A new donor trust report reveals a major challenge for charities. Year-end giving is approaching. You have an opportunity to show supporters why your work deserves their money.
Donors care about your mission. But caring does not always lead to giving.
A new report from the BBB Wise Giving Alliance found that 67.7 percent of Americans say trust in a charity is essential before donating. Yet only 18.3 percent report high trust in charities.
You need to change this narrative for your nonprofit.
What the 2026 donor trust report found
The 2026 Donor Trust Report draws on a survey of more than 1,500 U.S. adults and 9 years of data.
The findings show that many people are open to giving more. They want to help, and 42.1 percent of people are open to being approached by charities. (This includes people who might give more AND people who wanted charities to ask more often.)
Yet, if people are going to give you their hard-earned money, they will do their research. More than half of respondents in the study said they would check your website.
Key takeaway: Every touch point matters.
Three ways to build donor trust before year-end
1. Show what a donation does
Give people a clear picture of what their support helps accomplish.
For example:
- $50 provides books for students
- $100 covers part of a service
- $500 supports travel for your participants
Show the work in action. A photo, short video or real story connects gift to people.
2. Make your website answer hard questions
A donor should not have to search your website to understand what you do.
Add real examples, clear facts, current information.
If you share a success story, say what happened and how your organization contributed.
3. Keep donors informed
Donor engagement should not stop with an appeal.
Thank supporters promptly. Share a program update, a participant’s story, or a clear progress report.
Plan these messages before your year-end fundraising campaign begins.
A simple sequence could be: a campaign launch, an impact story, a progress update, and a final reminder. Each message offers something valuable.
Get more from the stories you already have
I’m sure you have tons of strong pictures and video clips that have never seen the light of day. You gotta put those unused assets to work.
A single interview could become a short social media video, a donor email, a website story, and a clip in a year-end appeal. Each version can show a different part of your mission.
The goal is to help people understand your work, see its human impact, and find a clear next step.
Team Trust Productions helps nonprofits grow their annual revenue by up to 40 percent. We create powerful videos and repurposing them to the max. This will not require you to buy fancy equipment or burn weeks of your time.
Request a free 15-minute video marketing review from Team Trust Productions. You will get three ideas for making your video content work harder for fundraising and marketing.