Donor Trust Reports

The Give.org Special Donor Trust Report: Privacy and Security examines the importance of adequate data protection to potential donors. As charities increasingly rely on digital tools to connect with supporters and carry out their missions, our survey reveals that potential donors are cautious about sharing personal information. When asked to consider donating to a charity they haven’t previously supported, 69% of respondents expressed concern that their data could be hacked or stolen, with 31% saying they are “very concerned” and 38% “somewhat concerned.” Participants also express concern that charities might share their personal information or access their profiles when engaging on social media platforms.

In the Give.org Donor Trust Special Report: Public Eye on Charity Accountability, we ask participants to consider their positions and expectations related to a selection of charity accountability themes, including oversight, charity finances, impact, solicitation materials and cause-related marketing, artificial intelligence, and data security. Our goal is to keep an eye on emerging charity accountability public priorities.

In an age of distrust, misinformation, and data vulnerability, the top three accountability priorities identified by survey participants were: how the charity spends its money, appeal accuracy, and protection of donor information. When asked to imagine charity appeals including AI-generated images, the majority (54.5%) of participants say they would be discouraged from giving if they knew the appeal was not verified for accuracy by a staff member. Participants with a household income of $200,000 or more are most likely (70.3%) to be discouraged from giving

In the Give.org Special Donor Trust Report: Donor Participation, we ask participants to identify whether, over the past 5 years, they had been engaged with charities and, if so, whether they stopped, decreased, maintained, or increased their donations to charities. Our goal is to gain insight into why some donors disengage with charities and explore possible ways to encourage greater participation moving forward.

Our findings show that 59% of people with household income above $70k who stopped giving to charities over the past five years agree with the statement “there are people out there with significantly more money who should give to charity instead of me.” Finances aside, participants say they stopped contributing because they preferred other ways of being generous, did not trust the soliciting charity, or did not feel like they had been asked. Notably, 77% of Boomers who stopped donating said they could not afford to, compared to only 27% of Gen Zers. On the other hand, 45% of Gen Zers who stopped contributing said they did not feel like they had been asked, compared to only 4% of Boomers.

The Give.org Donor Trust Report 2023: Donor Preferences Across Household Income Brackets offers a 6-year view of public trust for different charity categories; donor trust signals and giving preferences as reported by survey participants; and a look at how participants from different household income groups vary in their donor trust outlook. The report is based on a survey conducted during December 2022 of more than 2,100 adults in the United States (and a separate section for more than 1,000 adults in Canada). Our results show that, for the first time since December 2017, religious organizations are not the most highly trusted charity category. The report also shows that household income shapes how people think and feel about giving. Ultimately, the Give.org Donor Trust Report series aims to shed light on the dynamic relationship between donors and charities, with the goal of strengthening their bond. The ability of the sector to build upon donors’ generosity depends on public trust and on the sector’s alignment with the way people want to be engaged in advancing a greater good.

The Give.org Special Donor Trust Report: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion explores (1) whether donors value DEI in charities; (2) whether DEI is a meaningful consideration in the giving process; and (3) how different demographic groups (including age, race, sexual orientation, and religious identity) differ in their preferences.

Our findings show that 2 in 5 people (41%) say they would not donate to a charity they supported in the past upon learning that the charity tolerates discrimination. By comparison, 34% would not donate to charities using culturally insensitive images and language, and 17% would not donate upon learning the charity’s board is not diverse. Our survey also shows that younger respondents, people of color, and LGBTQ+ participants are more likely to report hearing about a specific charity having a lack of DEI and to report positive associations related to a charity having a diverse, equitable, and inclusive board and staff. These results are based on an electronic survey of more than 2,100 adults across the United States and more than 1,000 adults in Canada conducted during December 2021.