Independent Sector Releases the Trust in Nonprofits and Philanthropy Report

Independent Sector Releases the Trust in Nonprofits and Philanthropy Report

The following is a message from Jim White, Executive Director of Nonprofit Association of Oregon, with his highlights on this report. This message can be found here: https://nonprofitoregon.org/nao-update-june-24-2024/

“ We are excited to share that Independent Sector – the national membership organization that brings together a diverse community of changemakers, nonprofits, foundations, and corporations working to strengthen civil society – just released their 2024 Trust in Nonprofits and Philanthropy Report.

We at NAO agree with IS that trust is what makes it possible for nonprofits to partner with local communities to do the hard work of systemic change. Our trusted voices as advocates for our missions help drive policy change. Our trusted status makes us an essential partner to government and industry. Trust is vital in the recruitment of volunteers and in the nonprofit sector’s work to bridge differences in a divided America. That is why this report is so vital. It helps nonprofit leaders spot trends and better understand what issues they need to plan for, as well as remind us of that valuable currency of trust that we’ve “banked” with the communities we serve.

A few vital pieces of information:

• Trust in nonprofits is higher than any other institution in society; higher than government (local, state, or federal), higher than media, and higher than business (small or large). Only a scant 12% of the population reported low trust in nonprofits.
• Trust in philanthropy remains lower than trust in nonprofits, and trust in private foundations and high-net-worth individuals remains much lower than in 2020.
• Specifically, trust continued to remain high in human services, animals and wildlife, health, and youth development nonprofits, with human service nonprofits charting a whopping 66% “high trust” rating.

These are just a few choice data points from the report. I encourage you to go to the Independent Sector website and download the full report. It is both a re-confirmation of the value communities have in nonprofits and provides some excellent ideas for our collective future work.

NAO is working to bring Dr. Akilah Watkins, the CEO and President of Independent Sector, to Oregon for a “listening tour” in September. Stay tuned for more on that soon!” https://nonprofitoregon.org/nao-update-june-24-2024/