A new study from the Chronicle of Philanthropy suggests, on the surface, that Pennsylvanians and Philadelphians are only fair to middling when it comes to charitible giving. Of the 50 biggest cities in the U.S., Philly is No. 37 in giving. Pennsylvania fares even worse, coming in at No. 39. There are, however, mitigating factors—one in particular that changes things radically when it's taken out of the mix: religion. When including both religious and secular contributions, the South far outstrips the North in terms of charity. But with religious contributions eliminated from the equation, the discrepancy reverses: the North gives far more than the South. Were religious giving not counted, Pennsylvania would rank No. 4 in giving. Guess we've got a lot more secularists than we knew.
· How America Gives [Chronicle of Philanthropy]
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