Navigating this year has been difficult, to say the least. Many of us are coping with the impacts of the ongoing pandemic and are grappling with the uncertainty of what the new year might bring. However, the challenges of this year did not stop the spirit of generosity—especially in New England.
According to new research released earlier this week by global crowd-funding site GoFundMe, Massachusetts was the most generous state in the United States in 2021. Joining Massachusetts in the top 10 most giving regions are the five other New England states.
Here’s the breakdown of the list, which is based on donations per capita:
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- Connecticut
- Washington
- Rhode Island
- New Jersey
- California
- New York
- New Hampshire
- Maine
“In 2021, we rallied together. We turned hard to watch headlines into meaningful help when it mattered most. We felt more connected to our own dreams by supporting the ambitions of others. And we were all better (and grateful) for it,” reads the GoFundMe report.
At the municipal level, Spring, Texas, earned the title of most generous city.
As for consistent generosity throughout the year, California-based company The Redwood City discovered that a donation was made every second and that the most generous donor made a whopping 434 contributions. Impressively, Ireland defends its position as the most generous country for the third year in a row.
Their report also determines that March 28 was the most generous day of the year worldwide, spurred by a fundraiser for the baby of a family in the UK whose infant daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. This fundraiser brought in a flow of more than 100,000 donations.
So, let’s all give ourselves a pat on the back for keeping generosity alive even in the strangest and hardest of times, and hope that next year will be even better!