Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 22, 1994                   TAG: 9402220134
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A5   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

MIDWEST GENEROUS TO CHARITIES

Ranking the nation's 50 biggest cities, the survey conducted by The Chronicle of Philanthropy found six of its top 10 cities for charity fund-raisers were in the Midwest.

The six most generous urban centers: Minneapolis; Columbus, Ohio; Omaha, Neb.; Cleveland; Cincinnati; and Milwaukee - with Minneapolis ranked as No. 1.

The other four top givers are Atlanta, Honolulu, Pittsburgh and Seattle.

But the survey also found that cities in Southern California are "the least philanthropic."

The three cities at the very bottom of the list are all in southern or central California. They are: Los Angeles, Long Beach and Fresno, in that order.

"Seven of 12 of the least philanthropic cities are in California," said Stacy Palmer, the Chronicle of Philanthropy's managing editor.

"The only exception to the trend is San Francisco," the newspaper said.

The Chronicle said its rankings are based on per-capita giving in the 50 cities to major charities, including the American Red Cross, United Ways, the American Cancer Society, Disabled American Veterans and Jewish federations and on grants made by foundations and corporations in the cities.

In some cases a city's poverty level influences charitable contributions, the survey showed. It noted that El Paso, Texas, and Fresno, 46th and 50th on the list, also had the lowest per-capita income of the 50 cities.

"But the cities with the highest per-capita incomes are not necessarily the most generous," Palmer said.

Community ties and tradition are given as factors in cities with strong records of charitable giving.

Virginia Beach, Va., ranked 47th out of 50.