DENVER -- A new study on charitable donations came out Wednesday and Gov. Bill Ritter is encouraging Coloradans to dig deeper into their pockets to give this holiday season.

On average, Coloradans earn more than most Americans but the report said that Coloradans give less.

There's no question the people of Colorado are generous, but are they generous enough?

According to the report by the Colorado Nonprofit Association, in 2005, Coloradans gave a record $3.8 billion -- a 13 percent increase over the previous year.

But that is 7 percent less than the national average over the last six years.

In fact, Colorado ranks in the bottom third in the percent of income donated to charities. It is the 36th state in terms of giving, despite the fact the state ranks fifth in income.