Chevy Chase Residents Donate the Most Money to Charity

Most people in area give less now than they used to, report says.

October 7, 2014 10:30 a.m.

Residents of Chevy Chase are the most generous in the Bethesda area when it comes to giving money to charity, according to data compiled by The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

People in ZIP code 20815, which mostly comprises Chevy Chase, had a “giving ratio” of 3.87 in 2012, the most recent year for which data is available. The giving ratio, as defined by the Chronicle, is the percentage of a person’s adjusted gross income that is given to charity. Chevy Chase residents also had the highest median contribution at $11,999.

Residents of ZIP code 20812 (Glen Echo) were the next most generous with a giving ratio of 3.17, followed by 20814 (Bethesda) at 2.99; 20902 (Silver Spring) at 2.89; and 20816 (Bethesda) at 2.83.

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People living in ZIP code 20878 (Gaithersburg/North Potomac) had the lowest giving ratio, at 1.81.

The giving ratio in Montgomery County was 2.69, compared with 2.4 percent in Fairfax County and 2.09 percent in Arlington County.

The giving ratios in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., were 3.07, 2.76 and 4.0, respectively.

C. Marie Henderson, executive director of The Community Foundation in Montgomery County, said she believes county residents have a lower giving ratio than people statewide because they do not understand how great the needs are.

“We are not talking enough about the true needs in our community and how it relates and affects every socioeconomic group,” Henderson said. “If we were to change the narrative to show the correlation of poverty and the future of the county…donations would roll in.”

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The Chronicle also provided data for giving in 2006. Reflecting a national trend, residents in most Bethesda-area ZIP codes gave less in 2012 than in 2006. In addition, the data shows that, in general, the affluent give away a smaller percentage of their adjusted gross income than people with less money.

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