“Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets.”
Kevin Plank, Founder of Under Armour ®
Declining Trust
Distrust is rampant. The country is polarized in a way that many of us have never experienced before.
Even before the election, the 2024 Independent Sector’s “Trust in Nonprofits and Philanthropy” report showed that trust is declining across the country and in nearly all sectors. The contentious election cycle exemplified the lack of trust in the government and news media, but also a loss of trust between local community members.
Two pieces of good news from the report:
after four years of decline, trust in nonprofits improved in 2024, and
nonprofits emerged as the most trusted sector.
Nonprofits can uniquely leverage trust to advance the greater good. As Nathan Chapell and Brian Crimmins assert in The Generosity Crisis: “Change moves at the speed of trust.”
Nonprofits Are Part of the Solution
In the Independent Sector study, 94% of Americans indicated that they were worried about growing divisions and a lack of national unity. We’ve seen that proven throughout this election year. But individuals also shared that they trust nonprofits to help reduce these national divisions. Participants were particularly optimistic about nonprofits’ ability to address homelessness (80%) and to positively impact poverty (76%).
“Americans look to nonprofits as their last hope after seeing no positive impact from government or big business on the issues they care about," according to the Independent Sector's report.
Let’s Do This Together
Nonprofits are more critical now than ever. As we face an epidemic of fear and uncertainty, nonprofit professionals are doing the vital work of serving those who are vulnerable, fighting for justice, and amplifying the voices of marginalized folks. The world is depending on you to continue your good work.
Let’s find ways to show up authentically and build genuine trust between individuals, between organizations and donors/funders, and throughout the greater community.
Image by Dominik Fuchs from Pixabay