Charitable giving supports a wide variety of organizations, including those that provide essential services to the community and people in need. The level of giving shows residents' willingness to invest in programs and organizations serving the community.

In 2021, Worcester County residents contributed about $321 million - or 0.8%, of their income - to charitable organizations. This is less than the state rate of 1.9% and national charitable donation rate of 1.7%. The County's rate has held fairly steady since 2018, when it was 0.7%.

Due to the change in tax laws through the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2018, standard deductions nearly doubled for all filers for that year and therefore data prior to 2018 are not comparable.

Figures are in constant 2021 dollars. These figures reflect contributions listed on tax returns with itemized deductions, which researchers estimate cover about 80% of all charitable giving nationally. Due to the change in tax laws, standard deductions nearly doubled for all filers for 2018 and therefore data from prior years are not comparable. No county or state data are available on charitable contributions by taxpayers who take the standard deduction.