Independent Sector (IS), a national philanthropy serving organization of which CMF is a member, recently released their second annual report, Trust in Civil Society, which explores the general public's trust in American nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. 

While a majority of Americans remain confident in the ability of the sector to strengthen society, trust in all institutions is declining. 

The report was completed in partnership with Edleman Data & Intelligence who fielded online surveys to nearly 8,000 U.S. adults. 

Key findings from the report:

•    The trust in nonprofits and philanthropy is declining but more so for philanthropy. In 2021, 57% of respondents reported that they have high trust in nonprofits compared to 59% in 2020. Meanwhile, only 30% of respondents said they have high trust in philanthropy compared to 36% in 2020. 

•    84% of respondents said that they are confident in the ability of nonprofits to help strengthen society and 65% are confident in philanthropy’s ability to strengthen society. 

•    In asking the preferred role of nonprofit organizations in strengthening society, 45% of respondents want nonprofits to help the less fortunate, 16% want them to create change and 11% want them to serve as a leader to other organizations. 

•    Respondents with a bachelor’s degree or more reported having more trust in the nonprofit sector (68%) than individuals who did not have the same level of education (53%). 

•    Respondents with a household income of $75,000 or more reported having more trust in the nonprofit sector (61%) than individuals with lower incomes (52%).

•    The oldest respondents reported a higher trust in the nonprofit sector (70%) compared to the youngest respondents (45%), which declined from 61% in 2020. 

•    67% of respondents are more likely to trust nonprofits that have a presence in their community. 

The data reveals potential insights about people’s trust in the sector and raises questions of whether underlying systemic issues may impact public perception of the nonprofit sector. 

The report included questions prompted by the 2021 findings for the sector to consider in order to maintain and increase trust across all types of nonprofit institutions. 

According to the report, the sector should consider the following:

•    The sector has an opportunity to explore innovative ways to build public confidence and improve trust. What can nonprofits and philanthropy do to leverage the public’s confidence in the sector as a force for good?

•    What practical resources can the sector provide to practitioners to improve trust in their organizations and increase public support of their missions?

•    Promote more frequent public engagement which has a direct and positive impact on people’s level of trust.

•    Explore the various factors that resulted in a decline of trust and a return to pre-pandemic levels in less than a year.

•    Gain clarity on trust disparities across groups. What do groups share in common that attributes to their lack of trust?

The report shares that there are opportunities for more research to understand potential drivers to increase trust and how specific drivers apply to the sector. 

Want more?

Read the full report. 

Read Independent Sector’s blog on the report.