Denver charitable giving lags rest of the state

By Joanne Kelley, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 5, 2007 at 10 a.m.
Updated December 5, 2007 at 10 a.m.

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The Denver metro area ranks as the least generous region in the state in terms of the percentage of income donated to charity, according to the first in-depth look at statewide giving trends.

The overall showing of the metro area reflects weak charitable donations in fast-growing suburban areas such as Douglas and Adams counties, while Denver itself proved much more charitable.

“Many people in areas with population booms are possibly new and their roots are not yet sunk deep into their communities,” said Charley Shimanski, whose Colorado Nonprofit Association conducted the study.

Shimanski presented the results with Gov. Bill Ritter and nonprofit leaders at a news conference at Samaritan House in Denver.

Despite the metro area’s overall ranking, the study showed the region still gave $1.8 billion to charity, or 64 percent of all giving by those who itemize on their taxes in Colorado.

But the study confirmed what state nonprofit leaders have already learned from national studies: Colorado lags national averages when it comes to how much of their income residents choose to contribute to needy causes.

The state’s nonprofit sector commission the study largely to help charities figure out which areas of the state they need to reach out to more.

The report draws on 2005 data from the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Census.

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