Nevada among stingiest in nation

By Timothy Pratt (contact)

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003 | 11:46 a.m.

It's one thing for local gossip columnists to comment on the tipping habits of Hollywood stars as they cavort on the Strip, but another when a national study calls locals stingy.

And that's just what Nevadans are, according to the "Generosity Index," an annual report showing how much people in each state give to charities versus how much they earn. The 2003 report ranked Nevada seventh among the 10 most tight-fisted in the nation.

The numbers drew frustration among those who work locally at getting people to give something of themselves, be it money, time or an old coat. It also raised some hope that the study would serve as a wakeup call.

"We tout ourselves as the Disneyland for adults to the rest of the world, but that's only marketing," said Linda Lera-Randle El, director for the nonprofit organization Straight from the Streets and a 46-year resident of the Las Vegas Valley.

"This (report) shows we need to realize there's a community out there to run, and it's not just about tourists."

The report, published annually by a Boston-based nonprofit group called the Catalog for Philanthropy, is based on the aggregate numbers from the most recently available tax returns, 2001.

The new report showed that Nevada was 13th in the nation in terms of income per capita -- $48,674. Nearly a third of the state's taxpayers listed contributions to nonprofit groups on their returns, with the average contribution being $3,080. That amount was lower than the national average of $3,484.

When compared with the state's wealth, the difference between what Nevadans had and what they gave pushed the state to 44th among the 50 states.

Most of the states ranked among the 10 most generous were also among the 10 poorest. They were also Bible Belt states, where the practice of tithing, or giving a 10th of one's income to the church, is common: Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana and South Carolina.

This year's ranking was Nevada's worst showing since the nonprofit organization began issuing the report in 1999, spokesman Marty Cohn said.

"You are making money out there, but it's not showing up on your itemized deductions," Cohn said.

Dan Goulet, director of United Way of Southern Nevada, said that 2001 was a particularly bad year for the local community.

"After Sept. 11 our services economy was particularly hard hit, with 35,000 people laid off," he said.

"The uncertainty in the economy had a psychological effect on everybody ... and I understand how people could pull back in their giving."

The timing of the terrorist attack and its subsequent impact on the economy didn't help, as many people tend to donate toward the end of the year, Goulet said.

Paul Stowell, president-elect for the Business Community Investment Council -- a local group of businesses that promotes philanthropy -- said he's tired of seeing Nevada get a black eye on one national survey after another.

At the same time, he said, the region's fast growth is the main factor behind such rankings.

"When it comes to giving, people are so new to the area they don't have an affinity for the community ... (and) they don't involve themselves in different causes," Stowell said.

Louis Castle, named Wednesday the Outstanding Philanthropist of the year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Las Vegas chapter, agreed with Stowell.

"We're a fast-growing state with a lot of new wealth," he said.

Castle, vice president of Electronic Arts, a Los Angeles-based entertainment software company, got the award for his support of several dozen nonprofits in the Las Vegas Valley, including National Public Radio, the Andres Agassi Foundation, and the Nevada Ballet Theater.

He said he sees the same faces at most fundraising events.

"It's the usual cast of characters ... and we would love to have more company," Castle said.

Both Stowell and Goulet said things are looking up in the past two years when it comes to the generosity of locals, making them optimistic about the future.

Stowell is also senior vice president of the Business Bank of Nevada, which recently got Gov. Kenny Guinn's corporate Points of Light award, owing in part to its philanthropic outreach and employees volunteering time to charities.

Goulet said employees of local companies are contributing to United Way in greater numbers this year when compared with 2002. He offered Southwest Gas as an example, where 164 employees donated $1,000 or more this year compared to 126 employees last year.

Stowell hoped the ranking would push people to change their giving ways faster.

"If the person reading about this says, 'Oh, I'm one of those people who is not giving back,' then hopefully this study will motivate them," he said.

The United Way director said that changing Nevada's stingy reputation as shown by the index will take time.

"These other (generous) communities have people who have lived there for generations -- but our time will come in 30 to 50 years," Goulet said.

Castle put it another way.

"In a few more years," he said, "we'll have our Rockefellers."