Report: Americans continue to trust nonprofits

A majority of Americans continue to trust nonprofits more than other major American institutions, particularly government, big business, and the media. Trust in philanthropy remains stable however, is less than trust in nonprofits, though trust in high-net-worth giving has fallen marginally. 

It’s not all good news. New data from Independent Sector in Washington, D.C., show that while 57% of Americans have “high trust” in nonprofits, the number plummets 19 points when they are told that the sector receives a significant portion of its funding from government sources. 

The numbers dropped even though 69% of those polled in a nationally projectable sample, said they thought nonprofits and government must work together to address societal issues. 

The data is part of the sixth annual Trust In Nonprofits and Philanthropy report commissioned by Independent Sector and conducted by Edelman Data and Intelligence. The data at times might seem contradictory but donors have political and social biases which show up in responses. 

For example, trust in high-net-worth philanthropy is limited, with only 29% of Americans expressing high trust in wealthy individuals engaged in philanthropy. That comes at a time when overall giving would decline had it not been for large donors, according to the Giving USA 2025 data. 

The mistrust appears to be driven by concerns over philanthropists’ motivations for giving and a perceived disproportionate influence over nonprofit operations. Nonprofits are perceived as more competent and ethical than foundations, corporations, media or government. 

When it came to high-net-worth donors, 62% believe they have too much influence on federal government policymaking, 59% think that these individuals often have too much influence over the operations of the nonprofits they fund, and 58% agree that they are more focused on their own interests than the public good. 

Americans remain worried about the country’s current direction, although 54% of respondents who identified as republicans have become markedly more hopeful since the election. Only 12% of those identifying as a democrat and 24% as independent reported being hopeful. The overall hopeful respondents were 29%, which is 12 points better than last year. 

Americans believe nonprofits are, on balance, working to heal national divisions rather than exacerbate them whereas 56% responded that the federal government is making things worse in America today. 

The report was released three days after the IRS and religious organizations led by the National Religious Broadcasters and Intercessors for America, filed a joint motion for a consent judgement asking for declaratory relief versus the Johnson Amendment, a part of the federal tax code. It prohibits all 501(c)(3) nonprofits from endorsing or opposing political candidates. It is named for President Lyndon Johnson, who as a United States senator from Texas, introduced a preliminary draft of the law in July 1954. 

Many of those polled want maximum separation between the nonprofit sector and electoral politics. Trust in nonprofits increased when those polled were told about provisions of the Johnson Amendment. Hearing about efforts to repeal it decreased trust. The question was asked during the April polling, prior to any court action. 

Despite concerns about undue influence, there is broad recognition that losing federal funding would negatively impact local communities and hinder the effectiveness of nonprofits. 

The public has high trust in human services organizations (67%), placing first among nine sector silos offered in a question on types of organizations. Civic organizations finished last at 45%. 

Giving to religion has been declining for the past two decades. There was a period of time when it was roughly two-thirds of all giving. The Giving USA 2025 numbers released recently show that number down to 23%. High trust in places of worship was 54% of respondents in the Independent Sector data. Miller explained that respondents are a reflection of the complete American population and those who have high trust in house of worships might be “aging out,” as membership rolls decline. 

High trust in corporate philanthropy remained flat year-over-year at 33%. There was a one-point uptick in high trust of private foundations to 38%, and a two-point decline to 29% for high-net-worth individuals. 

The model respondent with the greatest trust in nonprofits, the data shows, is a college-educated, Millennial, Asian male who earns at least $75,000, lives in an urban area and votes for democrats. In general, more men have high trust in nonprofits than women at 60% vs. 54%.