as a grassroots campaign in 2012, but it has quickly become a recognized part of the holiday season around the world, with companies like Google, Skype and Microsoft getting involved, and even the White House featuring the event on its blog.

Americans may have a reputation of being consumeristic and selfish, but the numbers tell a different story: Americans love to give. In fact, according to the World Giving Index, America is tied with Myanmar as the number one nation in the world when it comes to generosity.

With generosity and charity in mind, WalletHub, a finance social network, used data to determine which states are the most and least charitable. Eight categories were factored in to determine each state’s ranking:

• – Volunteer Rate
• – Percentage of Adjusted Gross Income Donated
• – Percentage of the Population Who Claim to Have Donated Time
• – Percentage of the Population Who Claim to Have Donated Money
• – Percentage of Taxpayers Who Donated Money to Charity
• – Growth in Charitable Giving (2012 vs. 2006)
• – Median Contribution to Charity (Dollar Amount)
• – Number of Public Charities per Capita

Overall, Alabama tied with Virginia for the 13th most charitable state in the nation. Utah topped the list at number one, and Nevada brought up the rear as 50th. Here’s how the Yellowhammer State ranked in some specific categories:

The numbers don’t lie: Alabamians are generous. In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, be sure to seek out non-profits, charities or organizations that you’d like to donate to this year. If you don’t have much money, you can always donate your time and energy.

Check out WalletHub’s complete study here.