Credibility for Non-Profits—A Must

The Dorothy A. Johnson Center just came out with its annual trends in philanthropy. For 2021, they found 11 key aspects that are going to drive philanthropy in both the short and long term. It’s worth a read.

However, one of the trends caught my eye. They classified this trend as a unique opportunity to build public trust. In a world that is more segmented, the authors open the door to the idea of nonprofits filling the gap in terms of trust. They mention a couple of key points to accomplish this goal. Number one is having more transparency in what an organization does and its finances. The second is increasing participation from community members. Number three is creating greater equity for its programs and outcomes.

I tend to not think as much about credibility for nonprofits because I am, by all accounts, an insider. However, I greatly appreciate this simplistic but yet critical dimension of nonprofit reputational work. If we, as nonprofit leaders, don’t have credibility, we have no ability to execute our mission. Credibility begins and ends with openness about almost every aspect of the nonprofit. If the community doesn’t believe in either the nonprofit or its leaders, effectiveness is just not possible.

Good things for nonprofit leaders to remember in 2021: try to always do the right thing, go the extra mile for those we serve, be transparent as to the aspects of organizations, and increase the output that affects people who need the help the most.