Do You Trust Me? Gaining Support for Your Nonprofit

Trust is the cornerstone of any successful relationship. It is especially critical in operating a successful nonprofit in which a donor typically makes a gift to pay for someone else without knowing who or exactly how they helped. Because trust is such an integral part of a growing, impactful nonprofit, it makes Independent Sector's recent finding that only 56% of Americans report high trust in nonprofit organizations all the more sobering.

Building trust with your supporters is an ongoing process, yet it is much easier than regaining trust once you have lost it. In an era fraught with distrust of both corporations and the government, how can you ensure that your organization remains trustworthy among your clients, donors, prospective donors, and the general public?

1. Be transparent in your operations.

Your nonprofit organization will always be operating with other people's money. Share information about how that money is spent by posting an annual report and your IRS 990 on your website, so that others can see how you are earning your funding and how you are choosing to spend it.

2. Be real (no fudging on overhead).

In an effort to gain positive ratings from charitable watchdogs, many nonprofits heavily edit or even distort their spending in areas such as overhead and fundraising. If you have someone that you are paying to assist you with fundraising (either a consultant or a staff person), then you have costs and should report those. Shuffling their salaries into program expenses instead of fundraising or overhead may cause donors to wonder where else you are “creatively accounting” funding, which derails trust. There are real costs to running any organization, including nonprofits. Being transparent about that, even if costs may seem high, is always better than distorting the facts.

3. Be consistent.

People visiting your website or your social media channels should have a clear understanding of what you do, and the messaging should be similar across all channels. Additionally, have editorial calendars that designate what you post and when, so that people know when to expect to hear from you and where. Sending out a weekly newsletter on the same day every week or every month subtly builds trust through consistency. The idea also applies to any fundraising campaigns. People want to hear from you on a somewhat predictable basis without having you ask for money each time.

4. Have a person answer the phone.

This is relatively simple, yet in their quest to seem more professional, so many organizations opt for computerized phone systems similar to big corporate entities. Since trust can be exponentially increased through relationships, having a friendly person answer the phone can be invaluable. This is even more critical as people make hands-free calls while driving. Have you ever had to push multiple buttons while on the freeway in traffic? At some point, you just hang up.

5. Treat your donors as people, not checkbooks.

Imagine seeing your family and friends only when they need money. Eventually, you will stop taking their calls and avoid them as much as possible. If they are your friends first (spending time with you because they want to be with you), then you are less resistant to helping them when they need occasional assistance. Your donors are no different. Make sure that you are connecting with them to check in, inform them of new activities, etc. instead of only when you are asking for money.

6. Clearly explain your impact.

A 2026 Give.org survey found that 67.7% of donors say trusting a charity is essential before they'll give, which is exactly why clearly showing your impact matters. When you explain through statistics and stories the difference that your nonprofit is making in the lives of others, then you significantly increase that trust factor.

Salespeople will often talk about the “know, like, and trust factor” in sales. In gaining support for your nonprofit organization, the best adage is often “get to know us as we show you why you can trust us.” When you embody that adage, you are sure to make a difference.

Fullanthropy Perspective:

Common sense practices are often the most important and the least executed: transparency, consistency, and a friendly voice on the other end of the phone feel too simple to be strategy. Consequently, many organizations reach past them for something that looks more sophisticated. The common sense principles of trust compound, quietly, through the ordinary and repeated choices an organization makes when no one in particular is watching. Trust, in other words, is not a nonprofit problem or a donor problem. It is a relationship problem, and it belongs to both parties equally.

If you are unsure how your own organization has connected to donors and built trust, then take our free Impact Index™ and see how your actions are building trust.