By Hank Russell
A recent report found that New York State was ranked as the 15th most charitable state in the nation. However, although New Yorkers are more than willing to donate money to their favorite causes, one thing residents are not donating is time.
According to WalletHub’s “Most Charitable States for 2026,” New York scored 59.44 points based on different metrics, including volunteering and service, charitable giving, donation of food and clothing and share of population donating time and money, among others. Data was collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Harbor Compliance, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, The Internal Revenue Service, Feeding America, Windows USA, AmeriCorps, GreatNonprofits and Google Ads.
Wyoming was ranked the most charitable state with 69.49 points, based on data compiled and examined by WalletHub. New Mexico was the least giving state, scoring only 38.83 points.
WalletHub also found that New York was second in charitable giving, but just behind Virginia (New Mexico was once again last). Further, New York had the fifth-highest percentage of donated income and the 13th-highest population who donated money. Wyoming and Utah were tied for having the highest percentage of donated income, while West Virginia was last. Utah also had the highest percentage of the population who donated their time, while Rhode Island had the lowest.
However, when it comes to volunteering, New Yorkers are not as engaged. The Empire State ranked near the bottom 10 — 40th place — in volunteering and service; New Mexico was dead last again. Utah was the most eager to volunteer and serve.
“The most charitable states aren’t just the places where people give the largest raw amounts of money,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “The share of the population contributing and the percentage of their individual incomes they’re willing to use to help others are big factors in showing how charitable people are. In addition, many people can’t afford to give much money, especially due to the influence of inflation, but they generously donate their time, which is just as important.”
Today, many nonprofits are facing many challenges. Donnie Maclurcan, Ph.D., an affiliate professor of economics at Southern Oregon University, says operational costs are rising while fewer volunteers are staying on. “Greater awareness is needed among donors (and especially within philanthropy) about the necessary costs of running nonprofit organizations committed to employee and volunteer wellbeing,” he said.
When asked how much of a household’s income should go to charity, Jiahuan Lu, an associate professor of public administration at Syracuse University, replied, “There’s really no magic number for how much a household should give. I think consistency may matter more: supporting causes that are meaningful to you, in a way that’s sustainable for your situation, can make a bigger difference over time.”