December 21, 2020 | Read Time: 1 minute
Donor trust in nonprofits’ ability to respond to the Covid-19 crisis has stayed level since the spring, according to a new survey. Seventy percent of donors said they had either a fair amount or a great deal of confidence in nonprofits to respond to the pandemic, the same proportion who said so in May.
The results are from the third in a three-part series of studies by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Luth Research, and the Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego’s School of Leadership and Education Sciences. The latest survey was conducted in early November and gathered responses from 336 Americans. It has a plus-or-minus 5 percent margin of error.
The survey also found a correlation between increased giving and those who had more confidence in nonprofits to respond to the Covid-19 crisis. Respondents who said they had a great deal of confidence in nonprofits donated an average of $2,173 in 2020, while those who said they had no confidence in nonprofits donated an average of $285.
Other recent surveys have also shown a relation between giving and trust in nonprofits. A Give.org Donor Trust Report found individuals who say trust in a charity is highly important donated to charities more frequently.
Fifty-three percent of donors said they kept their giving level in 2020, 24 percent said they gave more, and 23 percent said they gave less. Wealthier donors were much more likely to say they boosted their giving in 2020: 42 percent of donors with household income greater than $150,000 responded so.
Donors with income below $50,000 said they donated an average of $393 so far in 2020. Donors with income of between $50,000 and $100,000 donated an average of $995, and donors with income above $150,000 said they donated an average of $2,505.
