How to Inspire Trust in Your Non-Profit Organization
August 25, 2008
According to this article, the non-profit community is suffering from a loss in credibility due to the actions of certain less than honorable organizations in the last few years. According to the article:
According to the statistics we have, the confidence level in charitable organizations, especially since 2001, has fallen. Prior to 2001, 90 percent of people surveyed said they trusted charitable organizations; that number has since fallen to 64 percent. Only 51 percent said they felt nonprofits managed revenue efficiently and effectively.
This is a staggering statistic, public perception of the trustworthy nature of non-profit companies has fallen nearly 50% in about 7 years. That is frightening. So how can this trend be reversed?
The most obvious way is to maintain a level of ethical conduct and to strive to always operate in the most efficient and honest way possible. As the article notes, the lack of trust has come from those non-profits who did not do what they promised, so the best way to combat that perception is for companies to follow through on their promises.
One interesting thing from the article is this link to a proposed Donor’s Bill or Rights. The article describes the Bill of Rights as follows:
The Donor Bill of Rights states that donors have 10 rights that must be honored. Among these are the rights to be informed of the organization’s mission, know the identity of those serving on the governing board, and have access to financial information.
One interesting right that is not mentioned in that quote is “To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.” Though it may not be as obvious a boon as the rights mentioned in the quote above, this is also something that helps with the issue of credibility. Not only does appropriate credit inspire donors to continue to work with the company, it puts real names and faces as donors, making the company seem that much more credible and real in comparison to more faceless and less open organizations.
At the end of the day, the primary point is to operate in the open, showing by conduct that your organization is doing what it says it does and is not using the non-profit structure to make money off of others. The Donor Bill of Rights is just one example of codifying the basic need to be open and honest.
David Tillinger - Who's written 111 posts on the UPrinting.com Blog.
David Tillinger is a practicing attorney who, while working as corporate counsel for The U-Printing Network, began editing website content during slower moments. This lead to him completely revamping the web site and its content, as well as assuming responsibility for the company's blog. He now splits his time between legal work, copywriting and blog management.
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September 29, 2008
Yes, I fully agree with the above statement! I have been working with non-profits for the last 38 years and it’s a shame so many have gone astray when it comes to financial accountability. There should be 11 instead of 10 including the statement “To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition of the gift.”
October 20, 2008
I agree – even though people say they don’t want to be recognized, many do want at least a small recognition, a thank you of some sort. I think even if it’s a greeting card that the rest of the world doesn’t see, a simple thank you in some form would keep people’s opinions of non-profits up. Otherwise it’s just someone else taking their money. I give to a humane society only because I know what they’re doing with my money and they thank me for it.