Trust has been a much used term in the sector recently and so many articles, debates, blogs and discussions have emerged, and for every article or survey stating that public trust in charities has increased there is another stating that it has never been so low. It may leave us a little confused as to what to think, but maybe what we should take away from all this debate are some key themes that seem to run through all these debates such as transparent public reports and transparent governance that are essential in order to gain the publics trust.
So in these times of economic depression will the public trust less and give less or is philanthropy recession proof? Most economists are predicting a rapid decrease in donations to charities over the next 1 – 2 years and it would seem that in times of economic down turn people are less likely to begin to support new causes. So maintaining the trust of your existing supporters has never been so vital, and it would seem that honesty is the best policy. Beth Breeze of the newly established Centre for Philanthropy, Humanitarianism and Social Justice at the University of Kent recently was quoted as saying that letting our richest supporters know that we are struggling to maintain other inome sources may lead to increased support from our major donors.
So what does this mean for us – a chance to think of new and creative ideas to further engage our supporters whether they are our donors, our volunteers, our members or our clients? A chance to increase our openness and lines of communication with our beneficiaries and donors?
Jo
Trust has been a much used term in the sector recently and so many articles, debates, blogs and discussions have emerged, and for every article or survey stating that public trust in charities has increased there is another stating that it has never been so low. It may leave us a little confused as to what to think, but maybe what we should take away from all this debate are some key themes that seem to run through all these debates such as transparent public reports and transparent governance that are essential in order to gain the publics trust.
So in these times of economic depression will the public trust less and give less or is philanthropy recession proof? Most economists are predicting a rapid decrease in donations to charities over the next 1 – 2 years and it would seem that in times of economic down turn people are less likely to begin to support new causes. So maintaining the trust of your existing supporters has never been so vital, and it would seem that honesty is the best policy. Beth Breeze of the newly established Centre for Philanthropy, Humanitarianism and Social Justice at the University of Kent recently was quoted as saying that letting our richest supporters know that we are struggling to maintain other inome sources may lead to increased support from our major donors.
So what does this mean for us – a chance to think of new and creative ideas to further engage our supporters whether they are our donors, our volunteers, our members or our clients? A chance to increase our openness and lines of communication with our beneficiaries and donors?