Nearly half of Georgians (47 percent) make a holiday-related charitable contribution at the end of the year, according to a Mid-Year 2015 Consumer Survey by the Georgia Credit Union Affiliates.
And, of those who make a contribution, 55 percent said they write off charitable donations on their taxes, GCUA said.
Atlanta is one of the top five cities in the nation when it comes to being charitable. Other cities include Salt Lake City, Memphis, Birmingham and Nashville, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
National Philanthropic Trust reports Americans gave more than $358 billion in 2014, a 7 percent increase from 2013. The average annual household contribution last year was $2,974 and the largest source of charitable giving came from individuals. Donating $259 billion in 2014, individuals were responsible for 72 percent of total giving in the U.S. according to NPT.
Total charitable giving in the U.S. is expected to increase 4.8 percent on a year-over-year basis in 2015 and 4.9 percent in 2016, according to an article by Philanthropy News Digest.