Data from Independent Sector shows public trust in nonprofits holding steady. I invite you to download the full report and reflect on these insights; it’s clear how vital trust is to the work we do together. Understanding public perceptions helps us strengthen our own transparency and deepen the impact we have in our community.

Highlights:

  1. Overall Trust Remains Stable
  • Trust in nonprofit organizations is stable in 2026, with 56% of U.S. adults expressing high trust (7-9 on a 9-point scale), nearly unchanged from 57% in 2025.
  • In contrast, trust in philanthropy (including corporate and private foundations and high-net-worth individuals) dipped slightly and remains significantly lower than trust in nonprofits.
  1. Nonprofits as Unifying Institutions
  • Nonprofits are seen as rare points of common ground amid political polarization. They are viewed as transparent, mission-driven, and focused on tangible community impact.
  • Both Democrats (64%) and Republicans (58%) report higher trust in nonprofits than in most other institutions, making nonprofits more bipartisan in trust than government, media, or corporations.
  1. Trust by Sector and Demographics
  • Human service nonprofits are the most trusted (67%), followed by animal/wildlife (61%), health (57%), and youth development (57%).
  • Trust is generally higher among those with a bachelor’s degree or more (64%) and among Boomers (55%) and Millennials (56%).
  • Trust is consistent across ethnic groups, with Asian Americans reporting the highest high-trust percentage (60%).
  1. Drivers of Trust
  • Key drivers include transparency (74% trust nonprofits that are transparent about fund use), perceived competence (45% rate nonprofits as very/extremely competent), and ethics (46% rate nonprofits as very/extremely ethical).
  • Direct engagement increases trust: 60% of those who interacted with a nonprofit in the past year reported increased trust.
  1. Comparison to Other Institutions
  • Nonprofits are trusted more than corporations, government, and the media. For example, only 19% express high trust in the federal government, compared to 56% for nonprofits.
  • Nonprofits are also seen as best positioned to reduce divisions in the U.S. (27% selected nonprofits as the top institution for this role).
  1. Trust in Nonprofit Activities
  • Trust in nonprofits to provide voter registration and election-related services has increased since 2025.
  • The public prefers nonprofits to focus on direct services, but a balanced approach with policy advocacy is most trusted.
  1. Impact of AI on Trust
  • Trust in nonprofits using AI is conditional: 62% of AI users are more likely to trust nonprofits that use AI, but only 16% of non-AI users feel the same. Transparency and human oversight are critical for maintaining trust when nonprofits use AI.
  1. Key Risks and Opportunities
  • The main risk is a potential decline in trust if nonprofits are perceived as less transparent or too closely aligned with profit motives or political agendas.
  • Opportunities include leveraging their bipartisan trust, increasing transparency, and engaging communities directly to further strengthen trust.

Example Implementation:

  • A nonprofit can increase trust by publishing annual reports detailing how funds are used and where donations come from, involving community members in governance, and offering opportunities for direct engagement (e.g., volunteering, advocacy events).

Main takeaway

Approval for human service nonprofits varies greatly by the services they provide and the communities they serve. Respondents were most likely to approve of nonprofit involvement in providing counseling to survivors of abuse (78%), followed by providing drug addiction treatment (71%), and providing community integration services for those leaving prison (68%).

These trends reflect a growing belief in our sector’s ability to take on difficult societal challenges, especially when other solutions fall short. It’s a powerful reminder that the work we do at Mothers & Babies to break the cycle of inherited poverty, prevent domestic and child abuse, and provide parenting classes for incarcerated parents is both needed and deeply valued.

These findings are not just statistics. They remind us why our commitment to service, transparency, and community engagement is so important in building lasting trust.