Memphians are known for being charitable, but 2017 brought a new distinction as the Chronicle of Philanthropy named the city the Most Generous in the U.S.
The Bluff City had trailed Salt Lake City for the honor in several previous years, but moved ahead thanks to a $90 million donation to public schools from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Also, the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis handled $161 million in grants for fiscal 2017, the group’s fifth straight year of increases, the Memphis Daily News reported.
People in Memphis give 5.6 percent of their incomes to philanthropy on average, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy.