Grant County ranks No. 3 out of Indiana’s 92 counties when it comes to generosity, a recent study found.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy used data from federal income tax returns, censuses and other sources to determine how generous each state and county was in 2012.
In Grant County, residents donated an average of 4.63 percent of their income to charity, according to the findings. That’s above the statewide average of 3.26 percent and above the nationwide average of 3 percent.
Local officials expressed a combination of surprise and a lack thereof.
“It was exciting to learn we’re third in the state,” said Dawn Brown, executive director of the Community Foundation of Grant County. “But we see it all the time.”
Statistically, the middle class is the most generous in giving to charity causes, Brown said.
The publication’s findings not only support that but show that, since the recession, low and middle income classes have donated a greater share of their income while those with higher incomes have given a smaller share.
Between 2006 and 2012, Americans who earned at least $200,000 reduced the percentage of income they donated by 4.6 percent, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Over the same time period, Americans who earned less than $100,000 increased the percentage of income they gave to charity by 4.5 percent — even though they were earning less money on average than before the recession.
The top-ranked counties in Indiana are all located in the northeastern part of the state. Wells and Wabash counties, both of which border Grant County, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the state, respectively. Elkhart County and neighboring Howard County came in at No. 4 and No. 5.
“It is rather surprising and it is amazing for the generosity of the folks in Grant County and this region to be ranked that high,” Grant County Board of Commissioners president Mike Burton said.
Marion Mayor Wayne Seybold saw the study findings from a different perspective.
“I have always said our strongest assets are the people,” he said. “We always, not sometimes, come together in need.”
The Community Foundation, a 30-year-old nonprofit, receives about $1 million in donations in an average year, Brown said. Some donors contribute through their estate, and others donate on a regular basis or donate one large sum. On Tuesday, for example, the foundation received a $25,000 check donated anonymously to its Hostess House Fund, one of more than 350 funds dedicated to specific organizations or causes in Grant County
The average donor, however, gives what they can, Brown said.
“You don’t have to do something huge for it to be impactful,” she said. “And a lot of people here get that you don’t have to wait for the big wow.”
One of those people is Emma Toevs, an eighth-grader at R.J. Basket Middle School.
For the past few years, Toevs has sold accessories like hair bows, scarves and jewelry that she makes with her mom, Ronda Toevs, and donated 50 percent of her earnings to the Community Foundation’s Shey Harris Scholarship Fund. Toevs chose to give to that fund because Shey Harris was a friend of the family.
The 13-year-old started out selling accessories on the playground and graduated to the Marion Open Air Market about two years ago. This year, Toevs’ donations hit the $1,000 mark.
“It’s the right thing to do,” she said. “And it’s good for the future because you can get the knowledge of having your own business and also it’s good to open up your heart to others.”