• Direct “personal contact” and having a “long-established brand” adjudged next most trust-inducing attributes.
• “Charities should learn from the mistakes of MPs and act on raising standards now”, vies nfpSynergy’s Baker 

Amidst a recent plethora of negative fundraising stories in the media, having “high fundraising standards” (46%), having made “personal contact” (39%) and possessing a “long-established brand” (38%) are the top three prompted “drivers” the public say makes them most likely to trust a charity, according to data out today (see attached slide 2)

A charity’s “being a member of the Fundraising Standards Board” was adjudged the fifth (30%) most trust-inducing charitable attribute from the prompted list, doubtless reflecting the number one slot. 

Leading not-for-profit sector research consultancy nfpSynergy’s Charity Awareness Monitor surveys a representative sample of 1000 16+ year olds throughout mainland Britain every year, asking them a range of charity-related questions. 

nfpSynergy researcher, Jonathan Baker, said:

"People are far more likely to support a charity that they trust and most charities in the UK are well worth trusting. Trust is, however, all about perception. This data shows that the public will trust a charity that they believe has high fundraising standards. Thus, as bad news stories about junk mail and fake TV phone-ins abound, the sector must surely learn from the mistakes of MPs over expenses and seize the initiative to get its own professional house in order, now – and be seen to have done this – if it is to stave off a potential reputational crisis and subsequent slump in public trust and support in the future! It is quite possible that all charities may soon be expected by the public - perhaps even by government - to sign up to national fundraising standards, and the sector should be perceived to be moving towards this goal with enthusiasm.” 

-end-

MEDIA COMMENT: To interview nfpSynergy’s Joe Saxton about these findings, please contact him direct on 07976 329 212 or joe.saxton@nfpsynergy.net; or, alternatively, contact Adrian Gillan (0774 086 7215; E: adrian@gillanmedia.com) for further assistance.

Note to editors:

nfpSynergy (www.nfpsynergy.net) is the UK’s only research consultancy dedicated to the charity sector and not-for-profit issues. It provides ideas, insights and information to help voluntary and community organisations thrive in an ever-changing world. Regularly harvesting the social and charity-related views of public and parliament, media and business - not to mention not for profit organisations themselves - nfpSynergy has a vast and ever-growing knowledge pool from which to extract and deliver insights.