Free Republic

MONTPELIER, Vt. -- New England continues to lag the nation in charitable giving, with upper-income Vermonters and Mainers showing a decline in generosity during the 10 years ending in 2004, according to a study based on federal tax data. "If those people who are below the national average would give to the average, there would be a lot of money generated into the philanthropic pie," said Martin Cohn, spokesman for the Catalogue for Philanthropy, which compiles an annual "generosity index." The Needham, Mass.-based nonprofit group issues its annual ranking of states and their residents' charitable giving by using Internal Revenue...