It's Giving Tuesday — but are Washoe County residents willing to open their wallets for nonprofits? The numbers say yes, more than almost anywhere else in America. Washoe County residents claimed an average of $2.597 in charitable giving on their 2021 tax returns, the most recent year available,
according to analysis by Harmony and Healing . That made Washoe the 50th most charitable county in the country among counties where at least 50,000 tax returns were filed in 2021. Tops on the list was Benton County, Arkansas, at $29.41 per return. (Benton County is notable as the home of several members of the Walton family, primary stockholders of Walmart and the
richest family in the United States .) Other top charitable counties include New York County at $15.81 per return; the San Francisco Bay Area counties of San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin and Santa Clara, ranking No. 3 through No. 6 overall; and the Utah counties of Utah, Davis, Washington, Cache and Salt Lake. For local nonprofits, financial donations have been a lifeline. County residents claimed a total of $652,878 with the IRS in 2021. "Philanthropic support makes up 40% of our annual operating budget," Patrick Turner, chief advancement officer for
The Discovery , told the RGJ. Turner noted that many of its donors have been supporters since before the downtown children's museum opened in 2011. Although he wasn't able to compare the generosity of Washoe County residents to those in other parts of the country, "it does seem like Northern Nevada nonprofits do enjoy a substantial level of philanthropic support," he said. Sylvia Froslie, CEO of Veterans Guest House, agrees. "This spirit of giving has enabled VGH to keep our services 100% free of charge, despite growing demand — from 5,600 to 7,800 veterans a year in the past two years," Froslie said. The organization assists veterans who travel to the area for medical care, and is fundraising toward launching a
hospice home for veterans in June 2025 .
End-of-year donations on the rise
A staggering $3.1 billion was raised on Giving Tuesday in 2023, even as year-round charitable donations have declined overall since the COVID-19 pandemic,
nonprofit leaders across the country told USA TODAY ahead of Giving Tuesday. And data shows people who donate on Giving Tuesday continue to do so at higher rates, likely because the annual day's inundation of donation requests kick-starts a complex selection process in the mind of the giver, said Ben Miller, a data analyst and senior vice president with the fundraising software company
Bonterra Tech . And while the late infusion of cash is welcome, it's the year-round giving that provides stability for nonprofits. "This year we’ve doubled the number of monthly donors who contribute to this fund, and the majority of those donors are from Washoe County," said Sean Hill, CEO of
Sierra Nevada Journeys , which works to make outdoors and STEM education more accessible to local youth.
Charity isn't just financial
While locals are generous with dollars, they're also committing their time, said Cheree Boteler, executive director with the Reno Rodeo Foundation. "From the Reno Rodeo Foundation’s perspective, it’s not just about financial giving; the spirit of volunteerism and the willingness to contribute time and resources make this community exceptionally generous," Boteler said. The Reno Rodeo kicked off its annual
Denim Drive on Sunday to support youth in foster care in Nevada. "Northern Nevadans have an extraordinary capacity for generosity, and it shows in the constant support we receive from financial contributions to the daily volunteer requests submitted through our website and phone calls,"
Safe Embrace's Afshan West told the RGJ. "This sense of community is especially evident during the holidays, when people step up to help survivors and their families feel supported and cared for."
Collaboration, not competition, among local nonprofits
"I have noticed that most nonprofits have gotten better about being collaborative rather than competitive," said Manal Toppozada, executive director and founder of
Note-Able Music Therapy Services . The nonprofit is raising funds to hire another program staff member and renovate its three acres of outdoor space. "They are working together to raise funds and are not hoarding donors as much as they used to when I moved here 20 years ago," Toppozada told the RGJ. ""I think donors can sense that, which makes for a more collaborative community, one that has a better chance at collaboratively solving long-term problems with sustainable solutions."
