The Chronicle of Philanthropy has a nifty interactive map of the United States that allows you to determine just how giving you and your friends and neighbors have been. (Brad Pearson over at Park Cities People examined how well the Park Cities fared). You can look at the totals by state, by metropolitan area, by county, by town, or by ZIP.
The data are drawn from exact dollar figures claimed on tax returns and released by the IRS. Â (People who don’t give enough to bother itemizing these deductions see their charity under-represented?) The latest information that’s available is from 2008, so that’s what they used.
I spent a little time clicking around the maps and stats and was struck by one noticeable local shift. Above you see a screenshot of a map that represents total contributions by ZIP, with the darker the blue meaning the more that was given. The  largest block of ZIPs with the darkest color is just to the north of downtown Dallas (75201). 75205 (Highland Park), for instance, gave $130.2 million
Now look at the map below, which represents percentage of income given. Suddenly the darkest colors are directly south of downtown, and North Dallas looks lighter. Â 75205 is still decent, having given 6.4% of its income. But then click on 75216, and you find that they’ve given 17.8% Â The median discretionary income in 75216 is $33,860. Â In 75205, it’s $409,050.
What was that Bible story about the widow’s offering?
