Community Corner

POLL: Are Beachwood Democrats Less Likely to Give to Charity Than Republicans?

A study by the Chronicle of Philanthropy draws connections between how a community voted in the 2008 presidential election and their charitable generosity. Do you agree?

A national publication that reports on charitable giving has found similarities between red and blue states and the likelihood they would give to charity. 

The Chronicle of Philanthropy compared giving patterns in 2008 as reported by Giving USA and how communities voted in that year's election. 

The results indicated that people in states that voted Republican (red states) were more likely to give to charity than Democratic-leaning states (blue). But other factors play a role in how states rank in charitable giving, according to the Chronicle. They include: how religious a state is, state laws on tax credits for charitable giving and volunteerism.

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How did Beachwood compare with the national trend? First, you need to know that the majority of Beachwood residents voted for Barack Obama in the '08 election. But you probably already knew that.

Beachwood residents gave $60.7 million to charity in 2008, and, interestingly, Beachwood residents who made between $50,000 and $99,000 per year — the lowest income bracket analyzed — gave 10 percent of their income to charity, far more than any other income bracket and far more than the Ohio average of 4.1 percent.

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Over all income brackets, Beachwood residents gave an average of about 6 percent of their income to charity and 44122 is ranked among the most charitable 25 percent of zip codes in the nation.

Check out the searchable database to see your neighbors' giving patterns. 

So do you agree with the conclusions? Does this reveal anything about Beachwood's demographics? Vote in the poll and share your thoughts in the comments.


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