Public confidence in charities is strong in Australia, ranking the third most trusted group, behind doctors and police. But this trust must be earned and nurtured and can be easily lost. Donors trust charities with rigorous governance, skilled management, and a high level of transparency about the way they use resources. Trust in charities is integral to their survival, as it’s a primary motivator for donor support.

This doesn’t surprise me: it takes courage to put your money into a charity as you surrender control of it. Donors want a commitment from charities that their money will be well invested to support the causes they care about.

As leaders of charities, we are agents of trust. We have a trust contract with our supporters, who will advocate for us, because we are doing good things in their name. I feel really grateful when I see the word “transformation”, and when our supporters talk about “we” instead of “they”. When they speak in this way we know the trust contract is in place.

The trust contract is precious and needs constant nurturing by providing clarity on what’s happening – the good and the bad news, the mistakes and the learnings from these errors.

The ACNC Charity Tick confirms who is doing things the right way and who is not. It gives donors confidence about the integrity of the charity they support and the responsible stewardship of their donations. But this is just a starting point, one more element that contributes to the trust contract with our supporters.

Robert Dunn
Chief Executive Officer
Opportunity International Australia