“Transparency is not enough: Charities need to demonstrate authenticity to rebuild trust” Charity Commission tells charities.
Being true to their values and the ability to demonstrate efficiency and impact join transparency among the most important ingredients of trustworthiness in charities, according to new research.
The Charity Commission, the regulator of charities in England and Wales has published the latest in a series of authoritative, independent studies examining the factors that the public associate with a trustworthy charity.
The research, carried out by Populus, reveals that demonstrating high standards of conduct and behaviour (being ‘true to their values’) is as important to trustworthiness as making a positive difference to a charity’s cause.
It identifies the key drivers of trust in charities as being:
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transparent about where money goes
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true to their values
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efficient in their use of resources
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well-governed and well-managed
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able to demonstrate making a positive difference
The Charity Commission, says these findings underline that organisational ethos and values in charities matter to the public, and that rebuilding trust depends on behaviour change, not just on better communication.
The research finds that public trust in charities has plateaued since 2016, and remains low at 5.5 out of 10* . The public now trust charities less than they trust the average person in the street.
The Commission says that while trust in other social institutions has also declined, its aspiration is for charities to be among the most trusted institutions in society.