Trust in charities "moderate" but higher than banks

Charities in New Zealand score a moderate trust rating of 5.9 out of 10.

The result is in the 2016 Public Trust and Confidence in Charities survey, conducted for Charities Services by Horizon Research.

Trust is slightly down from earlier surveys, conducted every two years since 2008.

For the first time the survey also asked respondents for their levels of trust and confidence in a range of other sectors. Charities fare quite well when compared to other sectors – similar to the education sector, and slightly lower than law enforcement, small businesses and the health sector. But charities scored higher than the banking, large business, insurance and TV/ print media sectors. 

A range of factors contribute to building overall trust and confidence in the charitable sector, but a key driver is transparency around the use of charitable funds. This includes charities applying the majority of their funds to making a positive difference in the areas where the funds were most needed – and letting the public know what they were doing.

The Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Hon Alfred Ngaro, says the survey serves as a reminder of the regulator role of Charity Services and the transparency of the Charities Register.

“What really jumps out when reading the report is how much value people place on the role of a regulator of the sector and in transparency however many respondents weren’t actually aware that these services are already in place,” says Mr Ngaro.

Just over half of those who took part in the survey felt it was essential to have a group doing the work, including regulation, that Charities Services does but 37% had never heard of the team.

All registered charities are required to report about how they get their money and how they spend it. These reports are publicly available on the online Charities Register.

“Kiwis are an incredibly generous bunch so it’s reassuring to see that the things that we consider important are exactly the services that are in place and it’s a great opportunity to promote those services.”

The survey is published here https://www.charities.govt.nz/charities-in-new-zealand/public-trust-and-confidence-in-charities/

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