Q. My conception of a charity mission is often wrong; when donating how do I make sure the funds go to the cause?
A. Great question and I feel many of us fall in that dilemma. Public misconceptions make donors vulnerable and can lead to faulty giving decisions. Most people say trust is important before donating to charity, but fewer than one in five adult Americans say they “highly trust” charities, according to new research from BBB’s Give.org. The recently released Give.org Donor Trust Report: An In-depth Look into the State of Trust in the Charitable Sector. The report, a survey of 2,100 adults in the United States, explores donor beliefs, feelings, and behavioral intentions related to charity trust and giving.
While the majority of respondents (73 percent) say it is very important to trust a charity before giving, only a small portion of respondents (19 percent) say they highly trust charities and an even smaller portion (10 percent) are optimistic about the sector becoming more trustworthy over time. The research was first reported in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. We rely on charities to solve some of society’s most challenging problems and it is startling to learn only a small percentage of Americans highly trust charities. This report shows the need to strengthen public trust in the charitable sector, and reminds us that the ability of charitable organizations to thrive in the future is closely tied to their ability to understand how rising – and more diverse – generations think about trust, engagement and generosity.”
As an example, after a terrible and very public tragedy such as the Pittsburgh mass shooting this week, people want to help in any way possible, and that often means contributing to fundraisers to help the survivors and the families of the victims. Sadly, scammers often take advantage of these moments of vulnerability to deceive donors. In addition, there are often campaigns set up by well-meaning individuals who may or may not be directly connected to the tragedy.
BBB Wise Giving Alliance urges donors to give thoughtfully and avoid those seeking to take advantage of the generosity of others. Here are BBB WGA’s tips for trusted giving: