Posted on October 15, 2005

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Confidence in Charitable Organizations Remains Low, Study Finds

More than four years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, public confidence in charitable organizations remains low, a study from New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service finds.

Researched and written by Wagner professor Paul C. Light and based on a sample of 1,820 randomly selected Americans, Rebuilding Public Confidence in Charitable Organizations found that public confidence in the sector has held virtually constant since it bottomed out during the controversy surrounding disbursement of 9/11 relief funds, with 15 percent of respondents saying they had a "great deal" of confidence in charitable organizations, 49 percent indicating a "fair" amount of confidence, 24 percent saying "not too much," and 7 percent indicating "none at all." The survey also revealed that public views of how charitable organizations operate have remained virtually unchanged since May 2002, with 66 percent of respondents saying that charitable organizations waste a "great deal" or a "fair" amount of money and only 19 percent of respondents saying that charities do a "very good" job running their programs and services.

"However one interprets the opinion trends in 2001-2002, it is impossible to ignore the stall in public confidence from 2002 to the present," noted Light. "Those who hope the public will forget about the controversies that depressed confidence after 9/11 are waiting for Godot."

To read or download the complete report (5 pages, PDF), visit: http://wagner.nyu.edu/news/wpb1_light.pdf.

“Public Confidence in Charitable Organizations Remains Low.” New York University Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service Press Release 10/10/05.

Primary Subject: Philanthropy and Voluntarism
Secondary Subject(s): 9/11 Response
Location(s): National

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