The United States is arguably the world’s most committed country to private charity and philanthropy. Some of its biggest organizations, such as United Way and The Salvation Army have gained worldwide recognition, and opened branches in other countries that pass along the baton of generosity. Charity Navigator, an online evaluator of charities and non-for-profit organizations, has recently published its annual study of the most charitable cities in America. Although generosity spreads across this great nation, here are some of the most giving cities in the country.

San Diego.

While New York has the largest amount of charity organizations, those in San Francisco and Houston are growing faster. The CEOs in Orlando get paid the least, and Detroit charities spend a great deal of money on their programs. Overall, however, the current first place winner is San Diego. The city’s 65 largest charities significantly surpass those in other cities in assets, revenue and expenses, three of the four categories considered in the study (the fourth being contributions). Most of San Diego’s charities concentrate in the areas of human services or the arts, culture and humanities. The city next in line is Houston, followed by Kansas City, Cincinnati and San Francisco.

Charity Navigator analyzed many different variables, including total assets, administration expense, and CEO compensation. The rankings in each category vary. While Cleveland is ranked number one in total assets, New York City’s CEOs have the best compensation, and Detroit has the highest combined administrative expenses. To summarize its extensive research, Charity Navigator says the success of America’s largest charities is influenced by the metropolitan market within which they function. We can also see from this study that charity is one of the pillars that support this great nation, and one of the reasons for its greatness. ■